Ethical hacking advantages for your organisation
The cybersecurity threat landscape is ever-changing and a real challenge to stay on top of. And while conventional security measures are necessary, it is also important to obtain the perspective of people who can potentially threaten systems (aka hackers). Organisations have been becoming more open of late to a specific category of hackers, known as ethical hackers, to identify system vulnerabilities and provide suggestions on fixing them.
Ethical hackers are deemed to be the ‘white hats’ of the cyber world and are generally the good guys who commit themselves to learning about vulnerabilities and exploits to help protect the world from the dangers of the internet. With the necessary consent, white hats penetrate systems to identify vulnerabilities and provide recommendations on improving security measures. Here are three major ways that hiring an ethical hacker can be advantageous to your business:
- Test security measures
Ethical hackers can help companies determine which of their computer security measures are effective, which measures need updating, and which ones pose little to no deterrent to dangerous intruders. This is all achieved in in a controlled, safe environment.
- Find vulnerable areas
When the white-hat hackers finish exploring the company’s system, they turn in a report on the system’s vulnerable areas. The exposure of these vulnerabilities allows management to install more secure procedures to prevent attackers from exploiting either the computer networks or the mistakes of their own personnel.
- Better understanding of malicious techniques
Ethical hackers can also demonstrate the techniques used by unethical invaders. This is to show staff how thieves, terrorists and vandals can attack their systems and destroy their businesses. Staff can then learn ways to prevent invaders from using those techniques to penetrate their vulnerable systems.
The cyber realm is filled with many complex vulnerabilities that are waiting to be solved by ethical hackers across the globe. Ethical hacking is all about helping the global village that we all partake in and making the internet a safer place. Sharing knowledge with the online community is also a good way to assist others and helps puts the ’ethical’ into this type of hacking.
