With every cyber-attack reported in the press, the importance of ethical hacking is becoming clearer. In 2022, when enterprises are adopting cloud-based services, blockchain technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), the need for ethical hacking is becoming evident. Organisations encounter imminent security risks for which they must appropriately configure their security procedures, practices and structures to counter cyber attacks.
Attackers nowadays are highly organised, skilful, and more potent. These attackers hail from criminal organizations and have become highly sophisticated at hacking. Despite the pervasiveness of firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IPS), anti-virus applications, and other security mechanisms, many enterprises are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Governments and organisations are looking to implement practices to enhance their security features. This article will highlight the importance of ethical hacking for cyber security and protection against possible future attacks.
Why Is Ethical Hacking Important For Cyber Security?
Google, RSA, and Sony were the victims of extremely sophisticated cyber-attacks. It led to substantial privacy violations and data loss. A significant amount of sensitive customer information, such as credit card numbers, account information, passwords, and PINs, can be compromised in cyberattacks. Because of more sophisticated hacking techniques, cyber-attacks are becoming more successful.
The Academic Papers UK contacted research during a computer science dissertation task that states, in 2010, an advanced cyber-attack known as ‘Operation Aurora’ alerted the corporate world. It was a cyber-attack on Google’s sensitive and confidential information. The attack also compromised confidential material from 33 other companies and organizations.
To infiltrate security infrastructures and avoid getting caught, Operation Aurora used complex technologies. The hackers used cryptography and remote backdoor technologies. The increased potency of cyber-attacks is due to the sophistication that black hat hackers have achieved in the last years.
Advanced cyber-attacks like Stuxnet and Operation Aurora are built by expert programming teams. As a result, these advanced cyber-attacks suggest that hackers now have ample funds and are highly organised with a team of experts.
Ethical hacking ensures the enhancement of the security features of any organisation. Ethical hackers conduct an objective and valid analysis of an organisation’s security apparatus. The effectiveness of a security evaluation is directly proportional to its objectiveness. The organisation cannot undertake a realistic analysis of its security system on its own. It is because of its prior knowledge of security vulnerabilities and the security apparatus.
But ethical hackers have no understanding of these systems beyond what they can obtain. Hackers must look for flaws, evaluate access points, identify targets, and develop a plan to test the potency of the security apparatus. Ethical hackers replicate the hacking process and conduct a valid assessment of security features. Also, they can provide valid opinions on the vulnerable aspects of cybersecurity.
Besides, ethical hackers provide a comprehensive assessment of a company’s cybersecurity. The evaluation encompasses weak-entry points, network security architecture and end-user behaviour. They develop implementable findings with useful corrective insights. These insights are customisable to the organisation’s specific IT infrastructure, competencies, and safeguards.
It enables companies to optimise their cyber-security capabilities. Organisations can enhance their software and security protocols based on the findings. They can also modify regulations and determine any training requirements.
Ethical hackers can identify the potential breaches and entry points through simulation. They can fix a system’s weak issues to enhance cybersecurity. The insights gathered by ethical hackers can help organizations minimize cyberattacks. It has the potential for deploying solutions to mitigate future cyberattacks.
Ethical hacking guards against data theft by Blackhat hackers. Ethical hackers constantly monitor and evaluate the security apparatus. It aids in protecting networks from malware. Increased security leads to enhanced trust by the stakeholders and customers.
How is Ethical Hacking Important to Prevent Future Attacks?
We are a technological society, and the scale of technology is expected to accelerate in the years ahead. Our reliance on digital tools and the Internet of Things (IoT) is increasing as we progress. The impact of cybersecurity breaches can have serious consequences for governments and organisations.
Ethical hacking can be an effective countermeasure to cyberattacks for that purpose. Ethical hackers seek to imitate an intruder while evaluating the cybersecurity of an organization’s digital infrastructure. They simulate the entire process of any possible future attack. As a result, they can identify the weak entry points of an organisation’s security system.
Ethical hackers gather data and use it to search for flaws in the security system. They use a mixture of online and offline examinations to accomplish this estimation. It is something that an organisation cannot do on its own. The insights gathered through this analysis helps it in preventing future attacks.
Ethical hackers utilise simulations to detect and remove weaknesses before they become full-fledged security problems. Ethical hacking can also indicate whether security mechanisms are strong enough. They test the strength of firewall and anti-virus software. These tests enable evaluating the current procedures and the need for new systems.
Organisations can ensure to implement the enhanced security features to prevent future attacks. Ethical hacking provides insights into security vulnerability in security from within. It provides remedies that can effectively counter future cyberattacks.
Ethical hackers conduct attacks on diverse components of the organisation’s information systems to uncover flaws, exploits, and inadequacies. The penetration testing procedure tries to breach the security of both hardware and software components. It helps to identify the psyche of Blackhat hackers and what methods they will utilise. After completing the procedure, ethical hackers report on the vulnerable points of the security system. These reports provide recommendations to eliminate them.
Ethical hacking can avoid future cyber-attacks because simulation testing allows for troubleshooting the organization’s cybersecurity. The assessments and evaluations can rectify all weaknesses. Ethical hacking is continuous monitoring. After fixing the issues, ethical hackers conduct follow-ups to ensure that there are no vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
Like the E-Commerce sector, the internet is growing at a significant rate. According to research, internet users are rising dramatically. Businesses are increasingly becoming reliant on the Internet for their processes. As more and more activities are happening online, the risk of a cyber – attack and data exposure is escalating.
Similarly, Hackers are also actively developing methods to loot organizations. They are trying to find effective ways to breach the information systems and inflict potential damage. So, Businesses require improved cybersecurity strategies and security protocols. They can only do so by utilizing ethical hacking practices.
