What is ethical hacking, and what does an ethical hacker do?
4 min read
Ethical hacking may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s a real term that describes a crucial part of cybersecurity. Unlike other types of hackers, ethical hackers can expose system vulnerabilities without causing massive damage. But who exactly are they, what do they do, and why are they so important to our cybersecurity? Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What is ethical hacking?
Ethical hacking, or white-hat hacking, refers to attacking applications, systems, or other cyberinfrastructure to detect vulnerabilities in an organization’s or individual’s cybersecurity. The key purpose of ethical hacking is to identify and eliminate cyber threats, which is why companies often hire cybersecurity specialists to perform authorized attacks on organizations’ networks.
What are the key principles of ethical hacking?
The term and concept of ethical hacking imply that white-hat hackers must abide by certain principles. These include:
- First, do no harm. Ethical hackers must not steal data or otherwise cause damage upon breaching a network. Successful white-hat hacks are only a demonstration of what could happen if real cybercriminals were to attack the network.
- Get permission. Companies, individuals, and other entities must give permission before ethical hackers take action. If white-hat hackers attack systems without permission (a feat that has happened before), their exploits become illegal and are subject to legal action, even if the intentions were good.
- Keep it confidential. Once ethical hackers complete their attack, the results are on a need-to-know basis. White-hat hackers can only share the information with the attacked entity (company or individual). They can also use their insights to help fortify the cybersecurity measures.
- Abide by the law. Ethical hackers must follow the rule of law when commencing their activities. That means using legal methods to evaluate the information and its security, performing their activities with authorization, and avoiding collaborations with malicious actors.
What does an ethical hacker do?
Ethical hackers are cybersecurity experts who test their clients’ security by penetrating their systems and identifying vulnerabilities. This process is also called penetration testing. Companies can hire ethical hackers as cybersecurity officers or work in outside companies that provide white hacking services. White-hat hackers use all the legal tools at their exposure to help their targets (clients) stay safe.
What are the main differences between ethical hackers and malicious hackers?
The difference between ethical hackers and malicious hackers is the same as the difference between a locksmith and a burglar. While an ethical hacker acts with consent, abides by the rules, and seeks to improve the situation, a malicious hacker breaks the law to sneak in, steal whatever’s possible, and escape before anyone’s caught a whiff of them.
Both malicious and ethical hackers operate within a similar scope of tools and skills. However, the main difference between their approach is that malicious actors do not care about ethics and the harm they cause, opening a wider range of accessible attack options. Meanwhile, white-hat hackers work in more limited environments, paying close attention to what effect their exploits may cause to the system. Sometimes, white-hat hackers may split into two teams (for example, red and blue teams) to simulate real-world attack and defense scenarios and provide more accurate insights for system owners.
Ethical hacking in five steps
Ethical hackers go through a series of steps to carry out their work. These steps include:
1. Reconnaissance
In this phase, hackers gather data about their targets either actively or passively. Active reconnaissance means a hacker directly communicates with the target to obtain information. In contrast, passive reconnaissance is when the hacker collects information secretly or indirectly using OSINT, online searches, or social media.
2. Scanning
After collecting the data, the hacker analyzes it to determine the attack surface and attack vector. Determining these two areas helps them select the right tools to hack the system.
This phase has three stages: pre-attack, port scanning/sniffing, and information extraction. In the pre-attack stage, hackers look for more specific data based on the information found in the reconnaissance phase. In the port scanning stage, they scan for data with port and vulnerability scanners. The information extraction stage occurs when hackers collect details about the machines and operating systems they plan to attack.
3. Gaining access
This is the phase when actual hacking takes place. Here, the hacker uses their tools and acquired data to access the system, gain the required privileges, and take it over.
4. Maintaining access
After penetrating the system, hackers try to maintain access for future attacks and prevent a target from discovering their presence. They also employ various tools (such as trojans or ransomware) to initiate further attacks.
5. Covering tracks
In this last phase, hackers try to cover their tracks so that security personnel or law-enforcement won’t find out about the attack.
The most common tools for white-hat hackers
While the methods of white-hat hackers may differ, the tools they use are usually the same. These include various penetration testers and network scanners, the most common of which are:
- Burp Suite. Burp Suite is an integrated platform for web application security testing. It offers features such as a scanner, intruder, and repeater while also acting as a proxy server that can intercept and modify requests. This platform is wildly popular among cybersecurity researchers and white-hat hackers, allowing a wide and capable set of tools. It can be effectively used with a network firewall to simulate attacks and assess the effectiveness of security measures.
- Nmap. Nmap, or Network Mapper, is an open-source tool that white-hat hackers use for network discovery and security auditing. It can detect active network devices, perform port scanning, and collect information about active hosts.
- Wireshark. Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that can capture and browse the traffic running through a computer network. Its capabilities include data packet capture and inspection, protocol decoding, and live traffic monitoring. In addition, Wireshark supports multiple platforms, making it a popular analysis tool for white-hat hackers.
Why is ethical hacking important?
The importance and benefits of ethical hacking cannot be overstated. First, it’s a safe way to evaluate cybersecurity vulnerabilities and fortify your cybersecurity against future cyberattacks. It’s also an optimal solution for protecting your digital assets. Since white-hat hackers provide feedback and improvement tips, they increase the chances of successfully safeguarding sensitive data and avoiding breaches, identity theft, or potential financial loss.
Finally, regular penetration testing can help keep companies and individuals vigilant for potential cyber threats. Just like personal hygiene helps maintain balanced health and immunity, consistent digital system testing can prevent unwanted dangers from harming your cyber systems.