Businesses are constantly dealing with cybersecurity concerns. Malware, password attacks, phishing, ransomware, DDoS attacks, rogue software – The list is endless. Sometimes, despite the best security measures, a breach may happen, and that can have a ripple effect within the enterprise and beyond. Things like regular network testing and monitoring, and organizing scheduled scans, can help in finding security vulnerabilities, but businesses may want to take a step ahead. That’s where ethical hacking comes in the picture. If you are wondering how to hack your company’s recorder, an ethical hacker can probably show that easily, if your system is not secure.

Knowing ethical hacking better

Hackers are of three kinds – black hat (the ones you are worried about), white hat (ethical hackers), and grey hat (mix of both). Ethical hackers abide by the rules and regulations set by the client to hack into a system, but in some cases, they may decide to break a few rules, which is what grey-hat hackers do. The primary goal of ethical hacking is to find flaws within the security perimeters. Sometimes, it’s hard to find flaws, even in plain sight, because insiders are pretty confident about their security measures. With ethical hacking, it is possible to test systems beyond the obvious.

What are the pros and cons of ethical hacking?

Ethical hackers have the experience and expertise to find security issues, and they have helped some of the biggest organizations in the world. Many companies – including Google, Facebook, and Apple – have engaged the security community in many ways, often through bug bounty programs. Ethical hackers work with clients in a comprehensive manner, and their findings and help can be handy in tackling audits, claims, and other issues, which may crop up, in case an incident occurs. Many businesses hire ethical hacking services because they want to be proactive in their approach.

On the flip side, not all ethical hackers are sane, and sometimes, allowing outsiders to get too close or inside your security perimeters can have serious consequences. There are instances where ethical hacking has gone wrong for many clients, and these hackers have actually encrypted data, or caused a breach, which may not be deliberate.

Final word

Businesses will have to rely on ethical hacking and get the community involved to take cybersecurity to the next level. What’s necessary is the right approach, and a team that can be relied on for transparency.

Danny White