We all know that hacking is the act of getting unauthorized access into computer systems and stealing information or harming the system. However, the hacking, which is done with due permission of the network, is considered absolutely ethical and is carried out with the sole motive of saving computer systems and securing networks. In this blog, we are going to throw light on some important aspects related to the future of ethical hacking in the world of cybersecurity.
The following topics will be discussed in this blog:
- What is Ethical Hacking ?
- Who is an Ethical Hacker ?
- Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker
- Future of Ethical Hacking Career
- Ethical Hacking Roles
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Network Security Engineer
- Security Auditor
- Data Security Analyst
- Information Security Officer
- Conclusion
What is Ethical Hacking ?
The act of hacking done with the sole intention of securing and safeguarding networks and computer systems from cyber attacks is known as ‘Ethical Hacking’. Organizations hire ethical hackers to check for any existing vulnerabilities in their computer and network systems. These hackers hack into the systems to check for vulnerabilities and inform the organization if there are any. Today, the majority of the companies across the globe use ethical hacking as a precautionary step to fight cyber attacks and sophisticated hackers.
Now since the implementation rates of ethical hacking have increased manifolds lately, the demand for ethical hackers has risen. Hence, professional ethical hackers are getting amazing opportunities in top companies across the world. More on this later in the blog.
Who is an Ethical Hacker ?
An ethical hacker is a professional hacker who is certified and skilled in advanced hacking techniques, mostly hired by government and top software companies to safeguard their computer and network systems. These professionals possess top notch technical as well as soft skills in cyber security and have the required expertise in various operating systems. Majority of IT organizations’ security is dependent on ethical hackers and hence this makes them a very important part of the system. Not only this, but also governments of various countries employ ethical hackers in the national defense team.
Roles and Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker
The various roles and responsibilities of an ethical hacker are as follows:
- Develop strategies with network owners to improve the network security.
- Research about company’s network systems to identify possible vulnerabilities
- Develop vulnerability testing scripts for the networks.
- Conduct penetration testing on the owner’s network.
- Regularly update and record the security breaches.
- Identify high-security demanding areas in the network.
- Conduct security vulnerability assessments and checks.
- Monitor security upgrades.
- Careful implementation of the new security system.
Future of Ethical Hacking Career
It is evident from the increasing cyber thefts that the future of ethical hacking is bright enough. Many cyber security professionals are training to become successful ethical hackers and have a rewarding career as organizations are paying handsome compensation packages to ethical hackers. As per surveys conducted by Gartner and Accenture, the cyber security market in IT is expected to reach $170.4 billion by the end of 2023. Also, many experts across the world are of the view that cyber attacks will only increase in the coming years.
Hence there has been an extremely high demand for ethical hackers lately, thus leading to good career prospects in the cyber security space. Almost all types of industries such as national defense, IT, Finance, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals etc. have embraced ethical hacking and are leveraging its benefits. All of this is expected to only boost the salaries offered to ethical hackers.
Having talked about the opportunities that the market has to offer, it is also necessary to mention that the profession demands regular upskilling too. If you are already an ethical hacker, you need to keep on learning new techniques as hackers are getting sophisticated day by day. However, if you are an entrant level ethical hacker or a fresher, you must start your career keeping in mind the need to upskill in future.
As per reports and surveys conducted by various research institutes, there is a total gap of 60000 IT security professionals as compared to the posted opportunities.Not only this, it is also expected that in India alone, the number of ethical hacking job opportunities are going to reach up to 80,000.
It is considered the right time to enter the ethical hacking career as even the World Economic Forum says that, “nowhere is the workforce-skills gap more pronounced than in cybersecurity.”
Ethical Hacking Roles
Due to its growing popularity, ethical hacking has started to find its way into various roles. Some of the major roles in which you can get into after getting skilled in ethical hacking are as below:
Cyber Security Analyst
Average Base Salary: ₹525k /year
These professionals are known for their extensive expertise in planning and implementing network solutions. A cyber security analyst works in teams, preferably with IT experts of the organizations to find out vulnerabilities and build a stronger security system. They are basically hired by organizations to safeguard their entire network security ecosystem and strategize measures for the good health of security systems.
Network Security Engineer
Annual average base pay : ₹517k /year
A network security engineer oversees the security working and operations of the networking system. He looks over the security system and constantly implements plans to make the network security stronger so that it can bounce back in case of any cyber attack.
Security Auditor
Annual average base pay: ₹691k /year
These professionals are trained in carrying out audits and are hence responsible for conducting security audits of the computer and network systems of the organization.
Data Security Analyst
Annual average base pay : ₹480k /year
These professionals design the strategy and execute the data protection processes for a company’s computer and network systems.They maintain the knowledge about IT security up to date in the organization.
Information Security Officer
Annual average base pay : ₹1180k /year
An Information security officer works at an enterprise level and builds the broader strategy of networks and systems security to maintain the safety of information and technology assets.
Conclusion
To prevent and mitigate the loss caused by harmful attacks, companies have embraced ethical hacking. This has also resulted in fruitful outcomes. Through this blog, we learned about the bright future that ethical hacking has and also got to know about the various rewarding roles ethical hackers can get into.Before starting a career in ethical hacking or if you already are into the same, it is very crucial to estimate and analyze the future career prospects. We hope this blog helps you decide the same.