When you think of the term hacking it’s generally viewed as something scary and negative and can result in a major disruption to your life or business. But what about ethical hackers, or white hat hackers — are you as familiar with this term?

The term ethical hacking is used to describe hacking performed by a company or individual to help identify potential threats on a network or computer. An ethical hacker attempts to bypass a system and search for weak points that could be exploited by someone malicious.

Ethical hacking is a great way to help secure small to medium sized businesses. Photo credit: Shutterstock.

The information is then used by the organization to improve security and helps to minimize or eliminate potential attacks. Not just anyone can be an ethical hacker though: they need to follow certain guidelines and abide by specific rules, such as:

1. Written consent or permission are required to probe the network to attempt to identify security risks.

2. They must respect the company and any and all individuals’ privacy.

3. They may not leave anything open for themselves or someone to exploit at a later time: everything needs to be closed out.

4. They must let the software developer or hardware manufacturer know of security vulnerabilities, if not already known by the company.

The term ethical hacker has received its fair share of criticism from people who do not believe there is such a thing as ethical hacking. The argument is “hacking is hacking” no matter how you look at it. Sometimes ethical hackers are lumped into the world of cyber criminals but they are far from that. Companies such as buglab are trying to educate the public about ethical hackers and how they can benefit businesses of all sizes.

Ethical hackers can help improve system security and can be extremely effective and successful. It’s time we thought of these people as the ultimate security professionals. They know how to find and exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses just like a malicious hacker. But they use these skills for legitimate, lawful manners and help companies fix the issues before they become a problem.

An ethical hacker’s role is similar to that of a penetration tester, but it involves broader issues. Aside from testing duties, ethical hackers are often tasked with other responsibilities such as finding countermeasures to beef up a system’s defenses. There are plenty of strategies ethical hackers can implement to penetrate a system and test the strength of the security policy and infrastructure.

The growth of IT security and the ethical hacker community is due to the increased number of threats in the online world. The concept of ethical hacking came from the EC Council following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with some of the biggest companies in the world currently using these professionals. There are now a number of certifications required to become a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). This designation is often required by many organizations before a white hat can conduct the service. According to CSO Online, banks are a major target and always remain under cyber threats. Besides banks, a number of organizations of all sizes are also under constant threat.

Small businesses would benefit from white-hat hackers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

As more and more information moves toward the cloud there has been an increased level of threats and the demand for ethical hackers has grown. While many may think cyber security is not a priority because they are too small to be noticed, this is not the case. Hackers are looking for the easiest point of entry and these are often found through targeting a smaller business.

According to Markets and Markets, a B2B research firm, cybersecurity market size is estimated to grow 11 per cent by 2022, that’s up from USD 138 billion in 2017 to USD 232 billion by 2022. Cybercrime will be more profitable than the global trade of all major illegal drugs combined. These attacks are the fastest growing crime in the U.S. and are increasing in size, sophistication, and cost.

The five most cyber attacked industries for 2017 include healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, government, and transportation. According to the report, the construction industry and the small business sector will see a bump in cyber security in 2018.

“Many companies with 250 or fewer employees have learned the hard way that if they wait until after being hacked to deal with it — it may be too late,” states the report. Nearly half of all cyber attacks are committed against small businesses.

Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that a business will fall victim to a ransomware attack every 14 seconds by 2019, increasing from every 40 seconds in 2017.

As more and more small businesses use IoT devices such as thermostats, water heaters, and power systems, a whole new attack surface will emerge for hackers. Utilizing the services of ethical hackers is an important and vital way to keep businesses safe from these attacks.

Penetration testing is the new frontier in cybersecurity. Photo credit: Shutterstock.

Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that there will be 6 billion Internet users by 2022 (75 per cent of the projected world population of 8 billion) and more than 7.5 billion Internet users by 2030 (90 per cent of the projected world population of 8.5 billion, 6 years of age and older).

“Like street crime, which historically grew in relation to population growth, we are witnessing a similar evolution of cybercrime. It’s not just about more sophisticated weaponry, it’s as much about the growing number of human and digital targets,” the report adds.

More than half a billion wearable devices will be sold worldwide in 2021, up from roughly 310 million in 2017. Wearables include smart watches, head-mounted displays, body-worn cameras, Bluetooth headsets, and fitness monitors, all of which can be hacked.

Cyber criminals will be looking at more than just websites and apps to hack in the future. Any business that utilizes the Internet for their business could be a target. From online stores to data information gathering to online services, hackers will work to steal as much information and money as possible. It’s imperative that businesses address their security flaws before it’s too late. Once a company or individual has been hacked, the consequences can be severe and often place an unexpected financial burden that could be detrimental.

About Buglab

The buglab solution detects and remedies vulnerabilities on various business applications, websites, mobile applications, IoT devices , and smart contracts by transforming penetration test services into challenges, referred to as contests, for a community of independent information security consultants with certified qualifications.

The buglab project is moving towards implementing blockchain capabilities, so be sure to stay tuned for website and white paper updates, as well as project information. In the meantime, follow the buglab team on Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.