Ready, Set, Hack: 6 Skills To Become an Ethical Hacker in 2021

With cybersecurity attacks on a steady rise, it is important to take not only preventive measures but also prepare for a proactive stance. Ethical hacking is one of the most effective ways to stay ahead of sophisticated threats, particularly zero-day attacks that target unknown vulnerabilities. More and more companies are launching bug bounty programs, where ethical hackers are offered an impressive reward in exchange for locating security flaws in enterprise systems/software. In 2020, ethical hackers earned approximately $40 million from reporting vulnerabilities to the HackerOneOpens a new window program, up from $19 million in the previous year.

Companies are ready to pay well as ethical hacking skills are difficult to find. Recognizing this, organizations have started educational initiatives that make these skills more accessible. EC-CouncilOpens a new window offers $825,000 in scholarships to train and certify 1,500 ethical hackers every year. Even Girl ScoutsOpens a new window is eager to help its young members explore ethical hacking career opportunities, given that it will be a promising field of employment for years to come.

As an IT professional, you are already equipped with a raft of skills that comprise the ethical hacking toolkit – for example, knowledge of networking systems, common enterprise software, and distributed user environments. But there are six other capabilities to learn, particularly if you want to be able to put yourself in the hacker’s shoes and investigate a computing environment from the perspective of “the dark side.”

If you’re looking to explore ethical hacker jobs this year, here are the top skills to master. 

Learn More: Making It in InfoSec: 7 Skills Security Pros Need To Sharpen 

1. A thorough understanding of vulnerability analysis

Vulnerability analysis refers to the process of scanning servers, on-premise clients, remote devices, IoT endpoints, and other ecosystem components to find security flaws. There are several ways vulnerabilities can creep in – from undetected issues on your IT supply chain to user oversight or faulty network configurations. 

Ethical hackers must use a combination of vulnerability analysis tools like Veracode, Nikto, etc., with source code reviews and system architecture evaluation to identify errors in both how the ecosystem is designed/configured, as well as the component hardware and software themselves. You should also be able to scrutinize the security process to find loopholes that might lead to human-error-based vulnerabilities.

2. Familiarity with ethical hacking tools

Ethical hackers use tools designed to exploit systems in a controlled environment and automatically sandbox any malicious findings – essentially working as a hacker would, while closely documenting and controlling the fallouts of the attack. Some of the most common tools you should be familiar with are:

• • Network security mappers that scan open ports to discover hidden services/hosts
  • Web application security testing tools to map an app’s attack surface
  • Password crackers to find weak password management and credentialing practices
  • Access privilege audit tools (preferably automated)
  • Wi-Fi scanners to check for and exploit network vulnerabilities from remote devices

Remember, ethical hacking isn’t just about finding but also about exploiting vulnerabilities in the system – therefore, these tools should be used with caution.

Learn More: Why Cybersecurity Certifications Could Be Your Greatest Asset in 2021 

3. Knowledge of web-app-related programming languages

With so many enterprise tasks happening over SaaS-based web applications, this is a crucial skill to have. Criminals may try and find a backdoor into web-apps in numerous ways, from tampering with HTTP elements to using techniques like SQL Injection attacks. You need to know web-app-related languages like HTML, JavaScript, PHP, SQL, and even Python or Ruby so that you can spot anomalies in the code, if there are any. For example, if a login form is programmed to maliciously capture login data, you won’t be able to detect it without knowledge of HTML.

4. The ability to apply cryptography techniques

Cryptography is the art and science of setting up defense mechanisms to protect confidential data, and using the same knowledge to break-down the defense. This is typically done through various encryption techniques. Cryptography skills will help you preempt weak encryptions and predict how a criminal might go about breaking the barriers you (or an organization) has set. For example, if the encryption key is based on a weak or easy-to-guess password, it’ll make matters easier for criminals. An ethical hacker should know about various cryptography concepts like digital signatures, different types of ciphers, hash algorithms, etc., and techniques such as symmetric cryptography and public key cryptography.

5. Human psychology and social engineering

This is one of the hardest skills to master on your journey to becoming an ethical hacker. Cyber criminals will systematically exploit vulnerabilities that are inherent in us, as part of our psychology. You could break these into four human attack vectors as discussed by a research paperOpens a new window – a tendency for carelessness, the desire to stay in our comfort zone, our eagerness to help others, and the urgency to avoid fearful outcomes. 

Ethical hackers must have a working knowledge of basic concepts in human psychology, especially as they pertain to social engineering techniques. This will help to anticipate how a criminal might manipulate users, and tailor user training and system controls in a manner that address these loopholes.

6. Expertise in Linux commands and Kali

90%Opens a new window of the hacking tools available today are built for Linux, as Linux scripting languages make it possible to write lightweight yet powerful code. Sophisticated cyber criminals know Linux console commands, how to navigate them, and how to maneuver computing systems from a centralized console – so you need to have these skill sets as well. As we extend our computing environments beyond basic knowledge work desktops (for example, IoT), the IT backend will be increasingly powered by Linux.

Linux Kali is an OS distribution of Linux that’s purpose-built for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and digital forensics, so we’d recommend brushing up on this skill. 

Learn More: Global Cybersecurity Workforce: 3.12M Positions Unfilled in 2020 

Wrapping Up: Consider Getting Certified as an Ethical Hacker

Besides the six skills discussed above, it is also advisable to obtain an ethical hacker certification. Knowledge of hacking cuts both ways, as they say, and employers would want assurance that you are up-to-date with the ethical/moral aspects of the job. EC-Council’s certificate exam is definitely one to consider, and online learning providers like Udemy or Simplilearn have courses to prepare you for the test. 

Another option is the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) programOpens a new window by the SANS Institute. It covers several of the broader aspects of InfoSec like incident response and security development, in addition to ethical hacking. Finally, a pentester certification from any major organization (Comptia, Pentester Academy, Offensive Security, etc.) might also come in handy, as there is a sizable overlap between pentesting roles and ethical hacking. 

Across the next decade, as the security industry grows exponentially, ethical hackers will be in high demand. Whether it is enterprises or dedicated ethical hacking companies, research organizations or independent bounty hunting programs, there are plenty of opportunities for you to discover by mastering the right set of ethical hacking skills.

What are your views on the rise of ethical hacking as an elite Infosec skill? Comment below or let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!