Hacking: The word which instantly creates a picture of a guy sitting in a dark room wearing a hoodie and doing something terrifically dangerous or something terribly wrong. Have we ever related hacking with security? Ever thought of it as something that is useful?
There are plenty of stereotypes when it comes to the world of hacking. It is considered as a negative word and people are discouraged to take it up.
Cracking vs Hacking
By definition, the term 'cracking' means trying to get into computer systems in order to steal, corrupt, or illegitimately view data. Whereas, 'hacking' refers to the practice of modifying or altering computer software and hardware to accomplish a goal that is considered to be outside of the creator's original objective.
Even though hacking is actually done with consent and is good in nature, people still tend to call it ‘Ethical hacking’ as if to say a 'good good task'.
It's important to note that the terms in hacker vocabulary evolve through their use by the hacker community. Hackers feel that looking at a system’s flaws is the best way to learn about the system.
For example, someone well versed in Linux who works to understand that system by learning its weaknesses and flaws would be a hacker.
Now, these flaws can be exploited, and that's where the three groups of hackers play an important part:
1. White hat hackers specialize in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies that ensures the security of an organization's information systems.
2. Black hat hackers (aka Crackers) violate computer security for personal gain or maliciousness. They might steal data, erase files, or deface websites.
3. Grey hat hackers are typically law-abiding citizens, but in some cases will venture into illegal activities. Example: hacking into a system belonging to a corporation that the hacker feels is engaged in unethical activities.
Now that we have gained the basic understanding of what Hacking actually is, let's see a few examples of what domains Cyber Security has to offer.
1. Application Security: It includes testing for vulnerabilities in a web application and then reporting them to the concerned organisation.
2. Network Security: Securing the company against unauthorized access and intrusions by implementing a secure network architecture.
3. Cloud Security: It comprises of policies, configurations and access controls which work together to protect data on cloud based systems.
4. IoT Security: Securing Internet of Things devices and the networks they are connected to.
5. Mobile Security: Securing portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and the networks they connect to.
Jobs in Cyber Security
Currently, Cyber Security industry is facing a huge skill gap. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2021. The global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 145% to eliminate the skills gap.
“It’s a full-on war for cybertalent,” said Comyns, a managing partner at Caldwell Partners who specializes in information security.
Clearly, there are plenty of job opportunities, provided that you have the desired industry level skills and knowledge.
For those who are looking to start a career in this domain, here are few of the roles to consider:
- Information Security Analyst
- Mobile Security Engineer
- Cloud Security Architect
- IoT Security Specialist
- Incident Responder
- Penetration Tester
- Malware Analyst
- SOC Analyst
There are plenty of stereotypes when it comes to the world of hacking. It is considered as a negative word and people are discouraged to take it up.
Cracking vs Hacking
By definition, the term 'cracking' means trying to get into computer systems in order to steal, corrupt, or illegitimately view data. Whereas, 'hacking' refers to the practice of modifying or altering computer software and hardware to accomplish a goal that is considered to be outside of the creator's original objective.
Even though hacking is actually done with consent and is good in nature, people still tend to call it ‘Ethical hacking’ as if to say a 'good good task'.
It's important to note that the terms in hacker vocabulary evolve through their use by the hacker community. Hackers feel that looking at a system’s flaws is the best way to learn about the system.
For example, someone well versed in Linux who works to understand that system by learning its weaknesses and flaws would be a hacker.
Now, these flaws can be exploited, and that's where the three groups of hackers play an important part:
1. White hat hackers specialize in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies that ensures the security of an organization's information systems.
2. Black hat hackers (aka Crackers) violate computer security for personal gain or maliciousness. They might steal data, erase files, or deface websites.
3. Grey hat hackers are typically law-abiding citizens, but in some cases will venture into illegal activities. Example: hacking into a system belonging to a corporation that the hacker feels is engaged in unethical activities.
Now that we have gained the basic understanding of what Hacking actually is, let's see a few examples of what domains Cyber Security has to offer.
1. Application Security: It includes testing for vulnerabilities in a web application and then reporting them to the concerned organisation.
2. Network Security: Securing the company against unauthorized access and intrusions by implementing a secure network architecture.
3. Cloud Security: It comprises of policies, configurations and access controls which work together to protect data on cloud based systems.
4. IoT Security: Securing Internet of Things devices and the networks they are connected to.
5. Mobile Security: Securing portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and the networks they connect to.
Jobs in Cyber Security
Currently, Cyber Security industry is facing a huge skill gap. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2021. The global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 145% to eliminate the skills gap.
“It’s a full-on war for cybertalent,” said Comyns, a managing partner at Caldwell Partners who specializes in information security.
Clearly, there are plenty of job opportunities, provided that you have the desired industry level skills and knowledge.
For those who are looking to start a career in this domain, here are few of the roles to consider:
- Information Security Analyst
- Mobile Security Engineer
- Cloud Security Architect
- IoT Security Specialist
- Incident Responder
- Penetration Tester
- Malware Analyst
- SOC Analyst