Ethical hacking is the process of executing duplicative actions and strategies of malicious attacks for some technology to figure out the weaknesses of that technology & software.
Today’s world is dependent on technology. And with the advent of technology, several technology-based organizations have developed within this period. And as such, our daily lives have been completely integrated with technological advancements & products. Now with technological advancements, some negative impacts are also noticed, where bad people with high-level software skills are seen to hack servers and steal money and necessary data and blackmail people.
To stop the advent of such hacker people or groups, ethical hackers come into the light. Ethical hackers are also highly knowledgeable in software coding and hacking. But they use their knowledge for good actions, that is, they hack different servers and report to their supervisors about possible weak coding and weakness in the server. So, this is an important job in the present world. And that is why it is important to learn about how to become an ethical hacker.
Details of How to Become an Ethical Hacker?
In the following paragraph, you will get to learn about the possible steps on how to become an ethical hacker in brief.
Step 1: Learn more About Ethical Hacking
It is very crucial to divulge yourself into the whole process and concepts of ethical hacking to know what you are required to do for doing well in this sector.
One of the very basic knowledge areas about ethical hacking is to learn about the different types of cyber-attacks and how to prevent those attacks. Those types include Malware attacks (which use software to hack your system and demand payment as ransom), phishing attacks (providing fake links to obtain real-life necessary information like bank account details and passwords), and other types of attacks. To stop each of those attacks, you need to be good at coding. So, the next obvious step is to learn programming to its core. The best option to learn is C programming.
Step 2: Learn Linux Fundamentals
Most websites or organizations nowadays use Linux for their servers. Therefore, for preventing attacks on those servers, it is necessary to learn Linux fundamentals and execute them to improve the ethical hacking phase. For example, it has been recorded that Azure, AWS, and other similar cloud servers require Linux as their operating system.
Many websites are providing free and paid courses in Linux fundamentals. Moreover, you can obtain Linux Certification like Linux Essentials. Additionally, Wargames in OverTheWire will help you to learn more about practical Linux fundamentals.
Step 3: Learn Networking Fundamentals
Undoubtedly, it is of course important to know about networking fundamentals in depth, which helps people to know more about the communication process among computers. Learning about protocols, and topology also helps in preparing good security measures. For learning about networking fundamentals, there are many courses and there is also a popular playlist on YouTube from Neso Academy.
Step 4: Learn Programming Fundamentals and Practice Coding
Then, you will need to learn all the programming fundamentals to know all types of coding and utilize them in your ethical hacking process to track your learning progress.
The programming knowledge will help you understand computer networking systems better. Moreover, the knowledge is helpful when you need to reverse-engineer the malicious code.
Step 5: Practice Coding
Utilize TryHackme Pathways to improve your cybersecurity knowledge and skills. It is essentially a platform that gives interactive lessons in teaching ways to find & exploit vulnerabilities in systems. TryHackme is a virtual simulation platform to learn real-time cyber security and ethical hacking.
Step 6: Gain Real-World Hacking Skills
After completing the previous steps, you are now at the level of a medium-level ethical hacker. For getting real-world hacking skills, you can opt for the following ways:
- Join groups like HackTheBox and start hacking.
- Prepare to get a professional certification like Pentest+ or others.
- Join communities like Stealth Security to keep updated about new tools and techniques.
By performing those steps and continuing to learn and practice, you can build a strong skill set in the field of ethical hacking & cyber security.
Step 7: Utilize Pentesting Tools to Do Ethical Hacking
Several popular and standard tools help people in their ethical hacking career path. Let’s learn a little bit about that software.
Nmap is a famous scanning tool for finding system vulnerabilities. Wireshark helps analyze networking systems. The software Burp Suite is useful for debugging issues in login attempts & web apps. Nessus is popular for finding vulnerabilities and also provides recommendations about solving those vulnerabilities.
Future Career Pathways
After becoming knowledgeable and experienced in ethical hacking, then you can approach various organizations for doing ethical hacking for them. It will even be possible for you to join the most popular technology-based companies.
Conclusion
After learning how to become an ethical hacker, you can opt for making it your principal earning source. It is an extremely rewarding job. The mentioned steps in the article will help you become a first-class hacker. One thing to remember is to always be an ethical hacker and help people with your skills.
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