White Hat Hacker: What It Is and How to Become a White Hat Hacker

• A White hat hacker is an information security engineer and developer who can find and fix IT vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
• White hat hackers must uphold the EC-Council’s code of ethics and perform only legal activities while protecting the intellectual property rights of others.
• An information security degree or computer science degree is a solid foundation for white-hat hackers. However, good problem-solving skills and communication skills are also essential.
• This article is intended for IT professionals, IT managers, and security specialists who are interested in a career in cybersecurity.

A White hat hacker also known as an ethical hacker, uses penetration testing techniques to assess an organization’s IT security and find vulnerabilities. The results of these penetration tests are used by IT security personnel to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen security, and reduce the risk factors.

Penetration testing should never be done casually. Penetration testing is a complex task that requires a lot of planning. This includes getting permission from management to run tests, and then ensuring they are conducted as safely as possible. Many of these tests use the same techniques as attackers to break into a network. To outsource this aspect of IT, many businesses turn to managed services providers.

What is a white hat hacker?

White hat hackers are ethical information security developers or engineers who test security configurations for organizations.

In the 1960s, ethical hacking was born when corporations and government agencies began to examine emerging technologies and computer systems for security flaws. Black hat hackers are a side effect of ethical hacking, and they illegally search for information to gain personal gain.

The white hats are authorized by an organization to search for vulnerabilities and exploits within the IT infrastructure in order to keep black hats away.

What is the difference between a black and white hat hacker?

A white-hat hacker helps to strengthen security and follows the rules. However, a black-hat hacker is in essence a cybercriminal. Black hats are motivated by malicious intent to steal information and blackmail people or downsize corporations, break laws or steal money. Cyberattacks, such as malware, viruses, and phishing schemes, can all be used to gain access to your computer. The results can be disastrous. Attacks can be successful in a variety of ways, including slowing down your computer or ceasing company operations. This was the case when hackers shut down Colonial Pipeline 2021.

Originally published on The Tech Trend