The Role of White Hat Hackers in Computer Security

Hacking usually refers to intrusion into a computer or network, which is not always legal. The person doing the hacking is identified as a hacker. These attackers can modify software and security features to achieve a goal that is different from the system’s true purpose. Hacking can be verified by non-malicious operations, usually associated with unusual or unauthorized devices and machine settings. Hackers use a variety of hacking methods, including: 1) vulnerability scanner (checks network computers for known weaknesses); 2) password cracking (method of retrieving passwords from information stored or transmitted by computer systems); 3) packet sniffer (the applications collecting data packets for displaying data and passwords in transit across networks); 4) spoofing attack (it includes websites that falsify information by imitating legitimate websites and are therefore viewed as trustworthy websites by users or other programs); 5) root kit (it contains a series of programs that compromise the control of the operating system by legitimate operators); 6) Trojan horse (it acts as a back door in a computer system to allow an attacker to later access to a system virus).

There are different types of hackers. They are: black hacker cap (this is a hacker breaching the security of the machine); hacker grey hat (such hackers are a combination of black hat and white hat activity) and white hacker hat (this is an ethical computer hacker, or an expert in computer security). White hat hackers are generally regarded as hackers who use their skills to benefit society. We may be former black hat hackers or they may be well versed in the methods and techniques of the hackers. An organization can hire these consultants to conduct tests and implement best practices that will make them less vulnerable to future malicious hacking attempts in the future.

Ethical Hacking

A growing number of cyberattacks have contributed to ethical hacking’s increasing importance. An ethical hacker’s job is to carry out security measures that consider a malicious hacker’s viewpoints. A white hat hacker is a user of a computer that is distinct from the classic black hat hackers and the activities of white hat hackers to protect networks and individuals. Such hackers are run by high ideals and ethical motives. They are authorized by the owner of any system they are working on and some of them are educational hackers who are careful to protect systems and more focused in generating quick witted programs and beautiful interfaces.

While the main goal of ethical hacking is to protect the computer systems and networks of an organization, they are permitted to hack the organization authentication networks to carry out the necessary security checks to ensure that they are protected from any malicious or illegal hacking activities. Their ultimate role is to improve the security of an organization’s information processing systems. To pursue an ethical hacking career or become an ethical hacker, you can take an ethical hacking training course on various online learning platforms like Krademy, a globally recognized platform for cyber education. This offers companies the cyber-attacker viewpoint that can’t be supported by software or standard system administrators. Ethical hackers are trained to think like cyber criminals in order to fix weaknesses in the networks of clients.

Some code for vulnerability analysis is quite dumb and often only detects the vulnerabilities that are more trivial. What vulnerability scanners lack in context-awareness they gain through their ability to scan dozens of systems at once, saving time and money for businesses. People can understand the meaning, robots can’t. From an economic point of view, a business can lose its credibility (and therefore money) if the information of its users is compromised or lose money due to denial-of-service attacks. Professionals in the area of information security will bring proactive safety practices to the next level by learning to hack.

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Unlike malicious hacking of ‘black hat’, ethical hacking of ‘white hat’ (also known as penetration testing) includes using computer hacking expertise to find weaknesses in network security and fix security holes before anyone can exploit them. Understanding how to hack helps to enforce the strongest possible security practices for information security practitioners. It’s about finding and fixing flaws in security as much as it anticipates. Once you know more about the techniques used by hackers to penetrate networks, you will be able to solve problems preemptively. Think about it like this: a computer network is like a fence yard to keep people out. Somebody may want to jump the fence and steal it if you’ve put anything important inside the yard. Ethical hacking is like testing weaknesses in and around the fence on a regular basis, so you can reinforce weak areas before anyone attempts to get in. You’re going to have a hard time securing them if you don’t understand how black hat hackers can get into your systems.

The main reason for white hat hacking is to make complete changes and additions to the best system. This helps protect files from other criminals as well as hackers who demand income after unauthorized access to our computer. They specialize in identifying vulnerabilities and combating hacker attacks. White hat hackers are computer security savvy users who use computer networks to test these sites and improve their network security. White hat hackers are also referred to as ‘ethical hackers’ and ‘certified ethical attackers’. In some cases, white hat attackers fill other cybersecurity roles in the enterprise: cybersecurity analyst, information security researcher, identity analyst, director of IT security, network security analyst.

Benefits of White Hat Hacking

1. The main goal of ‘white hat’ hacking is to improve the quality of the system by introducing changes and additions.
2. It helps to save files from other criminals as well as hackers who demand income after unauthorized access to our computer.
3. They specialize in patching vulnerabilities and dealing with black hat attacks.
4. White hat hackers are computer security savvy users who work on computer networks to help these sites test as well as improve their network security.

White Hat Hacking Risks

1. A conscientious hacker who uses his experience for malicious hacking.
2. Ethical hacking can help your organization’s malicious activities.
3. Permission to disclose or display the company’s financial and banking information. There will be the possibility of a huge security breach.
4. The risk that white hat hackers will create and/or place malicious code, viruses, malware and other destructive and dangerous things on the machine.

Unauthorized users and attackers can view our private information easily and quickly and use it for their own gain. An individual worker must be use white hat techniques because they earn a living through what is known as insight testing and organization hire them to invade the network and also helps to find any potential holes in their security policy which usually done before black hat hacker could find the vulnerabilities and make use of them. White hat uses the same tools and techniques as black hats and after that they smash into a system and look through the whole network to find a difficulty and once done they fix them to put a stop to time ahead attacks. Company like Google, Facebook and other offer white hat hackers a program to whom who discover vulnerabilities. Google has announced a new program for people’s discovery of Android vulnerabilities offering successful white hat hackers up to $30,000 for providing bug in system. For lots of companies, however, this is not a viable model, and white hat hackers need to accept and respect that. Not just because it is illegal, but it’s unethical and can put people’s lives at risk.

Disadvantage of White Hat Hacking

In the overall viewpoint, we know ethical hacking is considered as sincere working process. As the company hires the hacker to break their system and find out the weakness of the company protection system. Mostly the government hire the white hat hacker. The government wants to protect the military files as well as want to privatize the document of country from other country. Government wants a good defense system to protect from other country. Hiring the hacker to check the security system is like inviting the enemies to our house because we don’t know when we will be targeted. We can’t trust anyone who has some criminal record in the past because they had done something bad because of that they called as criminal. Nowadays may business organizations as well as many companies are hiring the hacker to make their security system better by paying them high wages. Here is some disadvantage of hiring the hacker for the security system and they are:

• The white hat hackers are only using the intelligence they gain while they are studying. As we know the malicious are spreading day by day. The new malicious software or malware are attacking the computer system of user in daily basis. So, they may not have proper knowledge of new malicious software through which anything can happen.
• As for the security purpose we give access of our financial as well as banking transaction to the hacker. We can’t trust anybody because they may do anything wrong with that transaction. They may misuse the information, through which we may be suffer later it badly. So, whenever we give access to our banking or financial transaction anything can happen.
• As I already mention above that we can’t anybody. Any hacker can send or can make new malicious software that hack our computer or security system and all the file may lost through which we may got big problem. They may install anything harmful software that damages our computer system or files. Once we lost file, we cannot regain it if we haven’t done the backup. So, there may be high possibility of being cheated by the hackers or being affected by the new malicious software.
• There is mostly chance of security breach if we hire hacker to do some works for business organization. We give access to them to our security system with full trust which may not be good for us. Once they get access, they can do anything with that. They may break our security system badly and can damage our files, and they can also send those data to others. Cybercrime is increasing day by day so the demand of white hacker is also increasing the protection over security.

Mostly the white hat hacker is considering as the most trustful hacker. They are hired by business organization as well as government to give protection on security. As we know all hacker have advantage as well as disadvantage. So, above mentioned are some disadvantage and cons of white hat hacking.

Conclusion

White hat hackers must use their work properly, they must not abuse their skills. They must be trustworthy in their work. White hat hackers should not use their talent for personal gain. They must respect confidentiality and use it when necessary. They shouldn’t break systems by using their skills in unnecessary things, and white hat hacking means an ethical hacker who protects the security system from various unauthorized access and protects systems.