Who are Ethical Hackers and how much CEH mean for businesses?
It is known that hacks and cyber attacks are becoming more prevalent in the last few years. We witness it in everyday tech news, whether it is about some spoofed email that brings a user to a phishing site to get your credentials, or through a URL that’s clicked to launch a malware attack or a more strategized once such as a specially designed one to penetrate your organization’s IT infrastructure. With every security that we put, the hackers get ever more sophisticated in their tactics to penetrate vulnerabilities and hack our systems and network. In these circumstances, Ethical Hackers are professionals those who come to the rescue in mitigating the risk and vulnerability faced by the organizations.
Booming Cybercrime Data:
In a recent report, it has been seen that in the last few years cybercrimes have been rising every other day affecting many organizations and its operations. In a report from KPMG, the data reveals that 94% of organizations perceive cybercrime as a major threat to their smooth functioning, 72% of the companies are facing cyber-attack threats and quite alarmingly, 78% of the companies do not even have a cyber-incident response plan in place. Making Corporate IT training in Information Security domain a mandate among other combat techniques such as upskilling resources for cybersecurity training and certifications such as CEH, ECSA and more.
In the year 2016, over 2 BIllion personal records were stolen and $450 Billion costs were reported on Cybercrimes. In the U.S alone 100 Million Americans have been stolen medical their records as per a Chief Executive of Hiscox Insurance.
So, the above data simply shows that the losses and threats are many but the combating techniques are meager. In such a scenario, only one kind of professionals can help any organizations, i.e. Ethical Hackers. Ethical Hackers are professionals who perform scanning, reconnaissance, and other procedures to figure out the vulnerabilities in the target systems, in this scenario, the company’s network, and its infrastructure.
Cybercrimes affecting the Consumers:
When hackers target a company’s network and data get breached, it is the data of the consumers that are in question. End users, consumers and patients and common users associated with the business products are impacted the most. For instance, the ‘WannaCry Ransomware outbreak’ which recently happened gave access to the corporate network, giving out relevant resources and medical device systems and healthcare providers. The ransomware may not affect the patient directly but by affecting the outages reallocation of resources, it can trigger more clinical mistakes which were impactful to the end-user.
Hiring Ethical Hackers to Stop Hacking
Now, it brings us to the conclusion that we in the IT department need to upskill our resource pool to accommodate professionals who can combat potential vulnerabilities and safeguard the company’s data and manage Information Security aspects effectively. Organizations to mitigate such issues hire experienced ethical hackers who are CEH certified preferably. These professionals can apply their knowledge of hacking to help a corporate IT environment prepare for imminent threats. Information Security domains especially, Ethical Hacking provides an opportunity to IT/ IS managers, tech support, system admins, security specialists, network admins, and related roles to upskill their competencies and work at a better and futuristic and much-needed level in the respective organization.
A Certified Ethical hacker uses the same method and tools that are utilized by malicious hackers; however, here to figure out the loopholes in the system and thereof to defend the systems.
How does CEH training and certification help upskill IT Professionals?
- IT professionals taking a leap in the information security domain attain mastery over concepts related to ethical hacking, like writing virus code, reverse engineering, exploit writing, etc.
- You gain methodologies and tactics that hackers need in a gradual process to penetrate IDS, honeypots, firewall, and wireless systems.
- You will be able to identify the vulnerabilities of various systems and the finer nuances, such as backdoors, trojans and other countermeasures.
- You would apply the latest methods, tools, and techniques, in your job role and develop strategies which shall work.
- Also, earning an industry-recognized credential offer you better future avenues and you get to earn more salary than your non-certified peers.
The CEH certification helps you get an edge on the path of Information Security. The certification establishes your career in this field and offer validation of skills in a defensive role in an IT organization and move you up in the career by making you eligible in higher job roles.
