Why It’s Important
Learning how to hack helps information security professionals implement the strongest possible security practices. It’s as much about finding and fixing security vulnerabilities as it is anticipating them. As you learn more about the methods hackers use to infiltrate systems, you’ll be able to preemptively resolve issues; if you don’t understand how black hat hackers could get in to your systems, you’re going to have a hard time securing them.

Think of it this way: a computer network is like a yard with a fence to keep people out. If you’ve put something valuable inside the yard, someone may want to hop the fence and steal it. Ethical hacking is like regularly checking for vulnerabilities in and around the fence, so you can reinforce weak areas before anyone tries to get in.

 

What It Involves
Above everything else, successful ethical hacking requires being a master of problem solving. An understanding of how computer systems and programming languages work is also essential, because if you understand how the system works, it’s easier to think of ways to exploit the system.

For example, a website may use a complicated, sturdy JavaScript-based authentication system to prevent spammers from submitting thousands of bogus support emails. An ethical hacking approach to testing may be attempting to disable the JavaScript language in the web browser (a widely available feature) and submitting a support email while ignoring the authentication process. Unless the programmers have designed the site to ignore non-JavaScript enabled systems, the spam email will bypass security. After identifying the security hole, the programmers can make the necessary adjustments.

 

Learn ethical hacking, encryption, forensics, and more in Capella University’s hands-on learning environment that includes interactive labs on a virtual platform.

 

How to Become an Ethical Hacker
According to PC World, hiring managers look for individuals who have ethical hacking experience and/or degrees in information security and information technology, as well as IT certifications. It’s possible to start your career in ethical hacking, or steer your career toward the field as your experience grows. Hack training sites such ashackthissite.org can help you sharpen your hacking skills regardless of your experience level.

 

Capella University is one of a select group of universities designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department ofHomeland Security.

Learn ethical hacking and more in Capella’s Master’s in Network Defense program.

Categories: Business & Technology

Tags: information security, information technology