When we think of the word ‘hacker’, we imagine someone in a remote corner of the world, interfering with business data and causing a breach. These hackers seem to know it all, and while companies are spending huge on cybersecurity, these cybercriminals always end up finding new means and ways. Ethical hackers, however, are different. As the name suggests, these are hackers with ethics. They can help to hack your company’s recorder or server, with permission, with the intention of finding security flaws and vulnerabilities. In return, they get paid as per the arrangement. This is a direct way of engaging the ethical security community for the benefit of your business. In this post, we are sharing more on how ethical hackers are useful for your company.
The need for ethical hackers
Ethical hacking is critical for organizations to spot bugs, issues, and vulnerabilities, within their existing systems. Even if your company is spending well on penetration testing and network scans, taking an outsider’s input and expertise always comes in handy. The role of ethical hackers is to find such flaws, and they typically work for an organization directly, or can apply through bug bounty programs. Companies like Microsoft and Google have their own bounty programs, and there are many small businesses that are using ethical hackers in varied ways. When you engage a team of ethical hackers, you are actually keeping real hackers at bay.
Things to know
The biggest issue with ethical hacking is the lack of a strict code of conduct. Not all ethical hackers work in a similar way, and many may choose to break the basic dos and don’ts of the bug bounty program. In other words, if you are running a bug bounty program, you have to be sure that the scope, pay, terms & conditions are as transparent, as possible.
There are many companies that can help your business in running such a program and managing it in a way that there is no direct collision with the security community. The pay has to be fair and just, and make sure that you are running a program, when potential vulnerabilities are known but not fixed. Many companies don’t fix all security issues, even after knowing, often due to economic factors. Hackers can end up misusing this as an opportunity.
Final word
Make the most of ethical hacking for your business, and take professional help, if needed.