The word hacker is often used as a synonym for cybercriminal. In the news, movies, and other venues, a hacker is often portrayed as a criminal, using their skills for personal profit or — in some cases — to assist the protagonist of a movie in achieving their goals. However, the word hacking originally referred only to a particular skill set — including the identification and exploitation of vulnerabilities in computers, processes, and human nature — with no motives attached.
Ethical hackers use many of the same tools, skills, and knowledge as cyber criminals. However, they work inside the law and attempt to help companies and individuals rather than hurt them.
The goal of ethical hacking and penetration testing is to identify the vulnerabilities and other security gaps that are likely to be exploited by a cybercriminal. By finding these issues first, an ethical hacker can help the organization fix the problems before they are used to perform a data breach or other cyberattack.
Ethical hackers accomplish this by imitating the tools and techniques used by cybercriminals. With a clear understanding of how cybercriminals perform their attacks, an ethical hacker can identify whether an organization is vulnerable to that threat and help close any security gaps.
Ethical hacking can be used to identify a range of potential weaknesses in an organization’s cybersecurity. Some examples include:
At a technical level, ethical hackers and cybercriminals have few differences. The most effective ethical hackers are the ones with the same skill sets and knowledge as a cybercriminal.
Where ethical and malicious hackers differ is their motives and rules of engagement. Cybercriminals perform their attacks without authorization and are typically motivated by personal gain or the desire to harm their target. Ethical hackers have the consent of the owner of a system to test it and follow a code of ethics that defines what is permitted during an engagement.
The role of an ethical hacker is to help an organization identify potential security gaps in its IT environment. Some of the key actions that an ethical hacker may perform include:
Ethical hacking can be a powerful tool to enhance an organization’s cybersecurity. However, it’s not a perfect solution, and there are a few reasons why an ethical hacking engagement might miss security gaps in an organization’s systems, including:
Ethical hacking is an invaluable tool for identifying and remediating potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities in an organization’s systems. It’s best performed by a trusted partner with a clear
understanding of the cyber threat landscape and how to address potential security issues.
Check Point’s Infinity Global Services offers a range of ethical hacking and penetration testing services. For more information and to learn how these could help improve your organization’s cybersecurity, contact a Check Point security expert,
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