A lot of students today dream of becoming an ethical hacker. Being known as one of the hottest skills of our time, ethical hacking or white hat hacking is quickly becoming a favorite professional destination for people all over the world. This article will act as your guide to help you become a cyber security professional from scratch. Whatever your current educational or professional status is, you too can become an ethical hacker and carve your place in the fabulous world of cyber security. Consider this following guide as a step by step process from deciding whether ethical hacking is right for you to celebrating your one year anniversary as a professional ethical hacker in the industry.
1. Research
Before you step into the field, do your research thoroughly and get to know the field from the inside out by taking people’s opinions, reading about it online or going through case studies. If you feel that the idea of offensive security interests you and that you have a knack for detecting security flaws, then you can move on to the next step. In your research, you should also include things like how much an ethical hacker makes (you will not be disappointed in this aspect), what is the work like, what is the procedure to get a certification (you can enroll for CEH Training for this) and what is the best place to learn, etc.
2. Choose a good course
There are thousands of ethical hacking courses online that will not just teach you ethical hacking but will also train you in penetration testing, web hacking, hacking into WiFi systems, and perform other attacks like a black hat hacker. It’s alright if you have no previous background in this field because you can learn ethical hacking online and go from beginner to expert in just a short time. If you learn from your home, then you can self-pace your learning and get more economical deals on training programs.
3. Start working
After you have finished your training and have even cleared the exam that earns you your certification, you can just start applying for a job to get some experience on your side. The demand for white hat hackers is mind-blowing right now and you can use that to your advantage by applying to a reputed organization and kicking off your career on a high note. Make sure that while you are working, you are constantly updating your knowledge about current threats and vulnerabilities, and aim for penetration testing certification in the next year.
4. Polish your craft
Polishing your craft is vital for any job. But in white hat hacking, it requires even more effort and priority than it does in any other job. Your organization is as safe and strong as your skills and knowledge. Participate in bug bounty challenges, Capture The Flag programs or hackathons or just practice your skills on Hack The Box so that you are always confident and ready for any challenges that come at your job, which to be honest, will be quite a few. You can even upgrade your skills after a while so that in a few years, ethical hacking is something that you can do even with your left hand. The digital world is constantly being updated and innovated and that throws a curveball of severe security challenges our way, every now and then. Therefore, the role this step plays in your career cannot be emphasized enough.
All the best for your career. Who knows, maybe you will be guiding others one day through such blog posts!
