Ethical Hacking: Combating Security Breaches and Preventing Cyber-crime

 

Ethical hacking has become more and more important in recent years in the face of the rapid increase in cybercrime. More and more companies, organizations and institutions are looking for experienced experts in cybersecurity, able to put their own concept to the test safety without bias and act virtually as "real" pirates computer science.

We explain in a definition of ethical hacking what distinguishes this form of hacking and how it differs from illegal hacking. In addition, our overview covers the areas of application of ethical hacking and the specific qualifications of "nice" hackers.

What is ethical hacking?

Ethical hackers are computer security experts who only break into computer systems after an explicit assignment. Due to the consent of the "victim", this variant of hacking is considered ethically justifiable. The goal of ethical hacking is to uncover weaknesses in digital systems and infrastructures (e.g. software bugs), assess security risks and participate constructively in remedying discovered security vulnerabilities. A stress test for the security of the system can take place at any time (i.e. even after an illegal hack). Ideally, however, ethical hackers should anticipate the actions of cybercriminals., and thus prevent further damage.

Ethical hacking, also known as "White Hat Hacking" (meaning "white hat hacking), as opposed to" classic "hacking for criminal purposes, mainly focuses on the weak points of programming and software design. (bugs ). The audits focus particularly on web applications and website security . In addition to the software, the hardware used can also be included in the system security check.

For their security checks, ethical hackers use, on the one hand, tools available for free on the Internet (for example the free version of the Burp Suite), and on the other hand, self-written software. The latter guarantees that security breaches and manipulation of the code of the programs used can be excluded. Ethical hacking often results in malicious concrete code (individual command sequences or a smaller program), known as an exploit. The special code takes advantage of any errors or weaknesses found in the system and then causes certain behaviour of software, hardware or other electronic devices.

The characteristic of ethical hacking is a particular approach: on the part of the contractor, the requirement of absolute transparency and integrity applies, in particular when sensitive areas (business and commercial secrets, confidential customer data ) must be protected by ethical hacking. All relevant information from hacks must be communicated to the customer, there must be no misuse or transmission of company secrets .

Transparency usually includes detailed and as complete documentation as possible, which includes the exact procedure, results and other relevant information about ethical hacking. The detailed reports can also contain concrete recommendations for action, for example to the Malicious Software Removal or the implementation of a Honeypot strategy. Ethical hackers are also careful not to leave weak spots in the system that cybercriminals could exploit later.

Ethical hacking took several years to find a legal framework, hacking being, by definition, illegal. Following several case-law cases, the practice of ethical hacking is now protected in France thanks to the

What is the difference between ethical hacking and “classic” hacking?

The main differences with “traditional” hacking are the ethical basis as well as the basic and general conditions of a hack. Ethically motivated hacking aims to protect digital infrastructure and confidential data from outside attacks and to contribute constructively to greater information security.

In contrast, "normal" hacking focuses on destructive objectives, that is, infiltration and possibly the destruction of complete security software systems. These attacks are motivated by personal enrichment or the capture and espionage of confidential data. “Normal” hacking is often accompanied by crimes such as extortion, industrial espionage or the systematic paralysis of critical system infrastructure (even on a large scale). Today, malicious hacks are increasingly carried out by criminal organizations operating on a global scale, such as networks that use DDoS attacks. Moreover, one of the fundamental concerns of many hackers whose objectives are illegal is to remain hidden and undiscovered.

At first glance, this distinction is obvious and selective. However, on closer inspection, there are borderline cases. For example, politically motivated hackers can pursue constructive as well as destructive ethical goals. Depending on the interests and the personal or political point of view, a different assessment may be made and a hack may be considered "ethical" or "unethical". For example, the covert intrusion by state investigative authorities and secret services into the computer systems of individuals, public authorities or other states has been the subject of critical discussion for several years.

Crossing the borders between the poles is also an ethical hacking, which clearly aims for the common good and the improvement of cybersecurity but at the same time unsolicited and without knowledge of the “target object”. Even though these organizations do not want to harm their "victims", disclose the results of a hack and speak explicitly to public opinion in their efforts to educate the public, they still operate in legal grey areas. when it comes to covert activities in cyberspace.

If we consider classic and ethical hacking from a purely technical point of view, it is even more difficult to distinguish them. White Hat Hacking typically uses the same know-how, techniques and tools as “unethical” hacking to detect weaknesses in hardware and software as close to the real world as possible.

The line between “normal” hacking and ethical hacking is therefore quite blurred, and it is certainly no coincidence that young computer offenders often become respected security consultants and thought leaders in the industry over the years. following years. There are therefore also positions which fundamentally reject ethical motives as a criterion of distinction and which believe that piracy in itself should be condemned. Therefore, there is no justifiable distinction between a “good” (= ethical) hack and a “bad” (= unethical) hack.

However, this position ignores the positive effects and the often useful and necessary practice of ethical hacking. The internationally recognized cybersecurity platform community HackerOne, for example, eliminated more than 72,000 security vulnerabilities in more than 1,000 companies in May 2018. According to the 2018 Hacker-Powered Security Report, the total number of reported critical vulnerabilities has increased by 26% in 2017. These figures show that computer hacking is today an important and proven tool in the fight against cybercrime.

Why is ethical hacking used?

Ethical hackers are typically commissioned by organizations, governments, and businesses (e.g. tech and industrial companies, banks, insurance companies) to search for security vulnerabilities and programming errors (bugs). They use the expertise of white hats particularly frequently for penetration testing.

For pentests, ethical hacking penetrates in a targeted manner into an IT system and shows possible solutions to improve IT security. A distinction is often made between IT infrastructure and web application penetration testing. The former test and analyze server systems, wifi networks, VPN access and firewalls, for example. In the area of ​​web applications, network services, websites (eg online stores), customer administration portals, or server and service monitoring systems are examined more closely. A penetration test can refer to the network and application level. 

How do you become an ethical hacker?

There is no recognized professional training of several years to become an ethical hacker. However, the EC Council, which specializes in security training and cybersecurity services, has developed a certification. The associated IT training courses are offered worldwide by various partners and official bodies, and certified trainers are responsible for delivering them.

It is true that many professional hackers reject training-based certificates, which are often considered too theoretical. However, they provide an important point of reference for businesses, as they allow them to better assess the seriousness of an ethical hacker. Certificates are also a sign of increasing professionalization in this field. With demand rising sharply, ethical hackers can use certificates to be more competitive, find more lucrative jobs, and present themselves as serious service providers, for example on their own websites.

Certificates can be useful for ethical hackers in the acquisition process, but they are not (yet) an absolute necessity. Hackers are currently mainly specialists who have in-depth knowledge in the following areas  :

IT security

Networks

Different operating systems

Knowledge of programming and hardware

Basics in computer science and digital technology

In addition to these qualifications, it is necessary to have a more detailed knowledge of the hacking environment and its ways of thinking and acting.

Of course, many people who change careers acquire the knowledge necessary for self-taught ethical hacking (for example through online research). IT professionals who have acquired the basic knowledge through an engineering education in computer systems electronics or through a classical degree in computer science are also particularly suited to this demanding job. In the 2018 Hacker-Powered Security Report, 1,698 ethical hackers were asked about their training. At the time of the survey, almost 50% of those surveyed were working full time in the IT field. Emphasis was placed on the development of hardware and especially software. More than 40% of IT professionals had specialized in security research. A high percentage of those surveyed (25%) were still studying. Also in 2019, hacking was mostly a side business. According to HackerOne's 2020 Hacker Report, only 18% of respondents were engaged in ethical hacking full-time that year.

Ethical hackers don't just work as outside IT experts. There are also companies that internally train permanent IT specialists as ethical hackers and ensure that they are continuously taking training and education courses on ethical hacking and cybersecurity.

Hackers often find concrete orders through a special bidding process. Companies such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft use bounty programs where they precisely define the conditions and requirements for cyber attacks and bug research and offer successful hackers the prospect of sometimes considerable financial rewards for the problems of security they find. Bounty programs are often conducted in addition to penetration testing.

Conclusion: a recommended service but which requires in-depth preparation

In these times of increasing cybercrime, ethical hacking is a recommended prevention strategy. Targeted attacks and practical penetration testing can clearly optimize the security of an IT infrastructure and thus prevent hacking at an early stage. Ethical hacking clients can avoid the danger of operational blindness, because outside experts approach hacks differently, may have different specialities and background knowledge, and different understanding of the issue.

Small and medium-sized businesses, in particular, may have access to security technology know-how that is not available within the company. However, customers should always be aware that ethical hacking comes with risks. Even if all the requirements of “clean” hacking are met, negative effects cannot always be ruled out straight away. There may be times when systems are unintentionally affected or even collapse.

Hackers can also gain access to confidential and private data of third parties. The risk increases if no clear basic and general conditions are defined or if hacks are not carried out with skill and care. Before being assigned to a mission, ethical hackers must therefore be examined in particular depth and carefully selected on the basis of proven expertise (eg certificate).