Everything About Ethical Hacker Roles

Balazs Refi

October 11, 2022

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Who is who in this world? What is he/she doing exactly? Read our blog post about ethical hacker roles!

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Hoodie, graphic t-shirt, jeans, dark colors, backpack, sitting alone in the basement in front of the computer. This is how most movies portray hackers. Remember the programmer in "Mr. Robot" for instance, or the main character in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", or the Hungarian TV series "Hacktion".

Many films feature hacker characters (usually black hat hackers), but what defines a white hat (ethical) hacker?

Ethical hacker - Bluebird blog

What Exactly is Hacking?

The act of gaining unauthorized access to computers or other IT resources is known as hacking. In addition, hacking involves the unauthorized manipulation of electronic devices.

To be successful at hacking, one must have a high level of specialized knowledge. There are different levels of a hacker, ranging from the most inexperienced to the most knowledgeable.

For example, anyone can run scripts or programs that authenticate a user into a Wi-Fi network (we call them script kiddies). We could gain access to a password-protected WI-FI network that we do not control or own using this method.

If we write a program that can crack an unknown Wi-Fi password, we're talking about knowledge on a whole new level. Knowing how to crack Wi-Fi passwords (which is still not considered complex code) increases the likelihood that someone will not run unknown code because they are well aware that it may contain harmful viruses (for example we could install a nice little password-stealing program on our computer).

When is it permissible to hack and when is it not? That is what distinguishes ethical hackers from the rest of the pack. We can call ourselves ethical hackers if we use the aforementioned programs legally (The following section will go over the rest of the requirements). It is a crime to operate them without permission. We ask all our readers to stay on the ethical side!

What are the Main Differences Between Ethical and Non-Ethical Hacking?

Ethical Hacker

(white hat hacker)

  • Has permission to run their code
  • A contract governs their activities
  • Their objective is finding security holes so those could be repaired
  • Perform their job as a profession
  • They are regulated in their actions

Non-Ethical Hacker

(black hat hacker)

  • Doesn’t have permission
  • The non-ethical hacker's activity is illegal
  • Their objective is breaching security to make profit
  • Performs the job as a hobby or to make money 
  • They are not regulated in any way

Different Kinds of Hackers

Grey hat hackers seek out security flaws and report them to system administrators. After informing the victim, they offer their assistance, usually in exchange for money.

There are even more types of hackers:

Blue Hat Hacker

Their objective is testing, attacking new systems prior they are introduced to the market.

Green Hat Hacker

Newbie, beginner hacker.

Script Kiddie

They use programs for hacking written by someone else

In recent years, there have been several cases of grey hat hacking in Europe, with the "attacked" company taking legal action against the hacker.

Ethical hacker - Bluebird

The Ethical Hacker

Since the term "ethical hacker" was first used, the picture of hackers has become increasingly clear. As security experts, they help build safe systems on behalf of their employers. Hackers who don't want to take advantage of security flaws, but rather fix them. In general, their goal is to make the system as secure as possible against attacks by breaking in and looking for the system's vulnerabilities. If there is a problem, then they will suggest a solution. To prevent a real hacker or code-cracker attack, this is the best way to close security holes.

As a result, anyone can learn to hack ethically if they are willing to put in the time and effort. Those with a genuine interest in getting into systems and discovering security flaws but no malicious intent can probably become system penetration testers. Hacking is probably a fun job for them because of the challenge. 58 percent of hackers, according to the 2018 Hacking Report, didn't learn their skills in school, but the majority of them received IT training.

CEH is a highly sought-after and well-regarded certification (Certified Ethical Hacker). In general, the most sought-after hacker has to have experience in breach and attack simulation, vulnerability analysis, mobile app development, decoding and reverse engineering, to name a few areas. They must also take part in incident-reaction processes and be open to new solutions at all times.

Penetration testers, security analysts, information security advisors, and network security experts are all examples of what is meant by the term "ethical hacker." Many businesses use two different types of teams when recruiting. Team blue is in charge of safeguarding the company's IT systems, while team red is in charge of infiltrating the network from within.

Why are Ethical Hackers Used?

Preventive measures for security breaches.

  • Protecting customer information.
  • Security awareness on every level of business.
  • Systematic and periodic testing of networks.
  • The certified ethical hackers must report if a (security) issue occurs.
  • They are aware of the most recent technologies and methods.
  • Loss reduction or prevention.

Jobs in IT Security

Aside from the position of an ethical hacker, many other positions exist in the field of IT security.

It is important to remember that "ethical hacker" is a collective noun, not an individual noun. While most people think of a deviant developer when they hear the term "ethical hacker," there are many different jobs and tasks that fall into this category.

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Let’s see what are the keywords to search for if you are looking for a job in IT security!

Leader, manager jobs - Bluebird

Leader/Manager Jobs

Cyber Security Manager or IT Security Manager

In short, a cyber security manager's job is to set up and oversee the proper operation of security guidelines and procedures. Additionally, they are responsible for ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the systems and that no security holes exist.

Generally, they coordinate the systematic assessment of security risks and data protection by their level of confidentiality.

Their core leadership responsibilities, they must train, lead, coordinate, and also motivate a team.

Ethical hacking specialist - Bluebird

Architect Jobs

Corporate IT Security Architect or Infrastructure Security Architect

The architects establish the security standards and conventions of a company or an infrastructure, moreover designing and verifying company security systems. Their role is to create, supervise and maintain IT security processes and procedures design architecture elements, undertake security mapping to avoid any security breach due to vulnerabilities.

Additionally, they are responsible for the risk assessment of new technologies and solutions.

Consultant, analyst jobs - Bluebird

Consultant/Analyst Jobs

Information Security Consultant, Information Security Analyst, Information Security Expert or Cyber Security Analyst

Their role is to design, implement, and participate in the operation of information technology security applications, including responding to security incidents, enforcing security regulations, moreover identifying and resolving discrepancies.

Moreover, they are responsible for performing follow-up inspections in the event of an incident, making necessary modifications, and defining and planning intervention points. In addition, Their duties include preventing data leaks and reporting issues they find.

Ethical hacking specialist - Bluebird

Ethical Hacker jobs

Ethical Hacker, Application Security Engineer, Ethical Hacking Specialist or Security Engineer

They are responsible for identifying vulnerabilities, identifying and assessing risks, conducting and evaluating penetration tests, furthermore advising on countermeasures.

Additionally, they are responsible for rooting and jailbreaking devices, as well as for penetrating networks, information technology devices, and applications, and for strengthening system defenses.

Ethical hacking specialist - Bluebird

Tester Jobs

Security Testing Engineer or Penetration Tester

Testing applications, systems, networks and their vulnerabilities, documenting test results. Discovering security holes, active and passive data collecting, and testing network infrastructures and endpoints are also part of their work.

Ethical hacking specialist - Bluebird

Operator Jobs

Security Administrator or Security Solution Administrator

Protecting against security breaches and managing antimalware solutions, running virus management solutions, furthermore completing operational tasks by company protocol and house rules.

Other responsibilities include network, system, and application monitoring, incident management, also completing updates, repairs, and version updates. They also participate in incident management.

The Most Important Certificates

Certified Ethical Hacker - Bluebird

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Recently, the CEH exam is one of the most widely used and accepted qualifications for ethical hackers. Students receive theoretical and practical training before passing the final exam. In short, they learn about the various types of attacks that can affect an information technology system (application, system, and infrastructure), the different types of breaches, and how to identify and repel them.

In addition, the curriculum covers detection and defense against passwords, spy programs, backdoor techniques, DOS, DDOS, hijacking, attacks on web servers, buffer overflows, and penetration tests.

Preparation for the exam and the opportunity to sit for it are also available through higher education and corporate training programs.

Certified Ethical Hacker - Bluebird

Other Ethical Hacker Certificates

Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)

Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Licenced Penetration Tester (EPT)

Certified Encryption Specialist (ECES)

GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)

Certified Information System Auditor (CISA)

If you are interested in ethical hackers, you can count on Bluebird!

We can provide you with highly experienced professionals in the area of ethical hacking at a daily rate. Ask for an offer and you'll get a daily price that includes all costs.

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Ethical Hacker Network

While the majority of ethical hackers prefer to work alone, they have also established an online community and a magazine. The Ethical Hacker Network is its name. Additionally, they have their hashtag, #TogetherWeHitHarder. According to a survey from Hacker report from 2018, ethical hackers earn 2.7 times as much as software development engineers in their home country. Besides, recent challenges include risks associated with cloud applications and security concerns.

If you have a sudden appetite for development, then look for an IT position on Bluebird’s site!

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