Ethical hacking is a profession that makes you ready for taking up government and private organizational projects to improve the existing network. Ethical hackers are meant to carry out penetration testing for government and private operations.
With it, they determine whether the network, application and web services of an organization or business are safe or not. They play a key role in preventing data theft or fraud for the organizations that hire them.
Therefore, today many young IT experts are willing to take up this career path. Moreover, an IT expert desires to become an ethical hacker.
Steps to Become an Ethical Hacker
Here are some of the steps, following which you can learn how to become Ethical Hacker:
1. Learn Programming
You need to learn about programming to build websites and software. Moreover, it is important for you to learn programming in order to find flaws in different websites or programs quickly.
2. Learn Networking
Networking knowledge is pretty much essential for a person who wants to become an ethical hacker. There are a lot of details about it available over the internet, while some are paid information. With this knowledge, you will be able to find flaws in network security too.
3. Learn Encryption/Decryption
You cannot be an ethical hacker without learning about cryptography. You need to master the fundamentals and practical knowledge of encryption & decryption. Moreover, you need to break in codes or secure a system that will demand knowledge of these concepts.
4. Learn DBMS
DBMS, also known as Database Management System, teaches you about using MSSQL and MySQL for creating a database. Even if you don’t know how the database is created, at least you should learn about its working and functionality.
5. Learn UNIX or Linux
Linux is free for aspiring Ethical Hackers to learn and gain knowledge about. It is 100% open source, which allows people to see its code within the Linux Kernel. People can also patch it up whenever the error arises! Therefore, Linux OS is mandatory for aspiring Ethical Hackers to learn.
6. Learn Coding with C programming Language
The next thing you must master to become a proficient ethical hacker is coding. And start with learning the C programming language! C programming is the basis of practicing how to use Linux. The entire Linux OS is coded with C programming. So, get used to it, and you will complete another step of being an ethical hacker.
7. Learn Multiple Programming Languages
If you are willing to enter the field of ethical hacking, then you need to develop a very strong knowledge of programming languages. You need to learn not just one but multiple programming languages. Some of the languages that you can learn are Java, C++, Python, and others. You can check online tutorials and take up an ethical hacker course for the same as well!
8. Be Proficient in Using Different OS
Apart from Linux/UNIX, there are many other OSs that are currently being used on a wide scale. Therefore, you need to prepare yourself in a way to be proficient in dealing with all types of OS such as macOS, Windows, JAVA, Android, and others.
9. Keep Experimenting and Practicing
You need to keep experimenting with the concepts you have learned so far. Unless you try it practically, you will never learn about how it is being executed. You will need a good PC with high specifications, RAM, and some other tools. Keep testing and learning until you successfully breach any system on legal terms.
10. Go on and Keep learning
Keep learning over time! Ethical hacking is an endless learning journey, and you need to stay prepared for it. Go through the internet for updates, new concepts, news, and other such information that can help you improve with ethical hacking. With it, you will definitely know about new ways using which you can improve your hacking skills.
Also Check: How Hard is the RHCE Certification?
Salary of an Ethical Hacker
The ethical hacker salary, on average, is $156,780. It is a fair amount of salary which concludes that this profession is a high-paying job. The highest recorded salary for an ethical hacker is around $180,375. And the lowest fresher salary records at $117,500.
It is a fair amount to start with, and the pay-outs will increase over time with experience and designation.
Conclusion
So, if you want to become an ethical hacker, these are the steps that you can follow to achieve your goal. You might need a professional course, but with the right determination, self-study can do wonders as well. All you need to do is show interest in the topics, and you will excel in them.
The competition in the ethical hacking profession is increasing over time. So, you need to improve your skills and expertise to get a good position. Moreover, with the risk of cyber threats, ethical hacker jobs are also increasing among government and private organizations.