
Called on to evaluate vulnerabilities and expose gaps in cybersecurity measures, ethical hackers possess a wide range of skills tailored to this purpose. With the fast-moving world of information technology and its continual advancements, ethical hacking pushes the boundaries of defence in a bid to help drive innovation towards more robust security systems.
Alongside a strong understanding of firewalls and platform exploits, ethical hackers rely on a solid foundation of core skills to properly execute their duties. To complement a comprehensive ethical hacking skill set, listed below are some of the core concepts essential for any certified ethical hacker to know.
Familiarity with Cloud Computing Concepts
With many businesses doing away with physical servers and data centres in favour of cloud-based alternatives, a comprehensive understanding of cloud computing concepts and the systems involved is important for certified ethical hackers looking to offer the best risk analysis.
Be it public or private cloud services, vulnerabilities such as Denial of Service attacks and misconfiguration still present themselves despite the greater customisation and security options that cloud services offer.
Good understanding of Internet of Things (IoT)
A huge source of concern when it comes to security and data protection, the Internet of Things carries a tendency to advance in complexity and scale whilst giving inadequate attention to the mounting security concerns that such a way of forward movement causes.
An understanding of IoT is sure to benefit any certified ethical hacker due to the vast amount of opportunity presented by the continuous innovation that the Internet of Things relentlessly pursues.
Mobile platform knowledge
With slightly more than half of all web traffic originating from mobile users in recent years, knowledge of mobile platforms such as Android operating systems become ever more important in this new frontier.
The quickly evolving nature of mobile platforms presents a field of security challenges waiting to be discovered and highlighted to significant vendors. Ethical hackers should develop a good understanding of the vulnerability exploits that mobile platforms can suffer in order to stay ahead of the latest developments in cybersecurity.
Know the different types of malware
Different forms of malware such as viruses, trojans and worms have plagued computing since the 1980s. While firewalls and security software race to offer the best defence and solutions to these perennial threats, they can only do so much without constantly updated knowledge of how these malware types continue to advance in complexity.
Considered an age-old problem in a relatively established field, knowing the different types of malware, how they work and the ways in which they further develop is an essential core skill for ethical hackers looking to stay one step ahead of black hat hackers.
DoS/DDoS attack techniques
Denial of Service attacks have long been a popular form of sabotage, with attack techniques advancing to the point of affecting government, banking and corporation operations. As certified ethical hackers, it is highly beneficial to familiarise with how these malicious acts work in order to help find counters to these ubiquitous forms of security exploitation.
Conclusion
With the right CEH training and effective application of core skills, an ethical hacker can find success in the world of information technology due to the increasing demand alongside advancements in technology.
Over at BridgingMinds Network, agile online training is offered for ethical hackers looking for certification in the form of SF – CEH Certified Ethical Hacker part time course. With access to over 2200 hacking tools, this course will leave no stone unturned in your bid to drive the world of cybersecurity forward.