Ethical Hacking: Do You Want to Join the Online Cops Brigade?

Viagra selling companies hacked the website of IIM Bangalore - one of the top prestigious management institutes in India, well known for refining and training the brightest brains of the country. A few days ago, hackers from Pakistan had placed warning on the official website of CBI and the domain name of the official website of TCS was put on sale. Your bank account details, the most guarded military secrets of India, wi-fi, tweets are all extremely vulnerable to hacking activities that not only threatens Internet community but also the remotest, most isolated places of the world. This is where the role of ethical hackers comes in.

Cyber security threats are not mild childish pranks anymore. They have matured to more serious offences - all the way up to terrorist attacks. Still, much needs to be done in the way of placing proper data and identity security measures on net and making organized ethical hacking efforts to combat cyber crime. According to the Symantec Security Report 2009, 60% identities were exposed as against 22% in the previous year. According to NASSCOM, India will need over 50,000 ethical hackers by next year to cater to the rising demand in the fields of software training and IT security.

Skills You Need

Ethical Hackers need to have a huge appetite for latest technologies. Excellent programming skills, being adept in networking, and a solid knowledge of operating systems and computer hardware and software in essential of course but it is the certified ethical hacking or cyber security code that gives you the license to access and protect the personal information of your client. Ethical hackers, like psychologists, are sworn to keep the secrets of their clients in safe custody.

Scope in Ethical Hacking Career

A well-paid job worldwide, Ethical Hacking is quite a challenging field. Ethical hackers can join army of online security corps at companies like Wipro, Infosys, IBM, Airtel and Reliance or enter into the world of hard-core geek armies or online cops brigade such as Networking Security and Audit, Secured Programming, Cryptography, and even Forensics. The shortage of skilled professionals in the field means that the opportunities to rise and shine in this field are aplenty.

How to become an Ethical Hacker

The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) provides a professional certification called the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH). An Ethical Hacker is also known as a Penetration Tester, as he or she employs the methods of a hacker to penetrate into the systems of a company and find vulnerabilities of its computer security. Since penetration testing helps in controlling illegal hacking at the request of owner on the targeted system or network, it is NOT a crime. In fact, certain computer security professionals find it insulting to be termed ‘ethical hackers'. Still, Ethical Hacking Certification is very much in demand in the professionals related to cyber security, network security, systems security, and data security.

There are many modules that one needs to master to get C | EH Certification. One can choose to do self study or attend training at one of the Accredited Training Centers (ATC) for Ethical Hacking. For self-study route, candidates need to prove that they have at least two years of professional experience in information security. In case, they do not have the necessary experience, they can still fill out the application form with their educational details and request for a case-on-case basis consideration.

Usually, the exam has multiple-choice questions. The number of questions and its duration may vary every year, depending on which version of C | EH you are attempting to crack. Ethical Hacking is a field where you always need to keep up with the pace of technical advancements. Hence, certified ethical hackers always need to clear recertification exams for a minimum of 120 credits in every three years.

Ethical Hacking Certification Programs in India

Ethical Certification training programs available in India range from week-long programs to three-month programs. They appraise you not only about the technical skills required for the job but also about cyber security and information copyright laws, rules and regulations in India and worldwide. The certification also provides you immunity in case of any legal hassles. Generally, the ethical hacking certifications in India cost between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,000.

Some of the most prevalent ethical hacking certifications in India are:

• Certified Ethical Hacker offered by of EC-Council
• Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator Certifications offered by of EC-Council
• GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN) offered by SAN (Security, Audit and Network)
• GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)
• GIAC certified forensic analyst (GCFA)

Some of the institutes that offer this course are:

• APPIN Technology Labs
• Eikon Technologies
• Avalon Academy
• HCL Career Development Centre
• IIHT, Vadapalani
  

Are you interested in Ethical Hacking? Do you want to know more about how to become an Ethical Hacker? Share your queries, doubts, feedbacks, and opinions here.

Source: Ruchi Shrimali (Shiksha Team)

Date: 19th April, 2011

For further details about related courses and colleges:

Related courses and colleges