Learn basic hacking techniques

Many organizations and government agencies require ethical hackers to secure their resources and systems from cybercriminals. So, there are vast opportunities and ethical hackers jobs around the world.

Learning ethical hacking will help you get a job as an ethical hacker or enhance your network and data security knowledge.

Choosing ethical hacking as a career has many benefits, like the demand of ethical hackers, higher pay scale and higher ethical hacking salary, problem-solving, etc. Check our Live Penetration Testing Project. Skip to content.

Report a Bug. Next Continue. Home Testing Expand child menu Expand. They often join with whomever they agree with at the time. As far as your mentality goes, just be eager to problem-solve and get ready for mathematics. Both of these you will rely heavy on, because this is what hacking is all about. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.

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Defense is key in this field. With hackers and crackers constantly trying to foil each other, you need to be as secure as possible. You need to protect your information and data as much as possible.

That includes digital and physical information. There have been many cases where a person has suffered the consequences of something as simple as using the same user name across the web or even using their real name online. Some data you should protect includes the list items below. Tips for doing these are provided in the Tips section at the bottom. If you need further information, a simple search will be able to help. Acquaint yourself with the terminology.

If someone tells you to open the Bash terminal said you have an RFI vulnerability, you may be confused. If you don't know what a word or phrase means, don't be afraid to look it up.

Use Linux. Linux is great for security purposes. With many distributions to choose from, you can find one to fit your purposes. One advantage or disadvantage of UNIX is that its user interface is not too user-friendly. You will have to dig deep to become a better UNIX user. Other advantages include transparency, simplicity, and extensibility.

One would think that hacking is all about the technical details and aspects of things. As a professional, ethical hacker, you will need to have a personality that benefits your career.

An intro to hacking cannot be complete without a mention of the soft skills that a hacker will need to succeed. Hackers need to be creative and think outside of the box. Problem-solving is a critical skill to have as a hacker or cybersecurity professional.

Hackers need to be able to work in stressful situations and work under pressure while making sure that the results delivered are top-notch. Cybersecurity as a field is still at its infancy and is growing rapidly. You cannot afford to get complacent after a certain point. Also, you need to work on being a team player. While most people think of hackers as professionals who work in solitude, but in most cases, you will have to work in teams or collaborate with other people to solve a complex problem.

Once you get proficient with the things mentioned above, try contributing to the white hat community. Become an active member on various blogs as well as forums and share your knowledge with other aspiring hackers. It is best to create open-source software and have it reviewed by other people in the cybersecurity sphere.

This exercise will give you insights into how you can improve your skills. Try to create something that other people like you would benefit from using. Getting a certification does not mean that you are a competent professional who can become an asset to an organization. But generally, having different certifications can help you get an interview, at least. One thing that you need to keep in mind with certifications is that there are scores of certifications out there.

If you choose to get a renowned certification like the Offensive Security Certified Professional, then it might be worth your time and money. Generally, these certifications are expensive and difficult to acquire. The Offensive Security Certified Professional certification currently costs around a thousand dollars.

Not to mention that the test is 24 hours long. Getting this certification will be a serious effort on your part if you choose to do so. The good thing about OSCP cert is that security firms and organizations widely accept it. Your real test will begin once you start working in the industry. The things you have learned from books and during your certifications can only aid you.

Working in a professional environment and with unmovable deadlines, you will have to think on your feet and constantly prove and improve yourself. After following these steps and more , you can safely say that you have progressed from hacking to becoming an actual hacker.

Once you become competent in this space, several opportunities are waiting for you. Cybersecurity professionals are currently and for the foreseeable future will be in high demand.

You can choose to be associated with a security firm or as an independent consultant or contractor. Once you become a professional, what you choose to do next will depend on your goals and objectives.