8 Tips to Become a Qualified and Professional Ethical Hacker

Co-authored by Tyrone Showers

Last Updated: September 24, 2024

In the last few decades, there's been an increasing demand for ethical hackers (also known as white hat hackers) as they protect the computer systems from dangerous intrusions. Ethical hackers are technically skilled IT pros with a strong desire to solve problems and prevent malicious hackers from causing damage to network systems. To be a professional ethical hacker you require motivation, dedication, initiative, self-education and formal training in ethical hacking.

1

Keep your hacking ethical.

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Newbies who are keen to become a Black Hat need to keep in mind that "A day of glory is not worth years in prison".

2

Seek out job opportunities for ethical hackers.

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Seek positions with government organizations, banks, financial institutions, military establishments and private companies.

3

Keep current on your skills.

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Being a great hacker takes practice and commitment. Read on your own to know the areas where you need to improve, and what you need to learn to refine your focus. Technology changes rapidly, and a good ethical hacker must be willing and eager to keep up with the new technological developments.
- Stay connected to the hacker community by sharing technical information and ideas.

4

Choose whether to focus on hardware or software.

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Though knowledge of both is required but the decision will help you to know where to begin. You must be aware of every function, every component of computer on which you will have to work on.

5

Gain some programming knowledge.

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Languages such as C, Python, or Java are important for hackers. These programming languages can be learned by taking formal programming courses and reading books. It will help you to read and write code.

6

Become a Unix geek.

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This operating system is regarded as the original operating system built by hackers. Also learn about Windows and Mac OSX.

7

Take professional certification courses.

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There are a wide variety of courses available for IT security professionals in "Ethical Hacking” or “Internet Security” which would help you to expand your knowledge in ethical hacking. Get certified as it would help you to succeed in the vanguard of your profession.

8

Experiment on your own.

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Learn how to take control of the situations and how to prevent a computer from getting hacked.

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Question

How can I build skills as a hacker to test web security?

Tyrone Showers
Technologist
Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Tyrone Showers

Technologist

Expert Answer

To build skills as a hacker requires a lot of trial and error. The best way is to dive into the intricacies of web technologies and protocols. Understanding the underpinnings of web protocols like HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 can provide unique insights into potential security vulnerabilities. The newer protocols have nuances that have yet to be widely understood, potentially opening up new avenues for security testing. Exploring browser internals, such as how JavaScript engines work and their rendering processes, can provide a clear perspective on how web applications interact with browsers. Attaining this knowledge can help identify security flaws. For example, a deep dive into the Document Object Model (DOM) or Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is often overlooked. Understanding how APIs are constructed and the common security oversights helps uncover vulnerabilities.

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How can a hacker be placed in a government job?

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Government jobs look for hackers with professional wit, knowledge and skill in protecting their networks from exploits and other intrusions. Hackers who solve cyber crimes can work as a cyber security analyst. There are also Certified Ethical Hacker courses designed to teach students additional hacking skills.

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Where do I start if I want to become an ethical hacker?

Chris Sdogkos

Community Answer

If you want to become an ethical hacker, you should learn a programming language first.

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Tips

Always keep learning new things.

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Keep you focus intact in your job.

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Don’t do it just for fun.

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