Even though hacking is an unlawful practice that infringes one’s privacy, there is a lawful aspect to it – Ethical Hacking. In fact, when does this way, it is rather a desired and well- awarded practice.

In this blooming tech-era of e-commerce, cyber crime has become quite a commonplace practice, and as a result, the demand of ethical hackers has shot up.

A recent survey conducted by KPMG states ‘94% of companies perceive cybercrime as the major threat to business; as many as 72% of the companies faced some sort of cyber-attack over just the past year. 78% of these companies do not even have a cyber-incident response plan.’

No brownie points for guessing who these companies must be looking for.

‘Ethical hackers work with government and private firms to test their networks for vulnerabilities, loopholes and bugs to prevent an actual criminal from encroaching.’

So what really does one need to be an ethical hacker?

“To begin with, you must be well versed with writing programs in various programming languages like C++, C#, Perl, Ruby and Python. Familiarity with web applications like .NET and PHP is also essential. Furthermore, knowledge of assembly language is also a plus. You must also be knowledgeable about the different operating systems as well. Apart from this you should also have a basic understanding of TCP/IP protocols such as HTTP, SMTP and ICMP. On the hardware side, you must be familiar with network devices such as switches, routers, firewalls as well. Besides the technical side, a hacker needs to have good soft skills as well,” says Siddarth Bharwani, Vice President, Jetking Infotrain Limited.  

And in case you’re still harboring any doubts related to the profession, read this. It might influence you in a big big way.

“There has never been a better time to enter into the cyber-security field. The current demand is booming due to government initiatives like Smart Cities. This demand is expected to surge as more startups and businesses go online. According to recent data, India needs at least 4.7 lakh cyber-security professionals currently for protection of IT infrastructure in the country as well as to serve the export market. Internet security and networking are the two fastest-growing industries where ethical hackers can find employment. They can join the government as well as private organisations as cyber-security experts. Such experts are also required by financial service providers, airlines, retail chains and hotels. Some skilled hackers work for investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Information,” added the Jetking Infotrain Vice President.

What’s more? The profession comes across as a very lucrative one.

“A fresher may work as an intern for a couple of months and can start with a minimum of Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum. With one year of experience, one can expect up to Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum. Those with work experience five years or more can rake in anything between Rs. 10-12 lakh per annum.”