Businesses these days are becoming digital to stay competitive and meet prospects changing demands. However, a major challenge for businesses is to secure their data from cyber criminals. The rising data breach cases are not hidden from any of us thus creating the need to invest in ethical hacking services.
Although hacking is usually considered crime businesses are leveraging the services of hackers to keep their daily operations secure. These experts monitor business digital activities to keep a check on possible cyber-attacks. Most experts also suggest considering reliable cyber security solutions to avoid breaches.
What is Ethical Hacking?
Ethical hacking is a legal activity of accessing a system to protect critical data. The security experts implement all their skills to ensure data is secure from malicious attackers. It involves penetration testing to secure business records and identify possible vulnerabilities that are later exploited by an attacker.
If proper security is not implemented, hacking results in loss of data, business reputation, and financial crisis. To safeguard from such a situation, businesses consult ethical hacking companies for a proper solution. They identify possible security flaws in existing security systems before outsider does.
The Role of Ethical Hackers
The role of ethical hackers is to identify loopholes in the system firewall and fix them to avoid any unlawful access. For example, they perform penetration testing to get past the existing protection features. If they are successful to penetrate, they implement security strategies to make it secure from outside attacks.
In simple terms, ethical hackers perform hacking to make it more secure and prevent actual outside hacking. Firms hire computer experts to integrate ethical hacking software to examine security, check bugs, and implement techniques for improving security. They also serve government agencies to predict and prevent possible national security threats.
Business Benefits of Ethical Hacking
With businesses taking cyber-security on a serious note, ethical hacking is becoming a must strategy to implement. Here are a few benefits in which it can impact your business.
1. Security from External & Internal Threats
As per reports, external threats comprise 60% of data loss every year. Reducing external threats needs deep system analysis and integration of advanced strategies.
Alternatively, internal threats are not that popular but still they can’t be ignored. Most attacks are executed by aggressive employees or employees having some issues with management. Many internal attacks are the results of poor communication and a lack of training.
2. Avoid Business Loss with Security Strategies
There are two ways to keep your business data secure. Just wait to get attacked and later fix the vulnerabilities or prevent attacks from happening. Ethical hacking involves penetration testing as it implements defensive strategies that lower outside attacks. With malevolent people finding new technologies to breach systems every day, most businesses fail to stop them. That is exactly why tools of cyber security are more important than ever for business enterprises.
3. Think Like Hackers to Stop Attacks
Ethical hackers have a different approach to addressing any security challenge. The reason behind their success in thoroughly securing a business network is to understand hackers’ mindsets. They get into a hacker’s mindset and analyze what strategy they can implement to breach data. Often internal attacks are performed by a dissatisfied employee who tries to take revenge. So, a major benefit of ethical hacking from regular cyber security technologies is being able to understand the mindset of a hacker.
4. Follow Data Protection Regulations
Seeing the growth in cyber-attacks that have resulted in huge data loss, regulatory bodies are focused on corporate responsibility for data breaches. Penalties are being applied for organizations not following General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). So, with the use of ethical hacking tools, it becomes simple to identify and fix system vulnerabilities that give attackers access to business data. This is a major business benefit of ethical hacking as it will ensure you are in compliance with GDPR.
5. Improve Business Quality Standards
Most software becomes vulnerable to security breaches when they are not properly tested before being deployed. The team of ethical hackers conducts proper and successful penetration testing in collaboration with the development team. This way they can produce quality software that is at par with software quality assurance standards and is safe to use.
Penetration testing revealed every report consisting of weak passwords, social vulnerabilities, and the integration of defective technologies. It is one of the core advantages of ethical hacking supporting business organizations to prevent attacks using advanced secure security measures. A growing number of businesses are also integrating AI to bolster cybersecurity.
Most Popular Ethical Hacking Tools
1. Invicti
Invicti automatically checks for possible XSS, and SQL injection present in a web application. It is considered as a SAAS solution for businesses.
Key Features:
- It detects vulnerability using Proof-Based Scanning Technology.
- Being a scalable tool, it needs minimal configuration.
- It is perfect for users to detect URL rewrite rules and 404 error pages.
- Availability of REST API for smooth and fast integration with the SDLC process.
- Can scan over 1,000 web applications in a day.
2. Fortify WebInspect
Fortify WebInspect tool offers complete dynamic analysis security in automated manner for sophisticated web applications.
Key Features
- Diagnose security vulnerabilities by testing dynamic behavior of web applications.
- With timely information it becomes simple to keep the scanning work in control.
- It follows crawl professional-level testing to provide Centralized Program Management, vulnerability trending, and risk oversight, compliance management.
3. Nessus
Another popular tool for ethical hacking is Nessus. Security professionals across the globe consider it a perfect vulnerability scanner. It was designed by tenable network security and is free to avail. This vulnerability scanner identifies bugs on any given device.
Key Features
It detects possible vulnerabilities:
- Insecure services and misconfiguration
- Default passwords and easy to identify ones
- Other possible system vulnerabilities
4. Nikto
Nikto scans and tests web servers to check outdated software, dangerous files, and other challenges. It performs server-specific, generic checks with the use of available cookies. Being free and open-source tool, it is capable to checks version-specific server problems.
Key Features
- Free and Open-source tool
- Checks possible vulnerability of web servers and identifies dangerous files
- Checks outdated servers as well as version-related challenges
- Checks plug-ins and badly configured files
- Eliminates insecure programs and files
5. Kismet
When it comes to testing security of wireless networks and hacking of wireless LAN, Kismet is the best ethical hacking tool. It identifies your business networks and collects packets to check hidden networks using data traffic. Kismet follows packet sniffing technique and wireless-network detector. This is a great way to identify possible security loopholes and follows raw-monitoring mode.
Key Features
- Compatible with Linux OS, which can be Ubuntu, or backtrack
- Can work with Windows with some customization
Conclusion
Seeing the advancement of online security threats, businesses look for professionals and certified ethical hackers. They are experts in addressing fraudulent crimes and identity thefts. For hackers end users are the easiest catch as they are not security savvy with their details. Many big organizations have revealed their horrific experiences of data breaches. The market has several ethical hacking tools for free that can be used to detect possible loopholes in security standards. Most free tools have limitations to address deep security threats. To counter such concerns, simply connect with experts. Get professional guidance to stay secure now!
FAQs
1. How ethical hacking is helpful for my business?
Ethical hacking is a legal activity of accessing a business security standard to protect critical data. The security experts implement all their skills to ensure data is secure from malicious attackers. Every business whether small or big needs ethical hacking to keep internal operations protected from data breaches.
2. Do you have expertise to upgrade existing security features?
Our Ethical hackers are well prepared to tackle any challenges in terms of cyber-attacks. They can upgrade your business existing security and even recommend latest tools for data prevention.
3. How much time is needed to perform data security?
Security is a long-term process, and every business needs it to stay protected from online threats. There is no standard time allotted for security as long your business is operating, you need maintenance.
4. What are the roles and responsibilities of ethical hackers?
The major role is to predict and prevent vulnerabilities. They implement proactive measures for a business’s advance security and resolve any weaknesses. They even perform penetration testing to check existing security standard for enhanced data safety.
