verybody knows that hackers can be bad. These shadowy figures can break into computer systems and can bring down entire organizations.
Hackers have the ability to do bad things that cause tens of millions of dollars worth of damage and in some cases can even put people’s lives at risk.
What is also true, however, is that hacking was not originally a negative action. And it can still do good for businesses today.
“THE QUIETER YOU BECOME, THE MORE YOU ARE ABLE TO HEAR.”Kali Linux, Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking
The Root of Hacking
The term hacking is first thought to have been used at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the 1960s.
Interestingly it was engineering students rather than early computer programming pioneers who were doing this hacking. The engineers were hacking into electrical systems to try and see if they could make them more efficient.
It was in the 1970s when this concept got a little murkier. A kind of hacking known as “phreaking” was being done. This involved mimicking the dial tone used by phones to make free long-distance calls.
Hacking as we think of it today really began in the 1980s with the advent of personal home computers. It was then that some of those with specialist knowledge of computers and programming stared to use their skills for illegal gains.
The Eternal Fight
As in all walks of life, some use their knowledge and skills for good. And some use it for other means.
The same is true of hacking as we understand it today. Many experts use their knowledge for good and they are known as ethical “white hat” hackers. These are the guys that try to keep systems safe and working properly.
“THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO PROTECT YOUR SYSTEM THAN TESTING IT AS AN ADVERSARY.”
Philip Wylie, Ethical Hacking Professor at Richland College
And then there are the “black hat” hackers, who attack individuals and organizations for their own illicit gains.
You may not have heard of the white hat hackers before, but if it wasn’t for them, the world could be a very different place right now.
Drastic Measures
It was perhaps not until the terrible attacks of September 11 that the idea of ethical hacking being used as a force of good was brought into the mainstream.
In light of the attacks, government officials became more aware of the very real and serious implications a full-on cyber-attack could have on their infrastructure.
The idea of ethical hackers seemed like a bit of an oxymoron. How can you trust a hacker to protect you if their intention is normally to attack you?
The answer is obviously that by showing you where you are vulnerable, they can help keep you safe from the hackers who do want to do you harm.
A Problem That Is Not Going Away
The idea of employing ethical hackers is something that most businesses now understand they must do if they are to protect their interests from malicious attacks.
This is particularly true for those businesses that are entrusted with the personal data of their clients. And incredibly important for those that hold any client funds.
For small and even some medium-sized businesses, the costs involved in hiring ethical hackers may seem too high a price to pay. When every cent counts, going down this route is one that does come at a cost, no doubt.
Worries about this expenditure must be balanced against the harsh reality that if you don’t invite the ethical white hat professionals to find the holes in your system, the black hats could quite easily get there first and leave you with nothing.
