The Importance of Certified Ethical Hackers in System Security

Today’s technological developments bring positive impacts and trigger the growth of cybercrime. According to the FBI-run Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report in 2022, in 20 years (2001-2021), there was an increase in cybercrime victims by 1,517 per cent, from 6 victims to 97 every hour. In many cases, cybercriminals are targeting not only individuals but also essential company data. According to the report State of the Internet: Gaming Respawned by Akamai Technologies, Inc. in 2022, online game development companies will see a doubling of cyberattacks. Therefore, companies now need to improve system security through various strategies, one of which is through the role of a Certified Ethical Hacker.

Certified Ethical Hacker: Hackers Who Help Guard Company Systems

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is an IT certification released by the world’s most trusted cybersecurity certification body, EC-Council. A Certified Ethical Hacker will be taught to be an ethical hacker so that they can help maintain the security of company systems by looking from the hacker’s point of view. Someone with a certification will get a unique number and an internationally recognized Certified Ethical Hacker certificate. Holders of this certification are usually given access rights to manage the entire company system network like a hacker. 

To achieve the Certified Ethical Hacker certificate, one must complete the Certified Ethical Hacker course from EC-Council. With the various benefits offered by this certification, someone who has an EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker certification is in demand by multiple companies. Some companies that utilize EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker-certified IT professionals are IBM, Microsoft, FBI and the United Nations.

5 Hacking Phases in the Certified Ethical Hacker Course

1.Reconnaissance

In the reconnaissance process, hackers will design a strategy to find and collect information in the network system. The reconnaissance process is divided into two types, namely active and passive surveillance. In active management, hackers conduct investigations on the network to find information in the form of hosts and IP addresses. Whereas in passive surveillance, hackers will collect information without the knowledge of individuals or companies.

2.Scanning and Enumeration 

Hackers extract information from the reconnaissance phase to identify the system, such as device names, user data, network resources and IP addresses. Once removed, the information is collected and used to check the network’s security.

3.Gaining access

Based on the information obtained in the previous phase, hackers then take action to attack or enter the network system. In this stage, the hacker will try to increase access to become an administrator to gain access to modify data.

4.Maintaining access

Hackers will store the access gained to conduct future attacks with backdoors, rootkits, and trojans.

5.Clearing Track

In the final stage, the hacker removes all evidence and traces that can lead the hacking case to the perpetrator and avoid detection by security.

The Role of Certified Ethical Hacker for Companies

1.Improving System Security 

In the results of the CEH 2023 Hall of Fame report, 97 percent of respondents stated that the Certified Ethical Hacker course teaches cyber threat efforts that occur in cyberspace. Through this certification, companies can see from the hacker’s side and find out the security gaps. Then, these findings will help companies evaluate the parts that must be improved. 

2.Prevent Losses Due to Cyber Attacks

According to data from the National Cyber and Crypto Agency, 2022, potential state losses from cyber-attacks could reach 14.2 trillion rupiah. Cybercrime can hurt companies with both financial and non-financial losses. For example, data loss results in decreased consumer confidence, hampered company performance, reduced revenue and post-attack recovery actions that require a lot of funds. Therefore, Certified Ethical Hackers are needed to prevent cyber-attacks by increasing system security.

3.Improve Company Reputation

In the rise of cyber-attacks, system security must be maintained. By having a Certified Ethical Hacker, company security will be held, and the company will be protected from cybercrime cases, which can damage the company’s reputation and reduce consumer confidence.

Conclusion

Technological advances provide various positive impacts for users through the ease and speed of information exchange and adverse effects through the possibility of cyber-attacks. Cybercrime continues to increase as technology advances, so new strategies are needed to improve security. One strategy is to position yourself as a hacker to find out how criminals view and think, which is the role of a Certified Ethical Hacker.

Improve the security of company systems with Vidia Cloud. With more than 50 experienced IT Professionals in their fields and 24×7 support through various channels, we are ready to help maintain your business’s cyber security! Contact us now at vidia@visionet.co.id.

References:

https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1058269-cybercrime-statistics-2023-trends-and-threats 

https://www.cloudcomputing.id/berita/akamai-technologies-sebut-serangan-siber-meningkat

https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/ethical-hacking/is-ceh-worth-it/