When hacking is ethical: White Hats
The term ethical hacking refers to a category of individuals who use illegal techniques to identify and possibly fix holes in the security of IT systems. Companies and governments around the world have started to employ these people in order to protect and improve their own cyber security.
These so-called white hat hackers are becoming increasingly sought after by large companies, where digitalisation has taken on a central role. A certification course has therefore been developed in order to officially recognise the skills and moral integrity of these individuals.
The fundamental differences between ethical and unethical hacking
Much of the opposition aimed at the practice of ethical hacking stems from the fact that the differences between white hats and black hats (unethical hackers) are very subtle and mainly connected to the reasons why certain types of cyber-crimes are committed.
The means, knowledge and apps used by the two factions are the same and most opponents of this movement tend to emphasise this fact. It is true that those who choose to enrol on training courses to become an ethical hacker are coached in the use of illegal tools, with the aim of committing criminal acts.
The only real difference between the two types of hacker regards the ethics behind the motivations of the two groups: one aims to act in advance, by exposing the vulnerability of systems in order to improve security, while the other aims to exploit these in order to launch cyber- attacks designed to de-stabilize the system itself.
The fact that doubts have arisen regarding the profession of ethical hacker is therefore not surprising. After all, it is not easy to force individuals to adhere to a moral code which, however strong, will always be subjective and susceptible to changes of opinion.
Ethical hacking certification
Despite the criticism levelled at the ethical hacking movement, society and governments have recognised the value of these professional figures, leading to a marked increase in demand for adequately trained personnel.
This has given rise to the Certified Ethical Hacker (also known as CEH): an authentic, legally recognised certification, which is testimony not only to an individual’s skills and technical abilities, but also to the moral integrity with which they intend to use them.
The organisation responsible for the certification of white hat hackers is the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants, also known as the EC-Council. It is a company formed after the World Trade Center attacks of 2001, whose main objective is to educate and supply efficient tools in the fight against cyber-crime.
How CEH can be obtained
The test to achieve CEH status (available in over 60 countries) is structured into 125 multiple-choice questions to be completed within 4 hours and it implies the acceptance of 19 essential ethical rules. These include:
- Agreement to respect intellectual properties;
- Confirmation that the person does not belong to black hat hacker groups;
- Intention to use techniques and instruments only within the timescales and methods specified by the client or contract.
Access to this test is in any case reserved to those with high level IT skills and at least two years’ experience in the field of cyber security.
In recent years, ethical hacking has to all intents and purposes become a recognised profession, characterised by a significant level of responsibility. Remuneration is relatively high, as is the level of personal fulfilment enjoyed by those in this new type of professional role.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
