An increasing reliance on digital technology and a massive shift to remote work has led to a rise in digital crimes (Riley, 2021). Surveys show that as many as 86% of companies have suffered a cyberattack (Zaharia, 2022). This is not a small matter for businesses as the widespread nature of these crimes can cost companies extensive money. This helps explain why there is a higher demand for cybersecurity professionals.
Ethical hacking is one of the critical fields that has seen increased demand. Ethical hacking — which involves helping businesses find their security vulnerabilities and fix them — can be helpful for many companies seeking to improve their cyber security. Becoming an ethical hacker may be an ideal career choice for you. However, there is more you should know, like how to obtain an ethical hacking certification and where to find more information about ethical hacking jobs.
What Is Ethical Hacking?
Trained, certified professionals preemptively do ethical hacking to help businesses find security vulnerabilities and address them before others can exploit them. When hired by a company, an ethical hacker will perform a thorough security analysis of a business's computer network, helping address many vital questions, including:
- What kinds of information will a hacker be looking for?
- What could they potentially do with this information?
- How can any security vulnerabilities be fixed?
These questions can help a company understand its security vulnerabilities. They can also teach companies why the information that they have could be helpful to a hacker, making it easier for decision-makers to understand their security challenges. An ethical hacker undergoes training that allows them to provide their clients with information about security vulnerabilities. They also learn how to find the most vulnerable information, why it is vulnerable, and how to protect sensitive data.
What Are the Personal Benefits of Ethical Hacking Jobs?
First and foremost, Ethical hacking gives you a chance to earn a robust salary. According to the most up-to-date information (salary.com, 2022), the median salary for an ethical hacker is $106,934. Even at the lower end of the spectrum, an ethical hacker will earn $96,002 — at the higher end, that salary jumps to $120,495. The lowest end of the salary spectrum for ethical hacking jobs is more than the median household income in the United States (Kopestinsky, 2022) — by almost $27,000.
Great pay is not the only reason to pursue a formal ethical hacking certification. A second reason relates to the major shortage of trained professionals in this area. According to numerous stories on the subject (Legg, 2021), in October 2021, there were 465,000 cybersecurity jobs that were unfilled. This includes ethical hacking positions. Completing an ethical hacking course and earning an ethical hacking certification can help you find a job that will give you long-term job security.
If you want to earn your ethical hacking certification, you need to take a course that gives you the relevant background. In addition, you need a course that can provide real-world experience and hands-on laboratory experience. Learning about the theory of ethical hacking is essential, but it is equally important for an ethical hacking course to provide real-world experience to give students the background they need to become successful ethical hackers.
References
Legg, J. (2021, October 21). Confronting The Shortage Of Cybersecurity Professionals. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/10/21/confronting-the-shortage-of-cybersecurity-professionals/
Riley, T. (2021, February 22). The Cybersecurity 202: Cybercrime skyrocketed as workplaces went virtual in 2020, a new report finds. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/22/cybersecurity-202-cybercrime-skyrocketed-workplaces-went-virtual-2020/
Salary.com. (2023. September 25). Ethical Hacker Salary in the United States. Salary.com. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/ethical-hacker-salary
Kopestinsky, A. What Is the Average American Income in 2023? (2023, March 23). PolicyAdvice. https://policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/average-american-income
Zaharia, A. (2023, June 20). 300+ Terrifying Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Statistics (2023 EDITION). Comparitech. https://www.comparitech.com/vpn/cybersecurity-cyber-crime-statistics-facts-trends/
About the Author
Michael Schlossberg is a writer and government official based out of Pennsylvania. He has written two books, been featured in numerous nationally known websites, including
Governing Magazine, The Mighty, and Mental Floss. He maintains a blog on mental health, has written numerous op-eds in local papers, and completed over 2,500 freelance articles for other services. His specialties include public policy, health care, mental health, social media, video games, business, finance, marketing, and more.
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