Ethical Hacking

Ethical Hacking 

Considering how much real life depends on the internet and similar systems, cybercrime can be costly to the victim and must always be protected before it can be damaging. Cybercrime has evolved to even jeopardize the well-being of an entire nation today. Because of this risk, potential victims take all measures necessary to ensure they are secure against any attack and hacking. Grey hat hacking is one of the ways that such parties take when it comes to reducing the vulnerabilities they can experience due to malicious hacking.

Grey hat hacking is the process through which hackers attempt and use all the strategies and techniques commonly used in maliciously gaining access to restricted systems. Also known as penetration testers, grey hat hackers are allowed to use the same tactics and tools of a malicious hacker, albeit in a manner that is controlled (Harper, 2018). Ideally, the vulnerable party understands the tactics and strategies that the malicious hacker will have when attempting to gain access to their system. These emulated attacks will also show the vulnerable party how prepared they are and whether their monitoring and defensive tools are working effectively.

Although these tests appear to be similar to vulnerability scans, they are not. On the contrary, vulnerability scans are only concerned with the risks of the system itself. Simultaneously, the penetration tests are also designed to analyze the impact that any hacking will have even on the business process involved. A penetrative test will give more insight into what is in the hackers’ minds and put together complicated yet relevant patterns. In organizations where information is highly protected, it is best to use these penetration tests to ensure that the security of the system is ahead of its attackers should they try to hack the system. Even when the hackers appear ahead of the process, the firm will know how to stop them eventually.

These hackers use different strategies depending on the kind of information that they have about the system. Two main strategies can be implemented in this case; black and white box testing. Black box testing happens when the hacker does not know the environment, while the white box happens when one has this knowledge (Harper, 2018). Grey box testing also happens when an individual does not have any information to start with and is given more after demonstrating an ability to effectively carry out their work. For such attacks to work perfectly, there are many areas and exploits that matter in ethical hacking.

When carrying out these attacks, effective communication with the team and the stakeholders can be achieved. Information such as the nature of their business and the sensitive information they work with can help the individual formulate a plan to effectively meet their set goals. Everyone involved should know the assessment’s focus, scope, methodology that will be used for the solution, the fragile systems involved and areas of accountability (Harper, 2018). When this information is common in the team, everybody will know what is expected of them and act accordingly. For such a project to be done effectively, the principles of a team working together have to be closely observed. If, for instance, the hackers are very good at what they do, but the others do not know how to help, the project will drag itself and risk being an unnecessary and useless feat.

All organizations that deal with client data stored in their information systems should carry out these ethical attacks at least yearly. Those that handle information that is very sensitive such as client financial information or national data should carry out these tests more often than that, considering the development of technologies today. It is also important to understand and adhere to the cyber laws that exist today, which add layers of complexity to providing security to the firm (Harper, 2018). There are many instances in which these attacks will be successfully made from other countries. In such instances, tracking the attackers and prosecuting them for their mistakes becomes necessary. However, the perpetrators often walk free because many countries and laws govern such an attack.

Grey hat hacking is a necessary aspect of maintaining a company’s information systems, especially if it deals with sensitive information. Grey hat hacking helps reveal an attacker’s mind, the strategies they might use, and the effectiveness of their various systems. Ideally, a grey hat hacker should point out how the organization could improve itself. There are different strategies when grey hat hacking, including black and white boxing, which refers to conditions where certain information is provided or not. Constant grey hat hacking improves the business, especially if it deals with sensitive information. However, effective hacking must also involve understanding the cyber laws of other countries so that it can be possible to trail a case of an attack based on a different location.

Reference

Harper A. (2018). Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker’s Handbook (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

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Module 4 – Case: ETHICAL HACKING AND SECURING A COMPANY’S FUTURE

Assignment Overview
For this assignment, review what it is to be a “black-hat,” a “gray-hat,” or a “white-hat” hacker. Review chapter 1 of Harper’s (2018) “Why Gray Hat Hacking?” available in the Trident Online Library. This talks about the ethics of hacking, who you are working for, and understanding the enemy. This will be a great preview of your capstone course.

Ethical Hacking

References
Harper A. (2018). Gray hat hacking: The ethical hacker’s handbook (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education. [To access this resource, go to “Additional Library Resources” followed by “Skillsoft Books”]

Case Assignment

For your final Case Assignment, review chapter 1 of Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker’s Handbook. The purpose of this is to gain an overview of the ideas and principles behind ethical hacking.

Strategy for completing the assignment:

• Go to the Trident Online Library from the classroom or TLC portal page.
• Copy the title of the book and paste it into the search box.
• Read chapter 1, making notes on key points.
• After you read the chapter, write a 2- to 3-page paper summarizing the key points made by the author.
• Use in-text citations. A good practice is to have an in-text citation after the first sentence in every paragraph, even if you have only one source.
• Include a reference section at the end of your paper.

Assignment Expectations

• The assignment should be 2-3 pages (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spaced, and 1-inch margins), not including the title page or the reference section.
• Include in-text citations for all sources used in the assignment. The sources must also be listed on a reference page or bibliography.
• Citations and references should follow APA style. Use this APA guide as a reference.