Also known as: Ethical Hacker, White Hat Hacker, Penetration Testers
White hackers are an essential part of today’s information security landscape. They are cybersecurity professionals who use their skills to identify and prevent cyber crime. By proactively testing the security of networks, applications, and systems, white hackers can help protect organizations from malicious actors. They not only help organizations identify any weaknesses in their systems before they can be exploited by malicious actors, but also help develop better strategies for combating cyber threats in the future. They also work with law enforcement agencies to investigate cyber crimes and provide technical support for investigations. As the threat of cyber crime increases, white hackers play an essential role in protecting businesses and individuals from malicious activity online.
White hacking is a form of ethical hacking. The term ethical hacking is a broad concept which implies being transparent about the process and discovered findings. This means full discloser all the vulnerabilities found is mandatory. However, in-spite of this some organisation still remain sceptical. For example, a thorough test may require the hacker to also hack into the client’s systems and if not consent is obtained, the white hacker may end up penetrating the client’s system illegally.
White hackers are highly skilled professionals who understand the intricacies of cyber crime and information security. They use their knowledge to help organizations secure their networks, systems, and data by proactively testing for vulnerabilities and providing recommendations on how to remediate any identified issues. White hackers are an essential part of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy as they provide a valuable line of defense against potential cyber threats.
White hackers use a variety of techniques to identify weaknesses in computer systems and develop solutions to mitigate them. This includes penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, ethical hacking, forensics analysis, and more. Penetration testing is a huge undertaking which requires planning and legal contracts to perform tests and run them as safely as possible. These tests often involve the similar methods to those used by cyber criminals use to breach a
The techniques used by white hackers include:
- distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)
- Denial-of- attack service (DoS)
- Security scanning
- Pen testing
- Phishing
- Social engineering
Sources:
Odisha State Open University – CSP-16 White Hat Hacking, Introduction to hacking
