INTRODUCTION
When most people hear the term ‘hacking’, they often associate it with criminal activities. However, not all hacking is malicious in nature and it can in fact be used to benefit society. The ethical side of hacking has been explored through various cyber security best practices that aim to use hacking for a positive purpose. This article will explore the ethical side of hacking and the best practices for using it safely.
Before delving into cyber security best practices, it’s important to understand when something is considered ethical hacking or not. Generally speaking, ethical hacking is defined as an attempt to gain unauthorized access into a system or device, with permission from the owner or operator for legitimate purposes. In other words, if permission is granted by either the network admin or owner/operator of an electronic device, then the breach is usually considered acceptable if done within certain parameters. In some cases this type of activity may also be referred to as penetration testing or vulnerability assessment activities, where the goal would be to assess how vulnerable a system or device is before recommending corrective actions.
INTENTION
When it comes to cyber security best practices related to ethical hacking, there are several key areas that should be addressed. These include risk management, security controls, monitoring and incident response plans. Risk management involves assessing the level of risk associated with engaging in any activity connected with computers before engaging in such activity – such as performing a more detailed threat assessment before conducting any type of unauthorized intrusion testing on systems or devices for example. Security controls should also be put in place to protect systems and devices from unauthorized intrusion; these typically include firewalls and antivirus software among other things. Monitoring should also be done regularly so that any suspicious activity can be detected quickly; logs of events should also be kept so that any activities can be properly traced later on if needed. Finally incident response plans should also exist so that organizations know what steps they need to take in case an incident does occur – such as reporting it immediately if necessary and putting in place proactive measures if possible
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, ethical hacking and its associated best practices play a pivotal role when it comes to cyber security today. By utilizing best practices such as risk management, security controls implementation and monitoring we can help ensure our networks remain secure without running afoul of legal or regulatory standards. While there are always some risks involved when engaging in this type of activity – such as facing potential legal action depending on jurisdictions – it’s still possible to reap the rewards offered by breaching networks ethically provided precautionary measures are taken first hand beforehand.
