Malicious hackers are continually looking for ways to access organizations’ networks and systems to get their hands on valuable company data. In 2020, the FBI reportedly received more than 2,000 internet crime complaints per day (Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2020).
Luckily, while malicious hackers are finding ways to commit cybercrime, ethical hackers are working diligently to prevent these attacks from occurring. Ethical hackers often use vulnerability analysis to strengthen an organization’s security and prevent attackers from getting in.
Read on to learn more about vulnerability analysis, how it relates to ethical hacking, and how becoming a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) can advance your cybersecurity career.
What Is Vulnerability Analysis?
Vulnerability analysis plays a significant role in protecting an organization’s technological systems against hackers and various forms of cybercrime. Put simply, vulnerability analysis is a systematic review of security weaknesses in an organization’s information systems. Vulnerability analysis works as a form of threat assessment, as it is used to evaluate how susceptible a network may be to future cyberattacks or attempted hacks.
Several threat assessments can be used to test the existing security of an organization’s technological systems. Some of these include:
- Host assessment
- Network and wireless assessment
- Database assessment
- Application scans
Running threat assessments is highly beneficial in protecting a company’s IT infrastructure. Some risks that can be addressed through vulnerability analysis include:
- Susceptibilities to SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other code injection attacks
- Unsecure or easily guessable admin passwords
- Faulty authentication mechanisms
Overall, vulnerability analysis is just one element in the larger domain of ethical hacking. Ethical hackers work to legally and deliberately break into a company’s networks and systems with the goal of testing the company’s existing security and defenses.
Starting a Career in Ethical Hacking
According to Cybersecurity Ventures, global cybercrime costs are expected to grow by 15% per year over the next 5 years and could end up reaching $10.5 trillion annually by 2025 (Morgan, 2020). With this rise in criminal hacking, the need for ethical hackers who can perform vulnerability analyses of organizations’ IT systems is continuing to grow.
EC-Council’s certification programs are among the most longstanding and well respected in the cybersecurity space. The C|EH program was first launched in 2003 and serves as the blueprint for many cybersecurity certification programs today. The five core phases of ethical hacking outlined in EC-Council’s C|EH course are:
- Reconnaissance
- Gaining access
- Enumeration
- Maintaining access
- Covering your tracks
Job Outlook for Certified Ethical Hackers
If you’re looking for a lucrative career, the job outlook for C|EHs is very promising. Comparably (n.d.) reports that the average annual salary for a C|EH in the United States is around $182,000, with the middle 57% of C|EHs earning between $168,948 and $374,847
How to Become a Certified Ethical Hacker
If you’re interested in filling a growing need in the cybersecurity space and starting a rewarding career, check out EC-Council’s C|EH course today. In this certification program, you’ll gain valuable skills that enable you to prevent cybercrime and advance your cybersecurity career.
Are you ready to advance your career and learn valuable cybersecurity skills? Connect with EC-Council today to learn more about the C|EH program. Your next opportunity in the cybersecurity space is just a few clicks away!
Comparably. (n.d.). Certified Ethical Hacker salary. https://www.comparably.com/salaries/salaries-for-certified-ethical-hacker
Internet Crime Complaint Center. (2020). Internet crime report 2020. U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf
Morgan, S. (2020, November 13). Cybercrime to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Cybercrime Magazine. https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybercrime-damages-6-trillion-by-2021
