What is white-hat-hacking?
Ethical hacking penetration testing has emerged as crucial defenders of online businesses. These practices, when carried out by a certified ethical hacker pen testing expert, ensure that systems, applications, and networks are fortified against malicious attacks. But what exactly is behind these buzzwords? And what is an ethical hacker penetration tester?
What is white-hat-hacking?
Certified by CREST and Offensive Security, our qualified testers employ real-world hacking techniques to uncover profound insights.
Understanding Ethical Penetration Testing
At its core, ethical penetration testing involves a series of simulated cyber-attacks on a system. However, unlike malicious hackers, an ethical hacker and penetration tester conducts these attacks to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited. It’s like hiring a professional to test the locks on your doors to ensure they can’t be easily picked.
What's the difference between white-hat and black-hat penetration testers?
While ethical hackers are referred to as “white hats”, cyber-criminals are called “black hats” and “grey hats” are somewhere in the middle of the two.
What are their motives?
Many ethical hackers are also known to take part in competitions called “bug bounty programs” which reward hackers with large sums of money for finding security vulnerabilities. Most hackers are driven by a curiosity to see whether they have the power to bypass security defences.
They often enjoy the challenge of trying too to outsmart carefully designed security structures. Being an ethical hacker means you can legally indulge in your hacking desires.
Black hat hackers:
White hat hackers:
Grey hat hackers:
Are there any famous ‘white-hat hackers’?
Charlie Miller is one of the most famous ethical hackers within the industry. He not only has a Ph.D. in Mathematics he also worked for the National Security Agency for five years.
Some of his notable achievements include winning CanSecWest’s annual PWN2OWN hacking competition four times. He was also the very first hacker to be able to exploit the iPhone remotely by sending an SMS message, impressive huh?!
Another famous ethical hacker is HD Moor. At the age of 17 HD Moore started working for the US Government as a security researcher. During his successful career, Moore was involved in discovering a number of critical security vulnerabilities.
Furthermore, he was heavily involved with Metasploit penetration testing platform which is used to discover network vulnerabilities. This framework was a highly influential platform within the industry during this era, it has since been acquired by Rapid7.
Website Hacking & Penetration Testing
As more businesses establish an online presence, their websites become prime targets for cyberattacks. This is where website hacking & penetration testing come into play. By intentionally attempting to exploit vulnerabilities on a website, ethical hackers can identify potential weak points and help in rectifying them, ensuring a safer online experience for users and businesses alike.
The Role of the Certified Ethical Hacker
Having a certified ethical hacker pen testing your systems offers several advantages. These professionals, trained explicitly for ethical hacker penetration testing, possess a deep understanding of potential threats and vulnerabilities. Their certification ensures that they adhere to the highest standards of the profession, focusing on the security and integrity of client systems.
How Ethical Hacking Complements Penetration Testing
While the terms penetration testing and ethical hacking are often used interchangeably, they aren’t identical. Ethical hacking is a broader concept, encompassing a range of activities to improve system security, while penetration testing is a subset of this, focusing specifically on identifying vulnerabilities through simulated attacks. However, both are crucial for a holistic Cyber Security approach.
Our Penetration Testing Process
Our strategic partnerships always start with taking a deep dive into your business and understanding your security sticking points. Before we build a plan of attack, we like to see the ‘big picture’ of your current approach to security. We take a fine-tooth comb through your network, technologies, policies, user-awareness, and testing strategy, leaving no stone unturned. After all, to solve your pain points we must first understand them.
You can’t protect what you can’t see. Which is why visibility is key to any strong security strategy. We’re here to bring malicious threats out of the shadows and put them to bed before they impact your business. Using a multi-layered approach, our experts can help you mitigate security gaps, identify and patch vulnerabilities and increase visibility of threats across your environment.
It’s time to say au revoir to the skills gap! With our industry specialists at your disposal, you can stay ahead of developing threats and get your security plans off the ground. Those nagging projects which have been put on the back burner will soon be set in motion. We’re here to offer our wealth of technical knowledge and lead your journey to cyber-resilience.
We provide the tools to help you transform and innovate your approach to securing your brand. Our team have the technical know-how to help you invest wisely in technologies which will fit seamlessly into your current architecture. We recommend intuitive solutions which automate threat hunting, provide real-time insight into network-wide security risks, and streamline your security processes.
How can we help?
In our interconnected world, the importance of Cyber Security cannot be understated. Through ethical hacking penetration testing, businesses can stay one step ahead of potential threats, ensuring that their systems remain impenetrable.
Whether you’re a large corporation or a budding start-up, investing in ethical penetration testing is an investment in your digital future.
If you are interested in finding out more about our penetration testing service, please head to our web page below.
- Our experts are CREST and OSCP certified penetration testers.
- The OSCP ethical hacking certification follows an intense and hands on examination process which requires deep knowledge of advanced hacking techniques.
- Our team of penetration testers are highly qualified and have many years of ethical hacking experience within large corporate organisations.
- Well-versed on penetration testing methodologies and industry best practice
- Proven track record of safeguarding businesses of all industries and sizes
Frequently Asked Questions
We could tell you that we are highly qualified experts, with over 20 years’ experience in the Cyber Security industry. Or that we have a proven track record of implementing effective Cyber Security strategies for NHS trusts, financial organisations, high-street retailers and SME’s.
But we want to show how we stand out from the crowd.
You’re probably more interested in how we can supercharge your security strategy and launch you above and beyond your Cyber Security goals.
Our team are the driving force of your security initiatives. By partnering with us, we don’t just protect your data. We stand with you in the fight against cyber-crime. Our experts are on-hand to help you stay ahead of the curve and build a Cyber Security culture which is part of your company’s fabric.
Should you choose a general IT provider to handle your security, or partner with a dedicated Cyber Security specialist? Whilst a general IT provider may well be the cheaper option, would you trust a dentist to conduct heart surgery, if they were offering the service for half the price?
When it comes to the security of your business, second-rate protection is simply not an option. By partnering with experienced security experts, you can rest assured that your security is in safe, experienced, and dependable hands, and have far less sleepless nights!
We’re not a jack of all trades like a general IT provider. We’re experts in our field and specialise specifically in Cyber Security. The core foundations of Equilibrium were built by technical experts with a background in network security. Which means we don’t simply resell a security product and let the fancy tech do the talking. We know our stuff and have the skillset and experience to prove it.
For us, communication is key to building strong security partnerships. We are told this is a fundamental part of why our customers choose us over our competitors. We pride ourselves on being good listeners, never leaving you in the dark and always taking time to understand the inner workings of your business.
Relax we’ve got this. As an extension of your team, we’re there to offer our extensive industry knowledge, provide innovative solutions and be the driving force of your security strategy.
We’re not a supplier who needs handholding. We’re the helping hand. We understand the importance of having a security partner you can trust to get the job done, on-time and in-budget.
We have an eye for the finer details. For us, it is all about dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s when it comes to the security of your brand.
By combining our technical expertise with our dedication to helping you achieve your Cyber Security goals, we help to leverage your security capability to new heights.