How to get started with Ethical Hacking? Complete Guide (2023)

Are you fascinated when you see hacking in movies or inspired by hacking groups such as Anonymous and want to become a hacker, or do you want to hunt down the next million-dollar bug bounty? Then you are at the right place. In this article, I will tell you about what Ethical Hacking is, the domains of Ethical Hacking, and how to start with Ethical Hacking in 2023.

Let’s dive in.

What is Ethical Hacking?

Cyber security is a sub-domain of information security.

We can define cyber security as the protection of computer systems, networks, devices, or our valuable data from cyber attacks.

Cyber security is a vast field. Ethical Hacking is a part of cyber security.

Ethical Hacking includes finding the bugs or loopholes in a system before a Black hat Hacker can use them to exploit the system and cause damage to its files.

They do all this with the permission of the owner of the respective organization or system. They do this with the help of Pen testing, social engineering, etc.

Ethical Hackers are also referred to as White hat Hackers.

Why become an Ethical Hacker?

You want to become an Ethical Hacker because you heard about the high salaries in this domain or you are fascinated with the hacking scenes you see on social media platforms. If these are one of the reasons you want to enter this domain, you need to rethink your decision.

It’s not easy to become an Ethical Hacker. You have to work hard for the salary you heard.

You should only enter this field if you are passionate about computer systems, networks, etc. If you are not passionate about these things, you may face difficulties in your journey to become an Ethical Hacker; it might be possible that you will eventually leave this.

Today, in the Ethical Hacking field (supply<demand). So, you have a good chance of getting a job. By 2025, there is a need for about 7 million Ethical Hackers. We currently have only half of them.

According to UpGrad, the average salary of a fresher Ethical Hacker in India is approximately around ₹5 lakh per annum, which may vary as per your skills, location, company, etc.

How to get started

Here is a complete roadmap to becoming an Ethical Hacker in 2023.

• Computer basics: Hardware, Software, I/O
• Web & internet: HTTP, DNS, Web servers
• Networking basics: TCP/IP, ARP, networking devices, routing & switching
• Operating systems: Linux, Windows
• Command line tools: CMD, Bash
• Programming: you should know to program because it will be easier for you to find bugs in the code. You can choose any programming language like C, C++, Java, and so on

You can learn all the previously mentioned tools and technologies on your own by simply watching videos on YouTube or reading a book.
Now that you have learned all the basics required, it’s time to move to the real stuff required for Ethical Hacking.

There are many tools and platforms that will help you enhance your ethical hacking knowledge and keep you updated about ethical hacking. Some of them are:-

• OWASP Top 10
• GitHub: Tools and exploit repos, SecLists, Payload, etc., are available on GitHub
• Bug bounty programs: Bugcrowd, Hackerone, YesWeHack, and so on
• Capture the Flags: Tryhackme, HackTheBox, etc., for practice hacking on machines
• Make some good Projects to showcase on your resume

You can also join some social communities like Security communities on Twitter, and security forums on Stack, Reddit, and Discord.

You should be good at googling your queries.

You never stop learning when you are in Ethical Hacking. You have to keep updating yourself with the latest attacks, threats, viruses, malware, etc, which may affect your organization and you could lose your job at the organization.

Degree/Diploma for Ethical Hacking

Undergraduate Computer Science Degree:-

• B.tech computer science ( preferred)
• B.C.A (bachelor in computer applications)
• B.SC in computer science

Undergraduate Cyber Security Degree:-

• B.tech in Cyber security
• B.C.A (bachelor in computer applications) in Cyber security
• B.SC in Cyber security

Postgraduate Degree:-

• M.tech in Cyber security
• M.C.A (Masters in computer applications) in Cyber security
• M.SC in Cyber security

You can also do P.G. Diploma in Cyber security.

Professional Certifications in Ethical Hacking

Professional Certificates help you to certify your knowledge in Ethical Hacking that you can showcase in your resume, which gives you an edge over other candidates.

There are many well-known and world-wide accepted certifications, which can help you get your dream job. Some of the most trusted ones are-

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH):- CEH is considered one of the basic certifications to call yourself an Ethical Hacker.

• The certificate is issued by EC Council
• Official website – Click here
• Exam cost – $500

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP):- OSCP is considered one of the most prestigious and hardest cyber security certifications for Pen testing.

• The certificate is presented by Offensive Security
• Official website – Click here
• Exam cost – $999

Conclusion

Many people estimate that Cyberwar will be one of the biggest threats in the upcoming future. Cyberwar is a series of multiple cyber attacks done by a country on another country.

Many countries are making their cyber army to counter such threats that can destroy their economy or can do a massive power outage by attacking their power grids.

In India, victims of cyber crimes are increasing at a massive rate. Some trending cyber crimes are phishing scams, ransomware attacks, Olx scams, identity theft, etc.

Cybersecurity will be one of the top trending careers in 2023.
I hope this article helped you to clear your doubts about Ethical Hacking.