ETHICAL HACKING

Information security is the fastest growing area in the Information Technology (IT) sector Security would be an easy process if all that had to be done is to install a fire wall and anti - virus software, but the reality is that securing information requires a multi - layered approach. Obtaining this requires adopting measures to prevent the unauthorised use, misuse, modification or denial of use of knowledge, facts, data, or capabilities and it requires taking a proactive approach to manage the risk. This is where ethical hackers come into real play. Ethical hacking is an "art" in the sense that the "artist" must possess the skills and knowledge of a potential attacker (to imitate an attack) and the resources with which they mitigate the vulnerabilities used by attackers. Ethical hacking is the process of analyzing the imposed threat on a given system or network by modelling the actions of an adversary. This paper describes ethical hackers: their skills, their attitudes, and how they go about helping their customers find and plug up security holes. The ethical hacking process is explained in detail. Succesful ethical hackers possess a variety of skills. First and foremost, they must be completely trustworthy. The ethical hacker often holds the " keys to the company," Modern security efforts have to plan for the unplanned and anticipate attacks before they occur. Ethical Hacking is in the boom and it''s high time every company recognizes the need of a potential professional ethical hacker. Ethical hacking is not just necessary; it is inevitable.