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Whether you are seeking a new career, looking to make a jump in your current job or changing industries entirely, learning ethical hacking is a smart way to position yourself for the cybersecurity skills shortage. This is especially true given the fact that many entry-level positions require candidates to compete with other applicants who have little or no relevant experience. Having the ability to perform cybersecurity assessments can help you stand out from other entry-level candidates and position yourself for a more competitive salary.

Traditionally, hackers have exploited vulnerabilities for a range of reasons. Some are motivated by criminal financial gain, while others want to access private information or compromised systems. Others are interested in protesting or making a statement, and some simply enjoy the challenge of breaching difficult targets. In the 1980s, as personal computers became widely available to the public, hacking began to morph into its current form. Criminal hackers started pirating software, creating viruses and hacking into systems to steal information or disrupt operations. The rise of this type of hacking eventually led to the passing of the first cyber crime law in the US – the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Hacking involves using technical knowledge, problem-solving skills and creativity to bypass security measures. Hackers exploit both technical and social weaknesses. The former includes things like figuring out ways to trick websites into interpreting what’s being entered as instructions, such as typing a sequence of characters that would make a website display all usernames & passwords or make it shut down altogether (a denial of service attack). The latter includes identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in order to gain unauthorized access to a system. Once a hacker gains access, they often try to hide their activity and avoid detection.