The ethical hacker must not only comply with any rules that the system/network owners see fit but also the laws of the land. The white-hacker’s main aim is to assess the security posture of an organization or business. In the formal security industry, an ethical hacker is more commonly referred to as a Cyber Security Specialist.
What are the Responsibilities of an Ethical Hacker?
Below are some of the duties of an Ethical Hacker:
- To define and classify system and network resources
- To assign the relative level of importance to the above resources
- To identify potential threats to the respective resources
- To develop a strategy for dealing with and prioritizing serious potential problems
- To define and implement ways of minimizing the consequences of an attack
- To perform tests on target resources including web resources, hardware, and software
- To keep all systems updated and apply the latest vendor patches and service packs
- To creatively develop new strategies that can counter new hacking methodologies and mitigate all possible threats
- To prepare current security profile reports and document the reports as a reference for any uninvited incidents
- To regularly monitor system and network resources for potential threats.
- To design and implement security-related policies and make sure that the policies are enforced correctly
Why are Ethical Hackers in Demand?
When data is not kept secure, it is not a matter of IF, but rather WHEN, this data will be compromised. According to Manu Sharma (Head of Cybersecurity at Grant Thornton UK), ‘vigilance alone won’t keep businesses safe.’
He further elaborates by saying that businesses that take cybersecurity seriously are not just protecting their data and their customer’s data, but they are also securing their competitive edge over other companies in their industry that haven’t done so.
For the majority of decision-makers who are not technology experts in the corporate world, a threat to the organization’s competitive edge is quite a compelling reason to take action and take cybersecurity seriously right away.
Ethical hackers are systems and network experts in fending off cyber-attacks and this, therefore, puts them at the front line when it comes to preventing cyber-attacks. In the UK for example, JOBLIFT, reports that the demand for jobs in ethical hacking increased by 3X the rate of supply. (The average monthly increase in ethical hacking job vacancies was up 4% while the average monthly increase in demand for the jobs rose by 12%).
Other reasons for the increase in demand include:
- The increasing adoption of cloud computing coupled with inconsistencies associated with security patching
- Ransomware and other threats are consistently becoming more sophisticated
- Increased budgetary allocations towards cybersecurity (global spending on cybersecurity will exceed $1 trillion between 2017 and 2021)
- The number of Internet users keeps increasing (There were nearly 4 billion Internet users in 2018 (roughly half of the world’s population of 7.7 billion), up from 2 billion in 2015.
Future of Being an Ethical Hacker
As the number of cyber-threats increases, and the demand for cyber-security increases as well, the need for ethical hackers is also set to try and keep up. In short, the future of ethical hacking jobs is secured for the foreseeable future because no organization/business wants to be left vulnerable.
Read more: What is Ethical Hacking and Type of Ethical Hackers
How to Master Ethical Hacking?
There are several paths that you could take to become a master at ethical hacking. No single path can be said to be the ultimate path to follow. There are just too many factors, (including personal preferences and character traits) to take into consideration when choosing the best route.
That said, a highly recommended path to follow should be based on the most critical skills that need to be cultivated. Here is a path that you can follow:
Understand Basic Networking Concepts
Basic networking concepts should be a good starting point because you will learn how different protocols enable different possibilities to connect to a system remotely. As such, you will also learn how to shut down these ports and keep away attackers. A course that you could take to help you with this is CompTIA Network+ Certification.
Other Courses to Help You Along the Journey
After the Networking certification training, other cybersecurity training courses that you could take include:
- Ethical Hacking Certification
- CISSP®- Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- CISM®- Certified Information Security Manager
- CCSP-Certified Cloud Security Professional
- CISA®- Certified Information Systems Auditor
- CRISC®- Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control
- COBIT®5- Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies
- CHFI-Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Certification Course
- CND-Certified Network Defender course
Alternatively, you could simply pursue the Cyber Security Master’s Certification and accomplish several of the above certifications in one convenient package.
By the time you have completed CISSP and CEH (V10) Certification, which are both quite advanced, you will be able to find a job that affords you a good living in most countries.
Ethical Hacker Salary Trends with CEH Certification in 6 Different Countries
1. Ethical Hacker Salary in the USA
Average CEH Salary: $90K
Average Salary by Skill/Specialty
Top Employers/Companies Hiring
- Booz, Allen, and Hamilton $67,470 – $101,389
- U.S. Army $32,133 – $86,327
- U.S. Air Force (USAF) $49,029 – $81,490
- General Dynamics Information Technology Inc $59,045 – $104,805
- Lockheed Martin Corp $69,043 – $113,000
Popular Cities
- Washington, District of Columbia $67,000 – $126,121
- New York, New York $50,143 – $124,608
- San Antonio, Texas $51,456 – $90,999
- Atlanta, Georgia $49,550 – $110,936
- San Diego, California $76,754 – $121,694
Years of Experience
- Less than 1 year 3%
- 1-4 years 30%
- 5-9 years 27%
- 10-19 years 30%
- 20 years or more 9%
Gender
- Female: 8 % $54,767 – $103,344
- Male: 92 % $56,169 – $115,246
2. Ethical Hacker Salary in India
Average CEH Salary: Rs 599K
Average Salary by Skill/Specialty
Top Employers/Companies Hiring
- Paladion Networks Rs 214,551 – Rs 509,714
- Wipro Technologies Ltd. Rs 101,980 – Rs 800,000
- Tata Consultancy Services Limited Rs 290,874 – Rs 630,000
- EY (Ernst & Young) Rs 316,266 – Rs 752,553
- InfoSys Limited Rs 121,641 – Rs 910,630
Popular Cities
- Bangalore, Karnataka Rs 256,635 – Rs 1,133,880
- Mumbai, Maharashtra Rs 218,305 – Rs 1,072,867
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu Rs 241,957 – Rs 913,540
- Pune, Maharashtra Rs 254,028 – Rs 1,043,389
- Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Rs 236,718 – Rs 982,635
Years of Experience
- Less than 1 year 15%
- 1-4 years 48%
- 5-9 years 23%
- 10-19 years 13%
- 20 years or more 1%
Gender
- Female: 6% Rs 292,954 – Rs 1,012,125
- Male: 94% Rs 254,342 – Rs 1,160,171
3. Ethical Hacker Salary in Canada
Average CEH Salary: C$73K
Average Salary by Skill/Specialty
Top Employers/Companies Hiring
- PricewaterhouseCoopers C$67,000
- RBC Bank C$69,490
- Rogers Communications Inc. C$70,829
Popular Cities
- Toronto, Ontario C$50,147 – C$97,732
- Montréal, Québec C$51,500 – C$88,000
- Moncton, New Brunswick C$108,000
- Ottawa, Ontario C$70,000
- Vancouver, British Columbia C$84,000
Years of Experience
- Less than 1 year 7%
- 1-4 years 36%
- 5-9 years 21%
- 10-19 years 27%
- 20 years or more 9%
Gender
- Female: 8% C$47,500 – C$82,500
- Male: 92% C$49,316 – C$95,478
4. Ethical Hacker salary in Australia
Average CEH Salary: AU$101K
Average Salary by Skill/Specialty
Top Employers/Companies Hiring
- EY (Ernst & Young) AU$125,000
- Deloitte AU$143,364
- The Chemist Warehouse AU$55,000
Popular Cities
- Sydney, New South Wales AU$55,284 – AU$133,346
- Melbourne, Victoria AU$53,327 – AU$145,216
Years of Experience
- Less than 1 year 2%
- 1-4 years 36%
- 5-9 years 30%
- 10-19 years 27%
- 20 years or more 4%
Gender
- Female: 10% AU$62,600 – AU$95,000
- Male: 90% AU$55,369 – AU$136,857
5. Ethical Hacker Salary in Singapore
Average CEH Salary: S$67K
Average Salary by Skill/Specialty
Top Employers/Companies Hiring
- E-cop S$57,718
- Lazada Group S$112,565
Popular Cities
- Singapore S$26,093 – S$84,404
Years of Experience
- Less than 1 year 6%
- 1-4 years 30%
- 5-9 years 29%
- 10-19 years 26%
Gender
- Female: 4% S$49,400
- Male: 96% S$26,128 – S$110,933
6. Ethical Hacker Salary in UAE
Average CEH Salary: AED 177K
Average Salary by Skill/Specialty
Top Employers/Companies hiring
- Paladion Networks AED 166,268
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank AED 450,000
- Tata Consultancy Services Limited AED 115,800
Popular Cities
- Dubai AED 60,678 – AED 301,674
- Abu Dhabi AED 52,586 – AED 305,209
Years of Experience
- Less than 1 year 4%
- 1-4 years 34%
- 5-9 years 34%
- 10-19 years 26%
- 20 years or more 1%
Gender
- Female: 5% AED 180,000
- Male: 95% AED 58,826 – AED 295,717
For more details, you can also check out this salary calculator.
Conclusion
Considering the above ethical hacker salary trends, we can conclude that Ethical Hackers are highly paid and are in huge demand across the world. If the information provided so far has answered all your questions related to ethical hacking as a career choice, you can go ahead and begin your journey with our Advanced Executive Program in Cybersecurity course. You can also leave a comment to add or suggesting any relevant information related to ethical hacking.
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