We all know what a hacker does. They send cold shivers up the spines of business owners and bank managers worldwide and seem impossible to trace, catch or prosecute.
But could an ethical hacker – or a reformed hacker – be the answer to even the most complex digital security issues? Let’s take a look at some of the more common questions around this topic such as:
- Do you need a hacker if you’ve already got a great IT professional on your team?
- What’s the difference between a white hat hacker and any other?
- How can you be sure your security hacker isn’t a scammer in disguise?
We’ll explain how it all works and why so many businesses upgrade their digital safeguards by hiring skilled ethical hackers who delight in deploying the latest defensive countermeasures against potential cyberattacks.
Is a Hacker a Reliable Way to Protect My Business Online?
Hiring hackers as security consultants is a whole different level compared to installing new anti-virus software or upgrading your firewall.
It’s like having your own secret spy ninja, scouring your digital assets, scrutinizing vulnerabilities, and pointing out what they would do if they wanted to steal your financial details, copy your client files, or crash your website.
There are many positives to hiring a hacker as a security consultant, as they can work with you to strengthen your current safety strategies and provide valuable backup for any existing IT staff.
Benefits of Hiring a Private Security Hacker
- Only real-world hackers can tell you the most accessible gaps in your digital defenses, how they might be exploited, what must be done to fix them.
- Hackers used multiple techniques, often all at once, responding to network defenses as they arise and thinking on the fly. A hacker will know where a seemingly rigid system isn’t quite as robust as it appears.
- IT consultants are often well versed in cybercrime – but they’re not always able to prevent it. You can’t learn the skills required for masterful hacking from any book or college course, because new methods are being developed all the time. That’s why the best security consultants are hackers who have real-world experience.
If you have a high-risk business that often works with sensitive data, one where a security breach could be severely damaging, then an IT team usually can’t provide the 24/7 surveillance that you’d require.
Security hackers can take over the patrols, freeing up your IT staff to concentrate on their primary roles – like keeping the network functioning smoothly.
What Services Can I Get From a Security Hacker?
If you’re new to the concept of hiring hackers for good (rather than assuming they’re all in it for the chaos and destruction!), it’s interesting to think about what companies hire ethical hackers and you might be surprised that many major companies regularly keep hackers on their payroll: such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram.
The services provided when you hire a hacker will vary depending on what your needs are, along with their area of expertise. Plus, the exact tasks you need done and how often a hacker should repeat them depends on the digital assets you have and how substantial any vulnerabilities are, once they’ve been found on the first sweep.
Hacker Security Services
- Black box hackers come at your business as if they were a third party trying to break in. They’ll need only your web address and will then work with the information they find in the public domain to see how they would gain access to vulnerable data on your site.
- White box hackers work closer with your business, accessing internal resources and identifying the potential for insider leaks or even data captures by disgruntled ex-employees.
- You might hire a business security hacker to run a one-off risk assessment analysis, or bring them on full-time to concentrate solely on keeping your company cyber crime-free.
There isn’t a fixed way illegal hackers go about cracking into sensitive data, which is why you can’t expect ethical hackers to suggest a single method to safeguard your business. So you’ll likely need to regularly update your digital security as different methods of cyberattacks develop, which could mean hiring a hacker to act as your security consultant once per quarter.
How to Recruit an Ethical Hacker
Now you need to know how to hire a white-hat hacker, which is a lot easier than you might imagine.
Let’s clarify the obvious – not all hackers are good. Not all are bad.
- A white-hat hacker is one of the good guys. They’ll ride in on their trusty steed (or shiny Mac), ironing out your cyber weaknesses and leaving your business fresh-faced and ready for battle.
- Black hat hackers are the villains, but they’re not advertising their service on a freelance platform, so no worries there.
- But a grey hat hacker falls in between. Perhaps they have an ethical hacking job by day, but love causing havoc by night.
It’s key to understand that it’s a white hat hacker you need – and none of their less reputable counterparts.
That’s why you must be diligent about checking references, qualifications, previous employers, and testimonials before taking anybody on.
Some ethical security hackers are reformed black or grey hat hackers, which means people often feel some contention about the inherent risk of appointing a former criminal and letting them loose on their most valuable digital assets! However, the world of legitimate hacking is growing massively.
Choosing a respected security consultant or accomplished ethical hacker through a freelance recruitment platform could make a profound difference in the long-term safety of your business.
