Because of misusing data and the rise in cyberattacks, ethical hacking and cyber security specialists are in high demand. There is a scarcity of qualified people that can assist businesses in protecting their systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks. If you have the necessary skills, there are a lot of opportunities in this profession. 

Becoming an ethical hacker necessitates the adoption of specific skills that comprises knowledge of the security measures, networks, and systems; programming knowledge; comprehension of databases; networking skills; operating systems’ working knowledge like Linux and Windows; and knowledge of hacking techniques and tools. Enroll today in an online Cyberark Training course to keep up to date on critical cybersecurity issues and industry trends.

Today, many businesses rely on cybersecurity and ethical hacking to keep themselves safe from cyber-attacks. Both ethical hacking and cybersecurity aim to improve a company’s security, although they are very different in many aspects. While cyber security is a large topic, ethical hacking is included in it. Understanding each of these words is critical for any firm investing in security architecture. We shall learn the distinction between ethical hacking and cyber security in this blog. 

Before we get into the differences between ethical hacking and cybersecurity it’s important to first define the words.

What is Cybersecurity?

The activity of defending internet-connected systems, such as hardware, software, programs, and data, from harm, malicious attacks, or illegal access is known as cyber security. It works to keep cybercriminals out of data, networks, and systems. Digital forensics, Ethical hacking, and Data security are only a few of the security methods covered by cyber security.

Cyber security can be divided into the following categories:

• Data Security
• Information Security
• Application Security
• Identity Management
• Cloud Security
• Endpoint Security
• Network Security
• Mobile Security

With cyber threats evolving on a worldwide scale, every firm, particularly those involved in the protection of sensitive data, must take adequate precautions to protect its sensitive data.

Role of a Cybersecurity Professional

To create a secure environment for users against any attacks on their data, devices, or applications, cyber security experts must have a combination of distinct cyber security tools and skills. To be able to deal with threats like malware, ransomware, and zero-day exploits, they must have a thorough awareness of numerous cybersecurity ideas, tools, and procedures.

A cyber security specialist is in charge of a wide range of tasks. Some of the most typical duties and responsibilities of a cyber security professional are as follows:

• Identifying the most effective techniques to secure data, networks, and systems against cyber-attacks.
• Enhancing the security system by implementing the most effective technology.
• Vulnerability tests and security assessments.
• Supervising and guiding security teams.
• Keeping the updated security system.

What is Ethical Hacking?

The term “ethical hacking” refers to a subset of cybersecurity. It is the process of evaluating a system for potential security breaches or data threats and also fixing any vulnerabilities before a cyberattack occurs. Finding vulnerabilities and weak points for cybercriminals to exploit is the objective of ethical hacking.

White-hat hackers are ethical hackers. White hat hackers operate in the same way as black hat hackers, but with a different objective in mind. With approval from the server/system admin, white hat hackers use their talents to uncover the system’s loopholes. They don’t aim to harm anybody with their actions; instead, they want to protect the systems.

Job Role of Ethical Hacker

Ethical hackers gain access to the system with the authorization of the owner. They deliver a report on how they hacked the system after detecting flaws and breaching system security. The following are some of the most typical jobs and tasks of ethical hackers:

• Testing the system security.
• Evaluating the performance of a system.
• Using proper hacking techniques, discover weak points in the security system.
• Offering recommendations to improve the security system.
• Altering the firm regarding any malicious attack
• Reports are generated after vulnerabilities are discovered.

Ethical Hacking Vs. Cyber Security: What’s The Difference?

The term “ethical hacking” refers to a subset of cybersecurity. In the end, both are concerned about data security. Both cybersecurity experts and ethical hackers should be aware of the extent and joint objective of securing their businesses. The fundamental distinctions between ethical hacking and cybersecurity are summarised in the table below:

Cyber Security

• Cybersecurity is a wide term that encompasses several different security techniques.
• It entails detecting and fixing security concerns to protect the system and data from malicious activity.
• The main focus is on how to keep the system safe.
• Cybersecurity professionals preserve the system by updating it regularly and putting in place all possible safeguards.
• It’s a defense operation.
• The security system is maintained regularly to guarantee that it is up to date.
• SOC engineer and Security analyst are two popular cybersecurity professional roles.

Ethical Hacking

• The term “ethical hacking” refers to a subset of cybersecurity.
• It entails locating security vulnerabilities and reporting them to the system’s owner.
• It’s all about finding out how to attack the system.
• Ethical hackers hack into systems to uncover faults and protect them.
• Ethical hacking is a counter-offensive strategy.
• Testing is done regularly to discover and fix issues.
• Security Manager and Penetration Tester are two popular ethical hacking jobs.

Conclusion:

This concludes our discussion of the distinction between ethical hacking and cyber security. While ethical hacking concentrates on finding vulnerabilities that are accessible to exploitation far before hackers find them, cyber security concentrates on limiting risks through the deployment of various security controls, as we learned in this blog. The fields of ethical hacking and cybersecurity are becoming more important than ever as a result of rising internet attacks and data threats.

The demand for cyber security and ethical hackers professionals is continuously rising. In this blog, we also have defined and addressed the definitions for comprehending ethical hacking and network security along with its job roles that would assist the aspirants who would like to land in these professions of their choice.