Cyber crime is becoming a promising career - even for those without criminal tendencies.
Ethical hackers are in high demand, says Lara Green, senior branch manager of Network Recruitment's IT division. "While computer hacking is commonly associated with malicious intent and criminal activity, these highly skilled computer and network technicians deliberately attack a company's IT systems to identify vulnerabilities and recommend solutions," she explains.
Because of the effectiveness of ethical hackers in discovering and resolving security problems, demand for "white hat", or ethical hackers, is increasing steadily, she notes. "This growing demand is for ethical hackers who are employed to protect an organisation's IT systems from dangerous intrusions."
With cyber crime a consistent and escalating threat across all industries, "more and more public and private organisations across all industry sectors are employing ethical hackers as they realise they need to do more", adds Green.
"Our clients that have employed ethical hackers recently include large corporates, banks and other financial institutions, government departments, educational institutions, technology companies, the military, and other private and public sector organisations," Green continues, "with most placements fitting the typical profile of a 'white hat' - creative yet analytical; intuitive yet systematic, patient and responsible.
"Of course, the Post Bank's R42 million cyber-heist loss last year was a big wake-up call, and the reality is that cyber crime is a real and possibly imminent threat to many organisations," she adds. "IT experts who choose to go into this field - for honest reasons - will undoubtedly become highly sought-after and valued employees."
The growing demand is opening doors for those interested in the field of ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing, intrusion testing and red teaming. Those considering this field as a career have numerous options for professional qualifications, including the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) and CHFI (Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator) certifications, both of which are certified by the EC-Council.
A strong background in Unix, Windows and Mac OS, with programming knowledge such as C or Java, is essential, says Green, and knowledge of network security is an advantage. She advises hackers to specialise in either hardware or software, but not both.
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