Ethical Hacking- The Perfect Reality Check A few months ago, a team of hackers namely Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek wrought havoc by infiltrating into the entertainment system of a Jeep Cherokee. While they were at it, everything in the automobile was under their control including the brakes and the steering. The driver in question was doomed as his fate lay in the hands of his carjackers who controlled his car from the comfort of their laptops, miles away.
A nightmarish situation, isn’t it? Only, it isn’t. Yes, there were hackers. Yes, the driver was carjacked. But this was a staged environment. The purpose was to deliberately look into the flaws and the vulnerabilities of the car’s automated system. We live in a world of smart devices and the smartness is permeating into automobiles too. Chrysler, the company that owns Jeep hired Valasek and Miller to hack and expose the shortcomings of the automobile. The company has a program to test the susceptibilities of its vehicles and develop solutions for the same. Smart devices beget smart security as well. As our surroundings get more automated and computerized, they also pose as vantage points for entities seeking unauthorized access into systems. While the world rejoices in the deluge of devices ranging from Smartphone to smart watches and looks forward to connected homes and connected cars, one can’t help but fret at the security risks that might be on offer to be exploited. The rise of imminent security risks leaves a bad aftertaste in the sweet world of smart devices. Instead of turning a blind eye to obvious threats, could we not wholeheartedly try find out how vulnerable our systems are? Ethical hacking- the name sounds familiar Wait a minute. Isn’t hacking kind of nerd? Isn’t it supposed to be done by bad guys only? To most of us, hacking is either anathema or a completely arcane phenomenon. Simply put, we like to stay out of its way. Sadly, that is no longer an option if we must seek adaptive and comprehensive defenses for our data assets. Demand for ethical hackers on the rise According to NDTV, though there is a rising demand in government organizations for ethical hackers – hackers who purposely invade systems to study its flaws. Facebook and Google have enlisted the help of hackers, doling out handsome payments to anyone who can discover flaws in their systems and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, US estimates a 22% rise in information security personnel through to 2020.
The dark cloud and how ethical hacking can help As data migrates to the cloud, corporations and individuals are exposed to unsolicited theft of sensitive data, which can have grave repercussions for everyone. It is important to have a clear understanding of the risks involved in cloud migration and they should be dealt with accordingly. Knowing what you are up against will help you choose your weapons right. Ethical hacking can help you discern the security posture of a specific application, initiative or a system. Organizations that hire an ethical exploiter get to see a clear picture of how an attacker can infiltrate their systems. This includes the nature of threats, threat actors, their attack vectors, the commonly targeted attack surface, critical data under threat and the impact to business. By simulating an imminent attack pattern that they identify as common to your line and scope of business, ethical hackers offer insights to help in planning your risk mitigation strategy and make informed decisions to acquire only those resources that are essential and indispensable for your company. Help is on the way With a multitude of security risks, it is necessary to enlist the help of entities that understand the in and out of your systems and its flaws. With Aleph Tav Technologies and its comprehensive services, you are no longer in the dark for your security needs, be it unearthing hidden risks in connected systems, tracking unchecked permissions in rogue apps, monitoring unexpected flaws in legacy systems or any other need specific to your organization. Proper cognizance of your systems’ shortcomings coupled with our expertise in dealing with them will keep rogue elements at bay, giving you complete peace of mind.
Our services include: Ethical Hacking, Managed Security Services, Application Security, Network Security, Security Testing, Enterprise Security, Security for IoT, SCADA Security, Digital Forensics