Getting paid to face Challenges and troubles? You just stole my Dream job!
If you are the type of person who embraces challenges, is adventurous and has a nose for trouble, you should think about pursuing penetration testing as your career line. In fact, you should give it the first rank in your “What to become in future” list (if you maintain it). The reason why I am emphasizing this is- Penetration testers command an average salary of almost $118,000 in the U.S.
Finding a job that is both adventurous and lucrative is like finding a holy grail. Take my advice. Stick to it.
What is a penetration tester?
Perplexed? Don’t bother. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced IT professional thinking about moving into pen-testing (a.k.a Ethical Hacking), you should start by reading. The more you read, the more you build an acquaintance with the subject.
Make use of articles, skim the textbooks and guides, and listen to videos- not just about pen-testing but start reading general cybersecurity issues across the board. You can also start some of the top cybersecurity gurus to get aboard.
Don’t be tense. You will be “The Cool Kid”. The one who can get into anyone’s system officially and legally. In fact, that is what your boss will pay you for.
You need to think like a cyber attacker. Predict his moves in advance. And securing the whole organization by stopping all cyber attacks. You will be fighting data thieves, just like cops do!! Fantasizing enough.
On a serious note, your work is a real simulation of the job of a cyber attacker who by hook or crook wants to break into your organization’s system.
Getting certified
When you are ready, you can take a course to earn an ethical hacking certification, such as the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification. This will give any prospective employer proof that you have the necessary knowledge of the area and know how to apply it practically.
Outlook for penetration testers
Penetration testers are usually hired internally by an organization and will sit within a security team. I have jotted down some major responsibilities that you need to perform in any organization-
- Conducting penetration tests on all the possible organization’s networks, and systems, which will include web-based applications as well.
- Performing some physical evaluations on all the network devices, systems, and servers.
- Perform your best to generate new ways and tools to use for penetration testing.
- Seeking for any existent vulnerabilities that may be hidden in the organization.
- Thinking like an attacker to determine any methods
- Doing all social engineering tasks to unveil what was hidden.
- Designing security strategies.
- Conduct your own research on the findings that you documented.
About Appin
Appin is an Ethical hacking institute that excels in creating an ethical hacker that can hack computer systems like black hat hackers and secure them like security experts. Appin Technologies strives to provide a comprehensive Certified Ethical Hacking Course!