Ethical Hacking

The Threat

Hackers today target all kinds of organisations, small, medium, large, public and private. Unauthorised break-ins to computer networks are a day-to-day operational reality and an escalating problem with consequences often including:

• Vandalising, corruption, and/or destruction of data including websites, email systems, accounting and payroll systems, etc.;
• Theft of valuable, sensitive and confidential information or intellectual property; and
• Public embarrassment, legal exposure and loss of reputation.

Tackling the Threat

It is imperative for all organisations to minimise the threat of being hacked. Taking steps to implement various layers of IT security controls as many organisations do is a good way to begin controlling the risk but checking on the effectiveness of these controls is unfortunately often left to chance!

Organisations now have the ability to utilise a cost effective service that mimics what hackers often do commonly referred to as 'Ethical Hacking' or as it is sometimes referred to as 'Penetration Testing'.

Ethical Hacking is essentially a structured process of attempting to intrude on an organisation's network just as a hostile hacker would but in a 'non-harmful' way. By simulating the approach that a hacker may take, the process aims to identify gaps and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed before they are exploited by a real hostile hacker.