ANALYSIS OF WHITE HACKING

ERGI CANOLLARI

DECEMBER 2022

INSTRUCTOR: PROF.ASSOC.DR.EDLIRA MARTIRI

INTRODUCTION TO WHITE HACKING

As the old saying goes, “It takes a thief to catch a thief.” In other words, the
person most likely to successfully catch a thief is someone who knows the
miscreant’s tactics, mindset, and habits. Cyber-related crime is the new
frontier for larceny. This an increasingly ominous notion, considering how our
information is collected, processed, and stored online. Add to that the boom in
mobile computing, and you have quite a dilemma on your hands.

The word "hacker" conjures the image of someone with ill intent toward
individuals, websites, and company information systems. The prevailing
theory is they look for ways to mine company data and destroy or change
customer information. Those types of "bad guys" certainly exist — the
cybersecurity industry calls them Black Hats, but in reality, they aren't the only
hackers lurking in cyberspace.

Enter the White Hat hacker, the good guy who uses his (or her) capabilities to
damage your organization — but only hypothetically. Instead, the real purpose
is to uncover security failings in your system in order to help you safeguard
your business from the dangerous hackers.

Companies hire White Hats to stress test their information systems. They run
deep scans of networks for malware, attempt to hack information systems
using methods Black Hats would use, and even try to fool staff into clicking on
links that lead to malware infestations.
 PURPOSE
A White Hat hacker tests systems and networks by trying to break into them.
They are hackers, but their talents are being used to improve Cyber Security.
Being hackers, they are familiar with the tactics that malicious hackers use to
compromise systems; White Hat hackers try to find the vulnerabilities before
the bad guys do.

The most significant difference between Black Hat and White Hat hackers is
that the latter is permitted by companies to try and break into their Cyber
Security systems.

White Hat hackers are also called “Ethical Hackers” or “Certified Ethical
Hackers.” In some instances, White Hat hackers assume other Cyber Security
titles within an organization.

 Cybersecurity analyst

 Information security analyst

 Intrusion detection analyst

 IT security engineer

 IT security administrator

 Network security analyst

 Penetration tester

Note that sometimes a White Hat hacker also ends up becoming responsible
for not just the digital aspect of Cyber Security but for the hardware end of it
was well. This responsibility potentially means that you would also be
responsible for the integrity of hardware like keypad controls and badge
readers. You may even need to educate fellow employees on Cyber Security
tips relating to the handling, transportation, and storage of their devices such
as laptops, phones, and pads.

Why Do We Need White Hat Hackers?

According to Statista, there were 3.9 billion Internet users in 2018 and 4.3
billion Internet users so far this year. As impressive as that sounds, it’s
eclipsed by predictions that the number of people online will triple from 2015
to 2022, hitting six billion users. As a result, these figures tell us that 90% of
Earth’s population, aged six and older, will be online by 2030.

Furthermore, retail e-commerce sales hit $2.3 trillion and is projected to top
$4.88 trillion by 2021. Also, projections indicate that mobile devices will be
used to conduct almost three-fourths of all e-commerce transactions.

The statistics offer substantial evidence of our world’s continually escalating

reliance on the Internet. Consequently, this rise in online use provides a rich
field of opportunities for cyber-criminals to perpetrate everything from minor
privacy violations to outright larceny and fraud.

The problem is already out there in a big way. Financial losses from
cybercrime are expected to reach $6 trillion every year by 2021, a two-fold
increase from 2015. At the same time, predictions further state that the
number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs will top 3.5 million by 2021, a significant
boost over the one million vacant positions in 2014.
 THE OTHER SIDE OF BEING A WHITE HACKER

White hat hackers have revealed vulnerabilities in cars' navigation and

braking systems, pointed out potential issues with medical devices,
and helped the IRS protect citizens' financial information. It's
important work that often requires the good guys to use the same tools
as the bad guys.

But the government routinely punishes hackers, even those who act
benevolently, because the laws that govern hacking today are written
broadly. It's not hard to imagine a future where no one bothers
lending their services.
The most recent white hat hacker to go down: Marcus Hutchins, the
cybersecurity researcher who stopped the 2017 WannaCry attack that
held digital systems in hospitals and banks hostage until a ransom was
paid.