Why ethical hacking is the top job of 2017

61 percent of UK businesses believe they will suffer from cyber crime in 2017, according to new research from Mimecast. These anxieties are justified: two thirds of large UK businesses were targeted by cyber criminals last year.

As the threat posed by cyber crime increases, businesses now invest more than ever in training, technology and skills — global cyber spending is predicted to reach $1 trillion by 2021.

Ethical hackers (or penetration testers) are highly-sought after by businesses and the role is increasingly attractive to IT professionals, or those looking for a career move. Here’s why ethical hacking is the top job of 2017.

Businesses need ethical hackers more than ever

Experts have long warned of the threat from increasingly complex cyber crime, and with good reason: the global cost of hacks, breaches and DDoS attacks will reach $6 trillion annually by 2021.

Businesses need professionals that can prevent devastating cyber security breaches. Organizations serious about security now hire ethical hackers to probe their networks, systems and applications.

Ethical hackers conduct penetration tests — controlled hacks — on organizations to find vulnerabilities. But unlike malicious ‘black hat’ hackers, these security experts provide the insight needed to fix flaws, before they can be exploited. Businesses that hire ethical hackers get unique insights from an intruder’s perspective.

Cyber criminals regularly take advantage of backdoors in an organization‘s infrastructure or network. These backdoors can exist perpetually and it only takes one hacker to discover them and compromise your business.

Without harmless penetration tests, security holes will remain unseen, leaving an organization in a position that a hacker could exploit.

Ethical hacking knowledge isn’t an added luxury for global corporations, SMEs demand these skills too; 43 percent of cyber attacks actually target small businesses, according to Symantec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report.

The work done by ethical hackers actively prevents cyber criminals from taking advantage of businesses. At a time when the incidence and damage caused by lackluster security is greater than ever, there will be no shortage of work for professionals with these skills.

As the global cyber security skills deficit reaches 1.5 million professionals, those with ethical hacking skills are a valuable commodity.

Cyber security now sits at the top of the C-suite agenda, resulting in a surging demand for IT security professionals, like ethical hackers and penetration testers.

“The market for IT security professionals is poised for another strong year,” notes CompTIA Senior Vice President Tim Herbert.