Why Ethical Hacking?

Hacking has quickly spiraled into an unavoidable and costly problem for almost all small businesses. According to a recent HSB Cyber Study, 90% of businesses experienced hacking incidents over the last year.

The study also found risk managers are worried about the safety and security of IoT devices, and the vulnerabilities exposed with the rise of hyper-connectivity. Only 28% said IoT devices are actually safe for business use, yet 56% of businesses already use them or plan to in the future.

Using a firewall and regularly updating passwords are just the first steps to enhancing security – but they won’t keep hackers from penetrating business systems. Unfortunately, even complicated passwords can be cracked and are often subject to poor security practices, like storing them on a company server or computer that is also susceptible to being hacked. Hackers are also getting more sophisticated, using emerging technology, holding data for ransom and causing catastrophic damage to small businesses and corporations alike.

Big corporations like Google pay ethical hackers upwards of $20,000 to look for bugs and flaws through their “Bug Hunter University,” with a comprehensive breakdown of which bugs yield which rewards and payouts. These ethical hackers are helping prevent catastrophic damage to the corporation and protecting its users by catching vulnerabilities before malicious hackers find them.

Fortunately, small businesses don’t necessarily need to shell out $20,000 to attract their own ethical hackers, and can instead look for professionals ranging from self-taught to tested and certified.