It used to be an internet dream job that was somewhat mythical in nature. Black- or gray-hat hackers would tool around on computer systems finding their inner workings and exploiting them, until one day they either got caught, or got bored trying to break in for fun or profit. Either way, these talented hackers somehow found the marketing gold mine: “We’ll pretend to be the bad guys, because we used to be them, and we’ll break in and tell you where your weak points are so you can secure them.” Once called “tiger teams” or “pentesters,” these white-hat hackers were the stuff I used to dream about as a kid in high school. I wanted to learn all I could about hacking and computer systems so that one day I could be one of these “Certified Ethical Hackers.”
Now I work in IT supporting people at a help desk, but there’s a lot to see in my future, and white-hat hacking no longer seems like an unreachable goal. Especially with companies offering specialized training and degrees in “Ethical Hacking,” just about anyone can learn the skills they need to help companies tighten up their security and defend against cybercriminals and cyberterrorists.
A group called EC-Council offers high-tech training in computer forensics, pentetration testing, disaster recovery, secure programming, ethical hacking, and security fundamentals – all the tools you need to be the hero and save the day! All the classes they offer are online, live, instructor-led, and best of all, you get hands-on experience. You can take day classes, night classes, and train for security certifications in your spare time.
I’m thinking about trying out their one-day free introduction class to their IT Security training system. Hopefully it will be more than just a sales pitch to take the other classes, but it may also just be to give you a feel for what the learning environment will be like, which would be cool. I’ll try it out and let you guys know how it goes.
