What does an Ethical Hacking Jobs Mostly Consist of?

Many company fear for the safety and security of the important and highly sensitive data from hackers. So they appoint ethical hackers to safeguard their information. The job of an ethical hacker is to penetrate into a system in order to check the security and protection of the company's IT system.

But now the question arises among the most of the people is "What does an Ethical Hacking Jobs Mostly Consist of?", Those wants to make career in Cyber security field or We can simply say Hacking field. So let's try to find the answer of this question below and don't try to break the article while reading this article otherwise You may miss some important points.

First of all you should understand that ethical hacking does not come as a job post. Today ethical hacking is known as Cyber Security. Cyber Security people have various work according to their involvement in this domain. It totally depends in which domain or on which post your are doing job in the Cyber Security domain.

SECURITY CONSULTANT:

A Security Consultant is the IT equivalent of Obi-Wan – advisor, guide and all-round security guru.

In your role as an expert consultant, you will design and implement the best security solutions for an organization's needs.

Security Consultant Responsibilities:

Each institution will be dealing with unique IT security threats, so your day-to-day tasks can vary greatly. You may be required to:

• Determine the most effective way to protect computers, networks, software, data and information systems against any possible attacks
• Interview staff and heads of departments to determine specific security issues
• Perform vulnerability testing, risk analyses and security assessments
• Research security standards, security systems and authentication protocols
• Prepare cost estimates and identify integration issues for IT project managers
• Plan, research and design robust security architectures for any IT project
• Test security solutions using industry standard analysis criteria
• Deliver technical reports and formal papers on test findings
• Provide technical supervision for (and guidance to) a security team
• Define, implement and maintain corporate security policies
• Respond immediately to security-related incidents and provide a thorough post-event analysis
• Update and upgrade security systems as needed

A lot of these responsibilities will depend on the terms of your consulting contract. For example, some companies may expect a consulting firm to monitor and maintain any security plan that is implemented.

In a large organization, you will typically collaborate with IT Project Managers and/or a Security Manager.

SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR:

A Security Administrator is basically the point man/woman for cyber security systems.

Although job descriptions vary widely, you will likely be responsible for installing, administering and troubleshooting your organization's security solutions.

Security Administrator Responsibilities:

Depending on the scope of your responsibilities, you could be asked to:

• Defend systems against unauthorized access, modification and/or destruction
• Perform vulnerability and networking scanning assessments
• Monitor network traffic for unusual activity
• Configure and support security tools such as firewalls, anti-virus software, patch management systems, etc.
• Implement network security policies, application security, access control and corporate data safeguards
• Analyze and establish security requirements for your networks
• Train fellow employees in security awareness and procedures
• Develop and update business continuity and disaster recovery protocols
• Conduct security audits and make policy recommendations
• Provide technical security advice

If you're working in a small organization, you may find yourself taking on many of the same proactive security tasks as a Security Specialist or Security Analyst. You will typically report to a Security Manager.

SECURITY ENGINEER:

A Security Engineer builds and maintains IT security solutions for an organization.

In this intermediate-level position, you will be developing security for your company's systems/projects and handling any technical problems that arise.

Security Engineer Responsibilities:

On any given day, you may be challenged to:

• Create new ways to solve existing production security issues
• Configure and install firewalls and intrusion detection systems
• Perform vulnerability testing, risk analyses and security assessments
• Develop automation scripts to handle and track incidents
• Investigate intrusion incidents, conduct forensic investigations and mount incident responses
• Collaborate with colleagues on authentication, authorization and encryption solutions
• Evaluate new technologies and processes that enhance security capabilities
• Test security solutions using industry standard analysis criteria
• Deliver technical reports and formal papers on test findings
• Respond to information security issues during each stage of a project's lifecycle
• Supervise changes in software, hardware, facilities, telecommunications and user needs
• Define, implement and maintain corporate security policies
• Analyze and advise on new security technologies and program conformance
• Recommend modifications in legal, technical and regulatory areas that affect IT security

In a large organization, you will typically report to a Security Manager.

SECURITY ARCHITECT:

A Security Architect designs, builds and oversees the implementation of network and computer security for an organization.

As a senior-level employee, you'll be responsible for creating complex security structures – and ensuring they work.

Security Architect Responsibilities:

Since this is a "big-picture" job, you may be required to:

• Acquire a complete understanding of a company's technology and information systems
• Plan, research and design robust security architectures for any IT project
• Perform vulnerability testing, risk analyses and security assessments
• Research security standards, security systems and authentication protocols
• Develop requirements for local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), virtual private networks (VPNs), routers, firewalls, and related network devices
• Design public key infrastructures (PKIs), including use of certification authorities (CAs) and digital signatures
• Prepare cost estimates and identify integration issues
• Review and approve installation of firewall, VPN, routers, IDS scanning technologies and servers
• Test final security structures to ensure they behave as expected
• Provide technical supervision for (and guidance to) a security team
• Define, implement and maintain corporate security policies and procedures
• Oversee security awareness programs and educational efforts
• Respond immediately to security-related incidents and provide a thorough post-event analysis
• Update and upgrade security systems as needed

Throughout this process, you will be directing members of your programming team and reporting your progress to the CISO.

PENETRATION TESTER:

A Penetration Tester (a.k.a. Ethical Hacker) probes for and exploits security vulnerabilities in web-based applications, networks and systems.

In other words, you get paid to legally hack. In this "cool kid" job, you will use a series of penetration tools – some predetermined, some that you design yourself – to simulate real-life cyber attacks. Your ultimate aim is to help an organization improve its security.

Penetration Tester Responsibilities:

Ethical hacking is a mix of sexiness and boring bits. Unlike real-life hackers, you may only have days to compromise systems. What's more, you will be expected to document and explain your methods and findings. Penetration testing has been called one of the most frustrating jobs in the infosec field.

Overall, you are likely to be required to:

• Perform formal penetration tests on web-based applications, networks and computer systems
• Conduct physical security assessments of servers, systems and network devices
• Design and create new penetration tools and tests
• Probe for vulnerabilities in web applications, fat/thin client applications and standard applications
• Pinpoint methods that attackers could use to exploit weaknesses and logic flaws
• Employ social engineering to uncover security holes (e.g. poor user security practices or password policies)
• Incorporate business considerations (e.g. loss of earnings due to downtime, cost of engagement, etc.) into security strategies
• Research, document and discuss security findings with management and IT teams
• Review and define requirements for information security solutions
• Work on improvements for security services, including the continuous enhancement of existing methodology material and supporting assets
• Provide feedback and verification as an organization fixes security issues

During the penetration test, you will typically focus on exploiting vulnerabilities (e.g. making it a goal to break part of a system). But as Daniel Miessler points out in The Difference Between a Vulnerability Assessment and a Penetration Test, you don't have to go all the way to prove your point:

"A penetration testing team may be able to simply take pictures standing next to the open safe, or to show they have full access to a database, etc., without actually taking the complete set of actions that a criminal could."

SECURITY ANALYST:

A Security Analyst detects and prevents cyber threats to an organization.

Every day, you will ferret out the weaknesses of your infrastructure (software, hardware and networks) and find creative ways to protect it.

Security Analyst Responsibilities:

In any given week, you may be required to:

• Plan, implement and upgrade security measures and controls
• Establish plans and protocols to protect digital files and information systems against unauthorized access, modification and/or destruction
• Maintain data and monitor security access
• Perform vulnerability testing, risk analyses and security assessments
• Conduct internal and external security audits
• Anticipate security alerts, incidents and disasters and reduce their likelihood
• Manage network, intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Analyze security breaches to determine their root cause
• Recommend and install appropriate tools and countermeasures
• Define, implement and maintain corporate security policies
• Train fellow employees in security awareness and procedures
• Coordinate security plans with outside vendors

CISO:

A Chief Information Security Officer is the five-star general of an IT security department and its staff.

In this C-level management position, you select, oversee and provide leadership for any initiatives that concern the overall security of an organization. At big companies, you may even find yourself consulting with the FBI, law enforcement and government on corporate security matters.

CISO Responsibilities:

Expect a job with a certain amount of power and creative freedom. But also remember that this power will depend a lot on the organization – some CISOs have little to none.

As the head of IT security, you could be required to:

• Appoint and guide a team of IT security experts
• Create a strategic plan for the deployment of information security technologies and program enhancements
• Supervise development of (and ensure compliance with) corporate security policies, standards and procedures
• Integrate IT systems development with security policies and information protection strategies
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to establish an IT security risk management program
• Audit existing systems and provide comprehensive risk assessments
• Anticipate new security threats and stay-up-to-date with evolving infrastructures
• Monitor security vulnerabilities, threats and events in network and host systems
• Develop strategies to handle security incidents and coordinate investigative activities
• Act as a focal point for IT security investigations and direct a full investigation with recommended courses of action
• Prioritize and allocate security resources correctly and efficiently
• Prepare financial forecasts for security operations and proper maintenance cover for security assets
• Provide leadership, training opportunities and guidance to personnel
• Work with senior management to ensure IT security protection policies are being implemented, reviewed, maintained and governed effectively
• Spearhead education programs focused on user awareness and security compliance

In addition to these efforts, you may be involved in a large variety of non-technical managerial tasks. At the end of the day, the CISO reports on security to the CIO or the CEO.

FORENSICS EXPERT:

A Forensics Expert is a digital detective, harvesting and analyzing evidence from computers, networks and other forms of data storage devices.

In your role as Sherlock Holmes, you will pit your wits against the bad guys, investigating traces of complex cyber crimes. Your quarry may be a white collar embezzler, a cyber terrorist or a malware attacker.

Forensics Expert Responsibilities:

The life of a Forensics Expert is consumed with electronic evidence. During the course of your day, you may be required to:

• Conduct data breach and security incident investigations
• Recover and examine data from computers and electronic storage devices
• Dismantle and rebuild damaged systems to retrieve lost data
• Identify additional systems/networks compromised by cyber attacks
• Compile evidence for legal cases
• Draft technical reports, write declarations and prepare evidence for trial
• Give expert counsel to attorneys about electronic evidence in a case
• Advise law enforcement on the credibility of acquired data
• Provide expert testimony at court proceedings
• Train law enforcement officers on computer evidence procedures
• Keep abreast of emerging technologies, software and methodologies
• Stay proficient in forensic, response and reverse engineering skills

Forensics Experts currently work for large corporations, law enforcement, legal firms and private consulting firms. Global firms have their own computer forensics units.

Surprise, surprise, the government (local, state and federal) is a significant employer. For example, the FBI's Computer Analysis and Response Team (CART) consists of 500 agents throughout the nation.

I hope you will get the answer of "What does an Ethical Hacking Jobs Mostly Consist of?" But If you don't then please do let me know in the comment sections and If I missed some points then Please do share with me in the comment section so that I can update this article with better information's for our new readers as well as old.

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