Is Ethical Hacking the next big thing in the talent market?

If hackers are the villains in the cyber world, then ethical hackers are the superheroes whose mission is to save people from becoming their victims.

Ethical hackers – commonly known as white hat hackers – help to identify threats and vulnerabilities in IT systems to prevent any potential breaches or attacks by their malicious counterparts. Simply put, they utilise their hacking skills for a good cause by using them to bypass IT systems of organisations to test out their security defences.

Given the increasingly digital world that we are living in, and as more personal and even financial data moves online, we see a rise in the number of cyberattacks. The most recent case being the breach on the Zoom app during home-based learning. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing more employees to work remotely, the risks and consequences of cyberattacks will only become more significant.

In fact, according to CrowdStrike’s Work Security Index survey, cybercriminals are benefitting financially by exploiting people’s uncertainties and relocated workplace environments, attacking victims via stolen data, impersonating the World Health Organization or using lures that align with health guidance, containment and infection-rate news. However, and rather worryingly, 53% of survey participants revealed that their companies had not given them training on the cybersecurity risks associated with remote working, with the figure jumping to 69% for workers in small businesses.

As cyberattacks become more prevalent, sophisticated, and large-scale, there has never been a greater demand for ethical hackers to help prevent them and build a safer cyber world for everyone.

Organisations are starting to place more emphasis and investment on cyber security by hiring more ethical hackers and even organising bounty challenges to identify and develop potential young ethical hackers.

Having said that, there remains a shortage of cyber security talent, which means ethical hackers are highly sought after and receive attractive renumeration which can go as high as $81,000 annually, according to PayScale.

To cater to the demand, Kaplan has offered cyber security courses, such as the globally recognised Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) course, to increase the pool of cyber security professionals in Singapore.

The course is a five-day hands-on programme that prepares you for the EC-Council CEH exam. If you are a Singaporean or PR who would like to explore a career in cyber security, you can claim up to 90%* funding for your nett course and examination fees under the Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme Plus (CITREP+) programme.

The CITREP+ programme is under TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) – an initiative of SkillsFuture, driven by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and in partnership with strategic partners; Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), as well as collaboration with industry partners and hiring employers. TeSA offers various programmes to support professionals to upgrade and acquire new infocomm technology (ICT) skills and domain knowledge that are in demand, and to stay competitive and meet the challenges of a fast-moving digital landscape.

*Terms & conditions apply. Visit http://www.imtalent.sg/citrep for more details on funding categories.

Click here for more information on Kaplan’s Certified Ethical Hacker course.