Knowledge Bank · Cybersecurity
What Is Ethical Hacking?
By Karthick Selvam · Published
Ethical hacking is authorised testing of systems to find security weaknesses before attackers do.
What ethical hackers do
Reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, exploitation attempts and reporting, all within an agreed scope and with written permission.
Types of testing
Network, web application, mobile, cloud, social engineering and red-team exercises.
Legal note
Testing without authorisation is illegal. In India, unauthorised access is an offence under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Why enterprises invest
Regular testing reduces breach risk and supports compliance requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What certifications exist?
Examples include CEH, OSCP and CompTIA PenTest+.
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