We are in the Global Digital Industrial Economic Age, where information is considered to be a strategic resource. Therefore, every nation is destined to establish cyber armies comprises of white hat hackers, equipped with the ability to collect information on cyber strategic advantage and launch cyberattacks, if required. The team of cyber professionals focuses on defending and protecting practices to ensure cyber peace in the world.
Larger countries are preparing for cyberattacks
Many cities in the U.S. are struggling to protect their digital infrastructure regularly. Baltimore’s case is an excellent example of a cyberattack on the government’s assets. The National Security Agency discovered that a hacking vulnerability known as EternalBlue was exploiting Baltimore’s local government. Cybercriminals initiated the attack by taking advantage of outdated software. The extortionists exploited the security mechanism of the software to freeze thousands of computers along with their communication functions, damaging municipal operations. Vulnerabilities of this sort are real threats to the nation’s cyberspace.
The lack of defined international policies against cyber warfare is encouraging nation-wide cyber-wars into a grey area. Many cyberattacks have been executed below the threshold of total war. The countries like the U.S., Iran, Russia, and China are posing serious risks to their national security along with threats to critical infrastructure like transportation, electricity, food delivery, etc. When the essentials like electricity and water start posing a threat, the white hat army of the nation is questioned. Even tampering with the electoral process of a nation would shatter the economic progress of the country for a longer time.
The Pew research revealed that Israelis and Russians are more confident about their cyber defense strategies. Whereas, the majority of U.S. citizens are not satisfied with their defensive strategy. The U.S. has been a victim of more than 100 significant cyberattacks since 2016 he citizens believed that the nation is prepared than unprepared for a major cyberattack (53% vs. 43%)
U.S. government’s initiative for white hat hackers
The government of the U.S. is in constant pressure to implement a sustainable cybersecurity strategy in-line with national security objectives. The strategy should identify primary threat actors and the reasons for the susceptibility of critical infrastructure to attacks.
Russia’s cyberattacks would represent a critical threat to the U.S. digital infrastructure. After constant data-destruction attacks by Russia on Ukraine’s infrastructure and attack on the U.S. state board of elections, the U.S. should be prepared for cyber espionage and influence operations.
The U.S. Department of Defense has recognized EC-Council certification, Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH), in various cybersecurity job roles. The DoD has approved C|EH as a baseline certification for U.S. cyber defenders. The updated Certified Ethical Hacker program is a recognized certification for the DoD’s computer network defense service providers (CND-SP’s). The CND-SP protect, detect, analyze, and respond to malicious activity within DoD information systems and computer networks. Military service members, contractors, and international employees must show their full compliance with the directive.
Among the different cybersecurity certifications, Certified Ethical Hacker credential is recognized by the DoD Directive 8570 Information Assurance Workforce Improvement program. Directive 8570 gives guidance to information assurance training, certification, and staff management wherever the DoD component applies. It shows the concentrated effort of DoD on increasing training of the U.S. military workforce in the Computer Network Defense Service Provider category.
How to become a white hat hacker?
Attain the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) credential by EC-Council. The ethical hacking course is ANSI accredited and is compliant with the NICE Framework. It is used as a hiring credential in ethical hacking by many Fortune 500 organizations, and government agencies. The training is focused on the latest hacking methodologies covering various domains, including artificial intelligence. Cybersecurity as a profession is evolving, and the latest C|EH version helps the ethical hackers to move ahead with the recent updates. EC-Council conducts online training and exam to provide the opportunity to aspiring cybersecurity enthusiasts from different parts of the world in acquiring industry-recognized cybersecurity certifications.