How Hackers Help Improve Your Cybersecurity

You can't open a news site without reading something about a cyberattack that recently took place. Ironically, it's the hackers themselves who can play a crucial role in strengthening your cyber security! In this blog, we explore how (ethical) hackers, through their skills and insights, contribute to improving our cyber security. And what the difference is between a hacker and a cybercriminal...

What is the difference between a hacker and a cybercriminal?

People often talk about an ''ethical hacker'' or a ''white hat hacker''. These are hackers who use their acquired knowledge and expertise to help companies and organizations improve their digital security. Yet we very often see that the word ''hacker'' carries a negative connotation... We prefer to see it differently! The moment someone uses their knowledge and expertise to scam people or hack companies, we call that person a cybercriminal. In our view, a hacker is a profession, without needing a word like ''ethical'' in front of it. After all, we don't have ''ethical butchers'' either, do we?

How a hacker works

A hacker specializes in penetrating networks, systems, and applications with the aim of identifying vulnerabilities and security gaps. Unlike cybercriminals, who illegally break into systems to cause damage or for personal gain, hackers operate with the permission of the system owner. We often call this a pentest. Their goal is to discover potential security risks before malicious cybercriminals can exploit them.

Hackers use a range of methods and tools to test systems. A pentest often starts with some automated scans, after which the hacker continues manually to try to ''exploit'' vulnerabilities further. They then report their findings to the owners of the systems, along with recommendations for improving security.

This proactive approach helps organizations strengthen their cyber defenses and protects them against potential cyberattacks and security breaches.