Hacking and penetration testing are sometimes thought of as the same thing, but there’s actually a bit of nuance between the two terms.
You might be thinking that hacking and making money don’t go together, but in the real world, this isn’t always the case.
Just as there are people who hack for fun and not to steal, there are also ethical hackers who break into computer systems to find and fix security holes, receiving payment from the company that hired them for their services.
This guide will show you how to get started on your path to becoming an ethical hacker, how to make money as one, and how you can transition out of ethical hacking if it doesn’t fit your needs or interests anymore.
3 Steps for Getting Started
1.Pick your bug bounty platform.
There are a lot of companies out there and it can be difficult deciding which one is right for you,
But start by looking at which bugs have been discovered by previous hackers on that platform and what kind of payouts they've received.
2.Work on your list of high-value bugs.
Once you've signed up for a bounty platform, you should have access to their database of bugs.
Try and work on one or two bugs every day, targeting higher payouts for bigger issues that have yet to be discovered.
It might take time, but if you can find an issue before anyone else does, it's worth it!
3.Engage with the community.
As you learn more about bug bounty, your skills will improve.
At some point you may want to consider moving up in pay grade, which will involve interacting more with other white hat hackers on social media sites like Twitter and Reddit or forums like BugCrowd.
The more they get to know you, and vice versa, the easier it'll be for both of you if someone else finds a bug before you do!
Get Certified
Hackers have different skill sets, so what might work for one hacker may not work for the next.
There are three common avenues of certification- testing, training, and hacking. The most common is to get certified through a vendor such as EC-Council by taking their tests.
This will show prospective employers that you have some knowledge and skill in this area.
Build Skills and Experience
Learn hacking and programming languages, such as HTML, JavaScript, PHP, Python, and Ruby.
Explore platforms like Coursera for beginner tutorials in web programming or Treehouse for interactive coding lessons. Work with an experienced developer on your project so you can practice the skills you learned.
Start by taking small projects on Upwork in order to get paid and practice your skills. You should work on a variety of different projects at first.
Remember that quality is always more important than quantity when it comes to building experience and skill sets.
Start Building Your Reputation Online and Offline
Even if you never plan on hacking anything in your life, there are many benefits to starting your reputation online early.
It's a great way to build your expertise and put yourself out there so that when the time comes for you or someone you know needs some work done, they might think of you.
Plus, with more and more jobs being done remotely, it can be helpful to have an online presence no matter what kind of job you're looking for.
Resources
There are many ways for white hat hackers to make money legally. First, one can build an app and sell it through the Google Play store.
Second, you can do security consulting work by telling companies how they are at risk of being hacked.
Third, teach classes in cybersecurity or offer them over the internet. Fourth, find clients that need help with social engineering-based attacks.
Finally, specialize in finding vulnerabilities in certain apps and charge a high price for fixing them on request.