Ethical hacking is a sought-after skill in the digital landscape, offering an avenue to protect and strengthen the systems against cyber threats. This blog post provides a step-by-step guide on how to become an ethical hacker, meeting the growing demand in businesses around the world for these cybersecurity specialists.

An ethical hacker, often termed as a 'white hat' hacker, operates legally to help organisations identify potential vulnerabilities in their system, strengthening their defences against 'black hat' hackers or malicious intruders. When handled correctly and ethically, hacking can be a powerful tool for transforming cybersecurity for the better.

Understanding Ethical Hacking

Before embarking on the journey to become an ethical hacker, it's important to understand what the term implies. Ethical hackers use their skills to identify and fix security vulnerabilities in an organisation's information system. What sets them apart from malicious hackers is consent - ethical hackers have explicit permission to probe and improve the system's security.

Step One: Start with the Basics

Your journey towards becoming an ethical hacker must start with establishing a strong foundation in computer systems, networks, and programming. Familiarize yourself with various operating systems, especially UNIX / LINUX, as many tools used in hacking and most web servers are based on UNIX.

Step Two: Learn to Code

Knowledge of programming is crucial in becoming an efficient ethical hacker. Start by learning basic scripting languages like PHP and Python before proceeding to more complex ones like Java, C, and C++. The skill to spot vulnerabilities in code and to write scripts to utilise these vulnerabilities is a key tool in your Ethical hacking arsenal.

Step Three: Grasp Networking Concepts

It's critical to have a deep understanding of networking. You should be well-versed with concepts like IP addressing, Network protocols, VPN, Firewall, etc. This understanding will enable you to acknowledge how data is moved around the Internet and intranets, a key element of identifying system vulnerabilities.

Step Four: Hands-On Experience

After acquiring theoretical knowledge, it's time to gain some practical experience. Experiment with your mundane hacking projects on your own system or volunteer this service for institutions that would grant you permission. However, remember to stay ethical and only perform hacks with explicit permission.

Step Five: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Credential

To be recognised formally as an ethical hacker, you would need a professional certification, the most popular one being The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) offered by EC-Council. This certification will not only validate your skills but also give you a comprehensive understanding of the Ethical hacking landscape.

Opportunities in Ethical Hacking

With businesses and individuals placing high value on their data, the demand for ethical hackers is skyrocketing. Most organisations employ or contract ethical hackers for their IDS Penetration testing or Security Audits.

Fields like Information Security, Network Security and System Administration provide vast avenues to apply Ethical hacking skills. Not only does an ethical hacker career offer a wide variety of opportunities, but it's also among the highest paying jobs in IT industry.

In conclusion, Ethical hacking plays a pivotal role in spearheading the frontlines of cybersecurity, and with following the outlined steps, you're on the right track on how to become an ethical hacker. The journey might seem daunting at first, but with perseverance and dedication, you can help build secure digital infrastructures, championing a safer cyberworld.