Understanding the Mindset and Motivation of Ethical Hackers
Ethical hacking has become increasingly important to ensure cybersecurity, with the ethical hacking community growing significantly. To work with ethical hackers, or even become one yourself, it’s essential to understand what drives this type of cyber-professional.
Many become ethical hackers to take advantage of bug bounty programs, earning up to $1000 per month. Money serves as an important motivator, but not the only one, with most ethical hackers spending 10 to 40 hours a week on the task. More important are the opportunities to continually learn and build technical skills and also to be part of a supportive community.
Sebastian Neef (alias Gehaxelt) is a good example. When the German 17-year-old decided to become an ethical hacker back in 2011, he was attracted by the curiosity of testing administrators’ security measures and alerts.
Many ethical hackers are drawn to hacking because of an aptitude for technology and problem-solving. Communities of ethical hackers form and are focused on both tips and respect. They can be competitive, with leaderboards, as well as cooperative, with Slack channels of 30 people working together to uncover vulnerabilities.
Beyond the money, rewards and sense of achievement, ethical hackers are motivated by a sense of autonomy and the will to do the right thing. They use their skills and knowledge to make sure everyday technology is secure and free from dangerous vulnerabilities. This gives ethical hackers a sense of pride and recognition in the community, as well as extended benefits such as Tuesday meetups and capture-the-flag competitions.
Ultimately, ethical hackers do what they do not only to make money but also to ensure the safety of the technology that they – and those around them – use daily.
About Join
Join is an organization that provides AI-integrated solutions to help top-level businesses increase efficiencies and optimize expenses. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Join has been enabling Fortune 500 companies to make smarter investments for success with its machine learning and data-driven applications for over ten years.
Join is holding a two-day summit in San Francisco on July 11-12, 2021, to help top executives understand how to best leverage artificial intelligence investments. The Summit will feature well-known and influential names from the AI and enterprise technology sectors, including experts in ethics and optimization techniques. Attendees will be able to learn from experienced speakers, take part in work-shops and training, and collaborate with peers.
