Thinking like a hacker to protect your network.

Thinking like a Hacker to Protect Yourself
Name:
Institution:

Thinking like a Hacker
Introduction
Information technology has had a massive influence on business performance through sharing of data, which is significant for the performance of any business. Moreover, regarding abundant computing as well as exchange and flow of data, it is vital to secure and safeguard critical information. Data security includes applying various methods and mechanisms to protect connected and more significantly, the data utilized by such systems. For an individual or an organization to think like a hacker and secure a network, it is essential to have a detailed knowledge of methods as well as tools hackers utilize to attack company networks.
Keeping a network safe
Hackers do identify security flaws in networks, and this should be the initial step in ethical hacking, which is the type a business utilize on learning the ways to improve electronic and system hacking to advance security (Jagnarine, 2005). One should learn to be passionate, sleep deprived, and obsessive to identify cracks in the virtual world to discover what the hackers on the other side do. Moreover, such should be done by installation of the recommended software and procedures that will detect any malicious activities.
Learning the skills used by the Black Hat hackers is necessary for the field because an individual or a business will know what the hackers are up to as well as the mechanisms they use in their activities. The main aim is to counter the malicious hackers and; hence, knowing the tools or devices they use is of great significance in thwarting their hacking processes in the company’s network (Jagnarine, 2005).

Moreover, for a successful defense, weaknesses of the malicious workers and the ways to fix or counter such activities before they break in are essential.
When an organization learns the skills and tools that are used by the non-malicious hackers, commonly referred to as White Hat is crucial since they are the ones used to counter the effects of the Black Hat hackers (Rao, Rai, & Narain, 2017). Therefore, a company protecting its networks ought to have experts with necessary software and programs that compete with the latter in their malicious activities. It is a safety measure that will crack the processes aimed to gain information from the network and counter them using the safeguards needed to evade the leaking of information to the unauthorized persons that have the contrary objectives (Esteves, Ramalho & De Haro, 2017).
Black hat and white hat hacker
Hacking applies to both the white hat and black hat hacking activities of modifying computer software as well as hardware to achieve objectives, which is external to the developer’s initial aim. Therefore, both are similar since they act similarly.
However, the two contrasts in the black hat’s motives are mainly for individual or economic advantages, cyber spying, and other activities that can result in the adventure of cybercrime. For example, Kevin Poulsen hacked telephone lines and secured himself to winning a Porsche 944 in the 1980’s. On the other hand, white hat hackers are determined to utilize their IT knowledge for good. For instance, Karsten Nohl exposed susceptibilities in the world’s popular smartcard.
According to 2016 statistics regarding system hackings in the US, it shows that 40% of the businesses were breached resulting in 312 of them. Moreover, the healthcare data hackings were 35.4% representing 276 breaches. Military targets were 8.1% concerning the cybercrimes while hacking in educational organizations was 7.4%. The information provided shows that hacking is on the rise and adding the breaches means that the white hackers are very much needed in all sectors at the rate of 50% and more to counter the activities of the black hat (Esteves, Ramalho & De Haro, 2017).
The pros of the black hat are that the organizations are made aware of the Information breaches that are there and; hence, various agencies should be keen on employing the white hat operations to protect data. However, black hats have also hindered the activities of multiple organizations in their actions because of obstructing the required data. Regarding, the white hack, they are essential in protecting organization data and the information gives them the challenge to incorporate advanced methods to thwart the activities of the black hats (Bellovin, 2015).
Home network vs. workplace network
Computer networks are significant both in homes and in workplaces for file sharing which is achieved through networking of computational devices helping the users to share information. Moreover, hardware sharing concerning devices such as scanners, printers, and others is useful (Bellovin, 2015).
Protecting a home network needs an individual to have the mechanisms in place to ensure the safe use of internet securely. Therefore, a person has to have a secure wireless router, protect the network with various tools such using current security software, and preserving all devices that connect to the Internet. Plug and scan for external accessories are essential in the process as well as backing up all the critical information (Rao, Rai, & Narain, 2017).
Various measures can be taken to protect the workplace safe from hackers, and this includes being aware of where significant workers and company information and persons authorized to access them. Moreover, an organization should state proper utilization the business information and assets. Therefore, procedures regarding the same should be outlined and consistently enforced (Esteves, Ramalho & De Haro, 2017). Ensuring that the business has internal accident prevention plan such as the employment of the white hackers and installation latest programs and software to crack hacking attempts is vital in prevention corporate information loss. Backing up information concerning the same is also essential for future retrieval of the hacked and lost data.
Improving in network system safety means employing the latest methods of hindering the unauthorized use of the network by outsiders, and this means the most recent Information Technology ought to be employed in the process. Moreover, the use of white hackers and their advances tools as well as tracking the activities of the black hats are required. Employees should also have proper training on the way to handle data and avoid sharing with strangers through various platforms such as emails and other social media websites (Marsh, 2017).
Hacking to come
Although many steps have been developed to prevent hacking as well as the development of some new methods of breaching data by the black hat hackers, some of the trends expected in the future are explained. Various myths and stigmas regarding the issues are coming to an end in the future because most of the people and organization are now aware of the real meaning and two sides of hacking and; hence, people are accepting what the truth is. Moreover, many people are becoming aware of the hacking involves and are now capable of taking the correct measures to prevent black hat hacking and improving on investing on white hacks to secure their networks and essential information (Marsh, 2017). However, many organizations and individuals connect with information networks have built various ways to escape from the traps of hackers, by ensuring that their systems are secured using firewalls, using multiple malware safeguards as well as getting the white hat hackers to crack the activities of the black ones.
Statistics of real hacks in 2017
Year 2017 No. of Cyber Attacks Most affected instances
January 89 The Big Asian Leak
February 76 FunPlus
March 64 Dun & Bradstreet
April 85 R2Games
May 67 WannaCry Ransomware
June 64 8Track
July 69 Reliance Jio
August 90 Misconfigured Spambot
September 41 Equifax
Conclusion
In summary, cyber-attacks or hackings result from a mistake somewhere in an organizational IT network. Businesses both small and large are hacked because of susceptibilities in their networking and computer systems that are recognized and abused by hackers. Companies are required to follow some practices that are described in the paper to safeguard themselves as well as their customers’ data. Therefore, it is advisable that they should give priority and time to rebuff the hackings as well as neutralizing the threats facing the regularly evolving world concerning the IT sector, where data is significant and very sensitive. Hence, through constant efforts, companies will be able to thwart the challenges posed by hackers invading their networks.

References
Bellovin, S. M. (2015). Thinking Security: Stopping Next Year’s Hackers. Addison-Wesley Professional.
Esteves, J., Ramalho, E., & De Haro, G. (2017). To Improve Cybersecurity, Think Like a Hacker. MIT Sloan Management Review, 58(3), 71.
Jagnarine, A. A. (2005). The Role of White Hat Hackers in Information Security.
Marsh, D. (2017). Are Ethical Hackers the Best Solution for Combating the Growing World of Cyber-Crime? (Doctoral dissertation, University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University).
Rao, J. D. P., Rai, M. S., & Narain, B. (2017). A study of Network Attacks and Features of Secure Protocols. Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 8(1), 04-08.