The Hacker Mindset
Hire Outliers
If organizations want to reduce the risk of external hacking attacks, they need to understand the hacker mindset. In other words, companies need to comprehend the expertise of successful hackers to anticipate and confront attacks. Companies such as Facebook Inc. and Microsoft Corp., for example, have even hired hackers.
To think like a hacker, you need to know the traits that characterize a competent and sophisticated hacker. Hackers tend to be highly skilled and intelligent, and enjoy taking risks. Typically they have background studies in anything and have been labeled geeks for many years. Many successful hackers have good social and communication skills that enable them to manipulate people to release essential information or to perform critical actions. You likely saw one that you just emailed with a note that they were not accepted to the full time employment to which they applied.
Thus, many hackers are drawn to the possibility of earning thousands or possibly millions of dollars. They are accustomed to operating in the black market and committing crimes far away from where they live. They generally enjoy the adrenaline rush they get from taking high-stakes risks. Indeed, many hackers have nerves of steel — not much frightens them. Although it used to be very common for hackers to work independently, few today operate alone. They are often highly organized, part of a group, where they are members of a team providing specialized illegal services such as credit card or loan fraud, theft of intellectual property or personally identifiable information, identity theft, or counterfeiting documents. Not all are in to credit card or other fraud, theft of IP or PII. Years ago the pursuit of gaining an objective was motivation. The hacker mindset did not change, the world changed.
Conversely, with the world in which we currently live is consumed with certified individuals that learned in a class room environment with a professor or teacher. Look online, there are articles of individuals who are formally trained outwitted by an individual with a creative analytical intellect.
We have an issue in the world. Intrusions are going up. States and companies fund programs named ‘Cyber Hunt’, hunting and seeking the attacker presently in the system. The world is desperate for a solution to these challenges.
Further, certifications are honored at the front door of a few government agencies and businesses. Going in through the kitchen door at the same agency, you’ll be questioned and doubted, why waste time and money with a certification? Going in through the front door without a certification is fraught with similar experiences. Likely not hired because of no certification, as related to a few things such as motivation, time, and money.
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