The term “hacker” has held a lot of negative weight in the computer science community for decades, but hacking doesn’t have to be malicious. Certified ethical hackers are experienced coders that know how to break systems so they can protect them. If you’re interested in becoming an expert coder, the following reasons may convince you to give hacking a try.
More Job Prospects
Breaking into cybersecurity isn’t easy, and many of the job opportunities hackers will find come with gag orders and risks. Coders may not even be allowed to put these jobs on their resumes because they’ll face legal repercussions. However, if you do get the best CEH training and become a certified ethical hacker, job prospects open up. You’ll become an asset as a security consultant, auditor, vulnerability tester, network security operations, and of course, a hacker.
High Salary
A certified ethical hacker’s average starting salary is a little less than 6-figures at $90,000 a year. With a bit of experience and some relevant skills and certification, you can make nearly $200,000 a year. Most of these highly accredited positions include outstanding benefits like full health coverage, a month’s paid vacation, and more. If you have the option to work from home, you’ll be able to keep a little more freedom while also making a similar or same amount.
Opportunities Are Climbing
Fifteen years ago, hacking was associated with criminals who stole information for profit, but now, hacking, especially when ethically performed, can save large companies millions of dollars. As more colleges offer accreditation, more businesses are taking notice of how valuable this skill set is. Computer science jobs are usually plenty, but certified ethical hacking positions are opening up daily. For the time being, you won’t have an issue finding a job.
Possibility to Work With DoD and NCSC
The US Department of Defence is the single largest employer in Cyber Security, with NCSC being a close second. The DoD in the United States created the DoD Directive 8570 to ensure that all of their workers meet their high standards. NCSC has done something similar. If you come to the interview with accreditation under your belt and you’re willing to learn, you could have a fantastic and exciting job protecting citizens from potential security breaches.
Hand-On Job That’s Constantly Changing
Programmers already know how hands-on their jobs already are, but with the added hacking elements, you’ll spend more time problem-solving to break code rather than ensure it runs. Finding breaches in code can be really exciting because once you’re discovered this breach, you can start to improve and protect. You’ll never have two days the same, and you’ll never need to worry about getting bored. As malicious hacking evolves, so will your ability to fight them.
Performance-Based Jobs Keep You Improving
Performance-based jobs can sometimes scare workers because they feel that one mistake could mean termination, but every job is based on performance when you think about it. In the ethical hacking sense, you will also be judged by how well you can find and correct security breaches. The more you practice the skill, the more you’ll improve, which means better job opportunities in the future. As you grow, you’ll become a hacking superstar.
Strong Global Community
One of the major positives of working as a coder is the fantastic community that comes with it. There are over 70,000 ethical hackers on LinkedIn alone willing to help you find breeches and to improve your code. Placed like r/code on Reddit have helped thousands of computer science majors and working professionals solve perplexing coding puzzles. Once you’re a part of their community, you stay as an integral part of the entire coding family.
Many of them also seek friendship with people like you, so check these communities out
