Seeking help: The important role of ethical hackers

From Anonymous and LulzSec, through lone individuals to organised cybercrime gangs, hackers are a constant presence in the thoughts of anyone involved in IT security. One way to prevent outsiders from successfully hacking your system is to beat them to the punch - by carrying out penetration testing to find and address vulnerabilities. One way to prevent outsiders from successfully hacking your system is to beat them to the punch - by carrying out penetration testing to find and address vulnerabilities. Small and Medium-size Businesses (SMBs) often feel themselves immune from the threats faced by larger organisations, but they have as much to gain from pen-testing as anyone else. James Conrad, an ethical hacker, looks at how pen-testers can help ensure that organisations of every type can improve their defences against cyber-attack. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.