You might have heard that there is no need for ethical hackers to know programming. While it may not be necessary, ethical hackers should still learn programming in order to better-placed to grow and prosper in their career.
Why is programming important?
The job of an ethical hacker is not merely to report all the problems and vulnerabilities in a digital system. There also has to be a focus on how the vulnerabilities that have been found can be removed. Furthermore, ethical hackers sometimes also work with developers to create a new digital system free of any vulnerabilities.
To perform all these jobs, an ethical hacker needs to know how to program. There are always times when an SQL command has to be inserted somewhere or a line of HTML code has to be written. It is at these small moments that an ethical hacker must be able to put his/her programming skills to use.
However, there is another problem students must face up against. Which programming language should they learn? There are many languages an ethical hacker can learn, but which of them are most crucial to cybersecurity?
In this article, we discuss some of the key programming languages every ethical hacker should learn.
Python
Python is very popular amongst ethical hackers because of its simplicity and dynamic nature. It promises a wide array of possibilities despite being as simple and intuitive as it is. In modern-day, there is no other programming language that can help someone more as much as Python can due to its increased application in different industries.
Python is most commonly used in hacking to break into web servers and write automation scipts. Since it is very easy to read and grasp compared to other languages, Python is an ideal language for a beginner in programming and ethical hacking to learn.
C
C is the most popular programming language in the world. It might be old, but it still holds immense importance is the development of modern web and software applications. Its successor, C++, is even more popular. If one knows C, then learning C++ is not really a big deal.
In ethical hacking, C is generally used by hackers to gain access to hardware such as RAM. Penetration testers also find great use for C when they’re writing programming scripts for sockets.
SQL
Structured query language (SQL) is fairly popular amongst companies that use it to access data from databases. That is primarily the main function of SQL, to fetch data from databases.
When hacking into the database of a big MNC or corporate company, hackers tend to use SQL to gain access to data on command. Thus, it becomes vital for ethical hackers to know SQL in order to test a cyber system against malicious SQL hacks.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, this article covers three programming languages an ethical hacker must absolutely know in order to become good at his job.
There are many students looking to start a career in cybersecurity. If you’re one of them and want to learn, consider taking a demo at my ethical hacking course in Delhi. Our course is designed to work for students, professionals, and entrepreneurs from all walks of life.
About Author
Shreya Nair is a cyber-security instructor and blogger at Delhi Courses Academy. She writes extensively about ethical hacking tools, online safety, and data protection. Through her involvement in the Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking Course in Delhi, Shreya aims to inspire more young professionals to pursue ethical hacking as a career.
