In this blog, The TechRobot will cover ethical hacking, and how ethical hacking exams affect AI chatbots like ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini. Regulation and limitation of Ethical Hacking and more. Let us begin.
What is Ethical Hacking?
Ethical hacking or Penetration testing is detecting and correcting security flaws before they may be exploited by hostile hackers. This entails conducting penetration tests to safeguard data and identify potential risks.
Ethical hacking is a legal type of hacking in which organizations hire computer specialists to analyze system security and provide ideas for improvement. It also helps government agencies discover and monitor possible national security concerns.
Ethical hacking certifications
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH): This certification program, which began in 2003, is a globally recognized ethical hacking curriculum. Since then, it has been the preferred option for leading businesses in the healthcare, banking, government, and energy industries.
- Certified ethical hacking exams: Research conducted by the University of Missouri and Amrita University in India discovered that AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini may pass certified ethical hacking exams. The research assessed these technologies using a standard test that measures a professional’s knowledge of attack types, defense tactics, and security breach responses. Both AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini were able to explain sophisticated attack scenarios and offer preventative security measures. This revelation has far-reaching implications for the future of cybersecurity and the role of AI in defending digital infrastructure.
Importance of human expertise in ethical hacking
Malware analysis is critical for organizations when evaluating software solutions since it helps them identify cyber risks and guard against black-hat hackers. However, cyberattacks are becoming more common, with huge organizations and systems being hijacked, such as Uber’s website.
To secure data, firms must take proactive measures and continually update their security.
Ethical hackers, who protect client data, use security procedures to avoid data theft. Seeing cybersecurity through the eyes of a hacker allows you to spot holes in software security and avert difficulties for the firm.
Ethical considerations of AI hacking capabilities
1. Ensure Data Privacy and Protection
To protect sensitive data, ethical hackers must ensure AI tools comply with tight data protection standards, such as GDPR in Europe, which include strong encryption, personal data anonymity, and asking for consent when appropriate, as AI analysis frequently includes large volumes of sensitive data.
2. Transparency in decision-making processes.
AI and automation systems’ decision-making processes can be opaque, raising questions about accountability and justice. To earn stakeholder confidence and sustain ethical hacking integrity, ethical hackers should aim for openness during vulnerability assessment and recommending solutions, as well as provide clear explanations of reasons and criteria.
Ethical hacking tools
1. Invicti
Invicti is a web app safety scanner and hacking tool that detects SQL injection, XSS, and vulnerabilities in online applications or services automatically. It is generally provided via a SAAS solution.
The Invicti Security tool discovers dead-on vulnerabilities with Proof-Based Scanning Technology, requires little configuration, and can scan up to 1,000 web apps in 24 hours.
It also has URL rewriting rules and bespoke 404 error pages, and it communicates with SDLC and issue tracking systems via a REST API. The price ranges from $4,500 to $26,600.
2. Fortify WebInspect
Fortify WebInspect is a hacking tool that delivers complete dynamic analysis security to complicated online applications and services. It evaluates the dynamic behavior of running online applications, discovering security flaws, and offering centralized program management, vulnerability trending, compliance management, and risk oversight. The device costs around $29,494.00 and includes Tran security and virus protection from HP.
3. Cain & Abel
Cain & Abel is a password recovery application for the Microsoft operating system. It can recover MS Access passwords and break encrypted passwords using dictionary, brute-force, and cryptanalysis techniques. It is free and open source, allowing users to decipher password fields and crack encrypted passwords.
4. Nmap (Network Mapper)
Nmap is a strong hacking software used for port scanning, which is an important step in ethical hacking. It began as a command-line utility and was designed for Linux or Unix computers. The Windows version of Nmap is now available. It is a network security mapper that identifies services and hosts and generates a network map. Nmap is script expandable, allowing for enhanced vulnerability detection while adjusting to network circumstances like congestion and latency.
5. Nessus
Nessus, a well-known ethical hacking tool, is a free non-enterprise tool created by Tenable Network Security. It effectively discovers major problems on any system, such as unpatched services, misconfigured passwords, default and common weak passwords, and numerous system vulnerabilities, making it an excellent choice for non-enterprise applications.
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Is AI a threat?
Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard have demonstrated their ability to pass ethical hacking exams, making them valuable tools in cybersecurity. These chatbots mimic malicious hacking strategies, helping to identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
AI tools like HackerGPT are redefining ethical hacking by delivering real-time reactions and diverse strategies, allowing for efficient system and data protection.
Limitations of AI in cybersecurity
1. The absence of Contextual Awareness
AI lacks the contextual understanding of human security workers, who can examine information in light of an organization’s activities and regulations. AI may identify an activity as suspicious, even if it is a routine component of the organization’s activities.
2. Adversarial attacks.
Adversarial attacks can undermine AI systems by altering data, training algorithms to detect malevolent behavior, or exploiting AI model flaws.
3. Complexity and Little Transparency.
AI systems’ complexity, particularly deep learning algorithms, can impede security personnel’s comprehension and vulnerability discovery, while a lack of transparency in decision-making processes makes audits difficult.
Regulations for AI in cybersecurity
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has taken aggressive moves to regulate AI’s involvement in cybersecurity. In April 2023, they proposed:
- Standardizing AI-related cybersecurity language.
- Providing technical guidelines for extending existing software cybersecurity standards to AI.
- Evaluating Machine Learning’s fundamental features in AI, with an emphasis on risk avoidance.
- Encouraging collaboration across standard-setting bodies in AI and cybersecurity to solve future difficulties together.
Conclusion
Finally, The TechRobot has given comprehensive information regarding why ethical hacking is a crucial practice for identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities and preventing them from being exploited by malicious actors. The role of ethical hackers, complemented by AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, is evolving rapidly. These AI systems have shown the ability to pass certified ethical hacking exams, underscoring their potential in cybersecurity. However, the limitations of AI, such as lack of contextual awareness and vulnerability to adversarial attacks, highlight the indispensable need for human expertise. As regulations continue to develop, the collaboration between human ethical hackers and AI for good, powerful cybersecurity.
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