{"id":3178,"date":"2025-10-06T16:08:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T14:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecnologia.euroinnova.com\/que-es-el-hacking-etico-y-como-se-implementa-en-las-empresas\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T11:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T09:04:36","slug":"ethical-hacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecnologia.euroinnova.com\/en\/hacking-etico","title":{"rendered":"What is ethical hacking and how is it implemented in companies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may sound contradictory, but companies hire professional hackers whose job it is to test the company\u2019s IT security using ethical hacking techniques.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ethical hacking is a an authorised procedure used to diagnose vulnerabilities<\/a> in a computer application or system<\/strong> within a company. It involves circumventing a system\u2019s security measures in order to identify any potential security breaches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ethical hackers, therefore, spend their time scanning network systems to find their Achilles\u2019 heel \u2013 that is, any vulnerability that cybercriminals could exploit to attack the system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stages of ethical hacking<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whilst every company and cybersecurity team follows specific steps to implement ethical hacking techniques, Euroinnova outlines the most common procedure:<\/span><\/p>\n

Acknowledgement<\/span><\/h3>\n

This is a preparatory phase during which the ethical hacker must attempt to gather as much information (passwords, employees\u2019 personal details, financial indicators, etc.) as possible<\/strong> on their own before carrying out a simulated cyberattack. Some software tools that can be used at this stage include HTTPTrack and Maltego.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scanning<\/span><\/h3>\n

Once all the relevant data required for a cyberattack has been gathered, the entire system is scanned in search of any vulnerabilities or points of entry<\/strong> possible for a cyber threat. At this stage, network mapping tools, port scanners, sweepers and other tools are used to carry out a thorough scan of the entire system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Access<\/span><\/h3>\n

What happens next is that the hacker make use of all the means at its disposal<\/strong> (tools, detected vulnerabilities, credentials, etc.) to gain unauthorised access to the system. The aim is to exploit all the vulnerabilities found by infiltrating viruses into the system, stealing confidential information, circumventing access permissions, blackmailing staff, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

At this stage, deceptive emails are also sent to the company\u2019s employees to see if any of them take the bait.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maintain access<\/span><\/h3>\n

An ethical hacker must not only be able to break into a system, but must also be able to to maintain that unauthorised access for a sufficient period of time<\/strong> to carry out their cyberattack in its entirety without users realising. The hacker continuously attacks the system with DDoS attacks or by taking control of the entire database. They also continue to steal the company\u2019s credentials and data using Trojans or backdoors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Disproving the offence<\/span><\/h3>\n

Obviously, after committing a crime, criminals try to cover their tracks. That is why hackers have always had to put the necessary measures in place to ensure that their identity and IP address remained hidden from the start to the end of the attack<\/strong>. To conceal their criminal activity, an ethical hacker may edit, corrupt or delete any values or files created in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ethical hacking techniques<\/span><\/h2>\n

We have already mentioned some of the techniques used by ethical hackers in their day-to-day work. Among the most common are the following:<\/span><\/p>\n