As private businesses and government agencies began using the digital highway for information dissemination, valuable data systems are becoming easier targets. Every day, hundreds of computer systems in the United States are under a hack attack. Even the White House’s own system was not spared from the incidents.

1. Ethical Hacking and the
Information Security Industry
Tanner Company LLC
36 S. State Street, Suite 6
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 532-7444

2. As private businesses and government agencies began using the digital highway for
information dissemination, valuable data systems are becoming easier targets. Every day,
hundreds of computer systems in the United States are under a hack attack. Even the
White House’s own system was not spared from the incidents.
Despite the presence of security watchdogs, the perpetrators remain at large. As such, the
need to safeguard information continues to grow. Training programs for ethical hackers
and information security services are in demand in many parts of the world, especially in
the United States. The following are recent statistics on the information security industry
and ethical hacking.
Information Security Industry in the United States
The frequency of cyber-
attacks and data breaches in
private companies is
alarming. On December
2015, a software company’s
survey shows that 97% of US
businesses experienced
malware attacks, as well as
Trojans, viruses, and worms.
Almost 60% were victims of
phishing and social
engineering.
The hacking methods have become more sophisticated, and more than 70% reported cyber-
attacks via botnets and malicious insiders, as well as embedded codes. Because of this,
countermeasures need to keep up with these advancements, and the information security
service industry sees a continuing rise in demand.

3. As of December 2015, the industry has around 70,000 employees in more than 1,000 IT
security companies in the United States. Research projects an 18% growth rate in
employment for data security analysts over the next eight years. Already a multi-billion
dollar industry, information security services are looking at a 14% annual growth rate,
which means it will double in profit within a few years’ time.
For those working in the industry, the figures are looking up. But, as they do, cyber-attacks
are also increasing at an alarming rate. For several companies, hiring their own insider
gives them more assurance that their systems are safe. As such, they employ ethical
hackers.
Ethical Hackers
Ethical hackers penetrate networks on purpose to see possible vulnerabilities to external
cyber-attacks. By doing so, they enable companies to troubleshoot and issue patches and
fixes to address hacks ahead of time.
To become an ethical
hacker, one needs to be
updated with the latest
hacking methods. This lets
them test the systems more
efficiently and provide
recommendations to
mitigate vulnerabilities. In
addition, they also need
these three certifications:
 Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
 GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) Penetration Tester (GPEN)
 Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

4. RESOURCES:
 http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/it-security-consulting.html
 http://tannerco.com/
 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-
security-analysts.htm
They ensure the person’s credibility as a worker in the field of IT security.
Information security is important to any company. As cyber attacks become more
prevalent, the security methods have to be more sophisticated to prevent them from
happening in the future. Those who work in the industry also need to have more knowledge
and experience to practice what the job calls for: safeguarding data.