All Computers Are Broken

Between the dependency on critical infrastructure, the rise of connected devices, and all the talk of increased cyber attacks, everyone has an interest in cyber security. It’s a rare day where there isn’t some big “hack” that’s cost companies millions in losses, someone’s identity has been stolen, or some indecent exposure has taken place online. This isn’t about weak passwords, out of date software, another intrusion detection system, anti virus, or firewall. Automate and introduce managed services that all you want, but at the end of the day, we absolutely need more cyber skill. The most obvious reason? — All computers are broken. Inherently computers are susceptible to an increasing number of threats, advances in attacking has made cybercrime easier to perform and harder to defend against.

Every system can be hacked. There is not a company, network or software which cannot be compromised in some way. It’s time for us to embrace the problem solving abilities of hacking and accept it as part of the solution. Knowing how your adversary works and attacks allows for better targeting of resources, models like the cyber kill chain have helped paved the way for companies to better understand their risks. Yesterday it was mobile devices and apps, today its cryptojacking threats and ransomware. To keep ahead of the threats we need to understand the adversary and the tools they use.

We have heard it all from government, big corporate, and small business — everyone has something to say about how to stay secure. And yet, cyber threats continue to escalate. There seems to be more and more breaches on a daily basis.

Why do we continue to listen to the same rhetoric and fear mongering?

Isn’t it time we heard from the hackers?

Our team has consistently breached security of devices, from the latest “ransomware proof” computers to “security appliances” meant to prevent advanced attacks. Exploit developers and purveyors of the art of hacking, our team embodies the hacker spirit to show you what your adversary already knows.

One of the biggest reasons companies are failing at security is because they don’t have the right skills on the team. Even if they hire an outside consultant, there is still no guarantee that the missing “patches” pointed out are now secure and that the company is indeed, protected from further attack. The cyber consultancy model is flawed. Companies can’t afford to keep up with the “ask” for security budget if there is no one on the team who can think as an attacker would.

The result is a shift in industry.

Hackers are now essential.

Companies invest in hackers on their team rather then to “wait” to be made a target. These cyber skills are invaluable to the business because it better prepares companies to handle more of their own internal breaches with a better incident response management. Having an on-site resource who can make sense of cyber security requirements and knowledge of the tools used can be invaluable to a company as an asset.

Hacker House™ has developed a Hands on Hacking course to give companies those real world simulations of what happens with their systems are attacked. It is designed to teach skills used by ethical hackers to conduct a variety of assessment activities. Hands on Hacking™ allows companies to quickly train and scale their security teams. Rather then pay for expensive theory based content and out of date information- companies are looking for real hackers to train their teams to respond to attacks. “Consulting” is not enough; companies want the “real deal;” hacking required.

The Hands on Hacking course is made up of modules where students are presented a topic and are taught how to launch an attack upon completion of each lesson. The course can be taken in a class-room environment, live online or our on-demand portal. Once the course is completed, students retain access to all lab work: a virtual hacking lab set up for a live 365 environment to hone their skills and better prepare defences for attacks.

Hacker House teaches the core concepts used in many cyber security related job roles from intelligence analysts to penetration testing. More and more companies are turning to the Hacker House Hands on Hacking™ course to deliver up to date content, with real world threats, to train teams in classroom, or remote from their laptops. For our remote and global network, we have introduced the live stream and on demand versions which will be available with all the trainings. Now you can hack the planet, wherever you are in the world!

Whatever your job in technology, isn’t it time you learned how to protect yourself against modern threats?