What You Need to Know About the Ethical Hacker Mindset and Motivation

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Why do people become ethical hackers? Given the negative connotations that the word "hacker" has unfortunately acquired over the past few decades, it's hard to understand why anyone would claim that oxymoron.

Yet ethical hackers are playing an increasingly vital role in cybersecurity, and the ranks of the ethical hacker community are growing dramatically. If you are considering working with or hiring ethical hackers, or even becoming one yourself, it is important to understand what makes this unique breed of cyber-professional successful.

If you talk to members of the hacker community, you'll find that the opportunity to earn cash rewards through bug bounty programs is a key motivator for many. But it's not the only one, and maybe it's not even the most important.

Some people sign up just for the fun of hacking without breaking any laws. Others want to test their cyber skills and create a resume. Some just want to be part of a community. There's even an element of vigilance and the thrill of finding vulnerabilities before bad actors do, helping not just organizations, but even friends and family to protect themselves.

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As someone who has been practicing ethical hacker since high school and now helping to organize and manage a community of ethical hackers in my career, I have a good understanding of what makes and motivates a good ethical hacker. Here's what I learned.

Like many side activities, money is important. But not always a deciding factor.

A recent survey of my community of ethical hackers shows that money is a big motivator. The pay can certainly be good, with a third of all ethical hackers earning at least $1,000 a month.

Becoming an ethical hacker isn't just about financial rewards. According to the survey, 60% of the community spends at least 10 hours a week hacking, 40% spends more than 20 hours, and 18% spends more than 40 hours a week. Putting in that kind of time shows it's not just about the money. Given the skills that ethical hackers have, they could probably make more money working as cybersecurity analysts.

For many ethical hackers, the journey begins with a deep interest in solving puzzles and learning how things work. For example, Sebastian Neef (aka Gehaxelt) has a PhD in computer science. student in Germany who started hacking at the age of 17.

He said it seemed like a cool thing to do in 2011, when hackers were defacing websites. He said it looked easy too, but unlike some mayhem actors interested in vandalism, Sebastian was driven by curiosity. He wanted to know what administrators would do when he alerted them to vulnerabilities in their systems. Some were grateful and addressed vulnerability. Others did nothing.

Stories like Sebastian's are common, where many get started because of an aptitude for technology...