Chase Lawson
10/23/2025
CYSE 201
Ethical Hacking
Introduction
Professionals in this field use social science principles to understand human
behavior and design human-centric security measures. Ethical Hacking refers to an
individual who is known as a hacker but instead of using it for nefarious purposes they
attempt to detect and mitigate threats. They do this by what’s called penetration testing.
They attempt to find holes in security networks and various flaws within the network. They
are known as freelance contractors, meaning that they do not necessarily work for the
company, however they are still compensated for their work. Once they have completed
their testing they will report back their findings to the company. In this paper I will discuss
how social science applies to ethical hacking.
Ethical Hackers Thinking Like Hackers
Ethical Hacking focuses on human behavior and observes the motives behind a
cybercriminals attack on a company. There are a few reasons why cybercriminals attack
companies. One reason would be they feel bored, or hacking strikes their curiosity. These
types of hackers often use what’s called “script kiddies” which are pre-written scripts and
tools to deploy cyberattacks. Although they didn’t write the malicious code themselves in
many ways it can still harm a company. Another reason for a potential attack would be
cybercriminals see a challenge like a puzzle that needs to be solved. Overtime hackers
develop a skillset and would like to use those skills to hack companies and see what they
can do. Some hackers would like to gain notoriety or clout from hacking to get the attention
of some sort of group or club. Across the world there are many hacking clubs and
organizations that scout out other hackers with unique abilities and that can be useful
when attempting to hack large corporations.
Hackers analyze systems from dierent perspectives, looking for weak points. They
think critically about how systems interact and where vulnerabilities might exist. Ethical
Hackers come up with solutions based on what a cybercriminal would do. Ethical Hackers
learn common attack techniques like phishing and SQL injections and password cracking
and brute force attacks.
Conclusion
There are many ways that ethical hacking coincides with social sciences.
Psychology is used to try to understand how a hacker would think. Thinking like a hacker
requires critical thinking and persistence. By understanding both attackers’ motivations
and victims’ vulnerabilities, ethical hackers can anticipate threats. What their motives are
and what the hackers stand to gain. Adopting the hacker mindset with a strong emphasis
on empathy ensures a well-rounded approach to ethical hacking. Ethical Hacking uses
social sciences to help mitigate and possibly prevent a cyber-attack.
https://brandefense.io/blog/dark-web/the-psychology-of-a-hacker-profiling-theminds-
behind-cyber-attacks/
https://securemyorg.com/how-to-think-like-a-hacker-ethical-hacking/
Behind Ethical Hacking
By Clinton Nwezeaku
on January 28, 2025
ethical hacking