Itex employee gains Ethical Hacker Status
Itex Managed Service Consultant Dean Cooper has become a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH), following an intensive UK course managed by The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC Council). Dean passed all his exams with flying colours to become one of only two qualified C|EHs in Guernsey.
C|EH is an advanced ethical hacking accreditation and is recognised by the US Department of Defence as a premier certification in this area of specialisation and is also recognised by the NSA on National Security Standards at every level. A C|EH understands and knows how and where to look for the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in specific systems using the same tools as a malicious hacker.
The C|EH qualification turns the traditional view of security on its head. Instead of looking at how to defend against malicious users the course provides a network for you to think like one. Instead of trying to defend the network, you identify vulnerabilities and likely areas of attack. You think like a hacker, and use the same tools hackers use in order to exploit weaknesses in a system. Businesses in Guernsey can now employ this expertise to safeguard their intellectual assets.
Commenting on Dean’s success, Richard Parker, Managing Director of Itex Guernsey says, “Dean’s qualification will be a great asset to Itex. There is an immediate benefit to those existing customers who are contracting our data centre services. This new certification will enable us to provide one of the most reliable, robust and secure hosting or co-location environments in the Channel Islands.”
Dean will also be able to perform a complete security review from documentation and security policies, identification of internal security weaknesses, thus protecting from internal hacking right through to individual file security requirements.
He will use his skills to help both colleagues and clients understand security profiling issues in greater detail. He will also undertake consultancy meetings and seminars where people can find out more about system security, which will give a greater awareness of how to protect important information from theft and corruption as well as enabling systems to remain accessible and productive for intended users.
Commenting on his qualification Dean said, “Gaining this qualification means that I can turn my enthusiasm and interest in IT security into a full time job with a dynamic and cutting edge organisation that has been extremely supportive of my desire to gain this prestigious certification. I look forward to using the award to help both colleagues and clients have a greater understanding of security profiling.”