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Generative AI was a major theme in the 2023 report , with 55 % of respondents saying that it can already outperform hackers or will be able to do so within the next five years . However , hackers aren ’ t worried about being replaced , with 72 % saying that Generative AI will not be able to replicate the creativity of hackers .
When asked how Generative AI is being used , the top functions hackers mentioned were automating tasks ( 50 %), analysing data ( 48 %), identifying vulnerabilities ( 36 %), validating findings ( 35 %) and conducting reconnaissance ( 33 %).
The uptick in AI usage among hackers aligns with guidance from the US Department of Defense in 2022 and President Biden ’ s Cybersecurity Executive Order , EO 14028 where he noted : ‘ The value of harnessing AI in cybersecurity applications is becoming increasingly clear . . . The methods show great promise for swiftly analysing and correlating patterns across billions of data points to track down a wide variety of cyber threats in the order of seconds .’
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Challenging and confirming hacker stereotypes
Most hackers were Gen Z aged 18 – 24 ( 57 %) or Millennials 25 – 34 ( 28 %). The trope of hackers being disproportionately male proved true , based on this research , with 96 % of respondents identifying as male .
Most hackers ( 82 %) do not hack full time , treating it either as a part-time job , side hustle , or something they are in the process of making a fulltime occupation . Only 29 % described hacking as their full-time profession . The motivations for ethical hacking were varied , but the top incentives included personal development ( 28 %), financial gain ( 24 %), excitement ( 14 %) and the challenge ( 12 %).
While more than half of the respondents have graduated from college ( 54 %) and 14 % completed grad school , only 24 % learned to hack through academic or professional coursework . The majority
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of hackers ( 71 %) were self-taught , with most learning to hack through online resources ( 84 %), while others learned through trial-and-error ( 40 %) or friends and mentors ( 34 %).
The state of hacking and vulnerability management
Views varied on how many companies understand their true risk of being breached , with 27 % of respondents saying that less than 10 % of companies really understand their risk .
The respondents painted a mixed picture of the global threat landscape , with 84 % saying there have been more vulnerabilities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and 88 % saying point-in-time security testing is not enough to keep companies secure . Nevertheless , 78 % of respondents said that most companies ’ attack surfaces are getting harder to compromise and 89 % said that companies increasingly view ethical hackers in a favourable light . u
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