cyber
TRENDS
At the same time, financially motivated cybercriminal groups have also become more organised. Ransomware attacks, for example, have surged, especially those leveraging strains like the Ryuk Ransomware, which I’ ve spoken about at several forums as well. And then there are hacktivist groups targeting ideological or political objectives.
What would be a common strategy that everyone in the region should follow to fortify their systems, lock down their data, and keep customers safe?
From my perspective, it’ s a combination of continuous learning and practical exposure.
1. Dedicated vulnerability research: I dedicate part of every week to exploring the latest CVEs( Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). I spend time researching new CVEs, reading threat intelligence reports, and analysing real-world attack scenarios.
2. Hands-on lab practice: I also work on my own lab setups, ranging from ICS( Industrial Control Systems) to OT( Operational Technology) environments, test beds, and simulated enterprise environments, to practice offensive tactics. Currently, as we mentioned, hacktivist groups are primarily focusing on or attacking critical infrastructure – operational technology – which is vital for economic growth, diversification and society, as they all need energy and water. For that reason, hacktivist groups are mainly targeting those facilities at a country level.
3. Community involvement: Community involvement is also key. Whether it’ s attending or speaking at global conferences, contributing to open forums, or just collaborating with other researchers, I find that the best way to stay sharp is to stay connected.
4. Continuous self-challenge: Finally, I keep challenging myself. If something seems outside my current skill set, I dive into it. Whether it’ s AI exploitation, drone security, or SCADA environments of ICS or OT, that’ s how you can grow in this field. If something scares you in cybersecurity, you need to dive in and learn more. It can be a new opportunity for you.
How has the role of the ethical hacker evolved?
Earlier, ethical hacking was often misunderstood; many organisations saw it as a checkbox activity. Today, it’ s an integral part of proactive cybersecurity strategies, with Red Teaming, threat hunting and Purple Teaming being embraced more widely across every organisation and critical infrastructure globally.
While systems are becoming more secure by design, new technologies like artificial intelligence( AI), the Internet of Things( IoT) and industrial control systems( ICS) are opening new surfaces for attack. This means that while some doors are closing, many new ones are also opening for ethical hackers who are willing to learn and adapt.
The role is no longer just about breaking things. It’ s about helping build resilient systems, guiding security architecture and mentoring the next generation of ethical hackers. Cybersecurity is an industry
The role is no longer just about breaking things. It’ s about helping build resilient systems, guiding security architecture and mentoring the next generation of ethical hackers.
that keeps evolving day by day. For that reason, we need to mentor the next generation of ethical hackers according to what we have learned and what the future of cybersecurity will be.
What role does AI play in your day-to-day job these days in security terms?
In security terms, when you talk about AI, there are many programmes and tools now. When we say that people need to adapt to AI, they need to learn artificial intelligence. What they often think is that we need to learn to operate ChatGPT, or put prompts into Gemini or Groq, to understand how AI works. But the real meaning of learning AI or adapting to it in terms of security means that you need to develop programmes and tools that can work even more efficiently than a human.
When there’ s an attack on an organisation, we used to check all of the system logs, analyse the threat and perform malware analysis. But now, we’ re making the AI work with it. We simply tell it that this is the threat that has occurred. It needs to perform its processing and engage its defence engine so it can tell us what happened..
What advice would you give to aspiring ethical hackers interested in developing a career in cybersecurity?
Ethical hacking isn’ t just about learning one tool or passing a single certification. It’ s a complete mindset of always wanting to understand how systems behave and where they can go wrong.
For beginners, I recommend starting with networking fundamentals, learning Linux and familiarising yourselves with tools like Nmap and Wireshark. Then, move into web security scripting and practice your hacking skills on platforms like TryHackMe or Hack The Box.
You need the right mindset: discipline, patience, and integrity. You’ re dealing with powerful knowledge, and how you use it defines whether you’ re a hacker or an ethical hacker. We gain all the expertise once we start learning and practising ethical hacking skills; we have the power. Now, we need to decide whether we want to be a hacker or make the world a safer place for everyone by being an ethical hacker.
Finally, never stop learning. Cybersecurity is a moving target and your willingness to stay on your toes will define your success.
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