Breaking Through Firewalls from Your Room? ... Get Paid to Do It in the Office [New Jobs]

Researching Security Vulnerabilities in Advance to Combat Hacking
IT Roles Defending Internet Systems

Editor's NoteWith super-aging and ultra-low birth rates, along with the advent of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, new changes are occurring in the world of jobs. We introduce the world of new professions, 'New Jobs,' which open paths for new challenges in working life or a second act in life.

Hackers who destroy internet systems or computers are no longer just stories from science fiction movies but real-world threats. Game servers, corporate servers, as well as government offices, hospitals, and social infrastructure all suffer from hacking risks.

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article.

Generally, hackers who exploit internet security vulnerabilities are closer to criminals, but at the same time, hacking experts are valuable talents sought after by numerous IT companies. Those who find system vulnerabilities first and work to fix them before hackers strike are commonly called 'white hackers.'

Although white hackers have emerged as a legitimate IT job category for quite some time, the profession of 'hacker' itself remains unfamiliar to students preparing for security-related careers and the general public. Asia Economy spoke with Lee Jun-young, an NHN Cloud developer who has worked as a cybersecurity expert for about four years, to hear vivid stories from the industry.

- Please briefly introduce your career.

From 2016 to 2017, I learned security work through an internship at the National Science and Technology Human Resources Development Institute. In the same year, I joined the security company 'Steelyon' and actively entered the field. My main tasks at that time were developing security solutions related to applications (apps) and analyzing vulnerabilities. In 2020, I moved to the NHN Cloud Development Center and worked there until the end of the year before last. Currently, I belong to the Cloud Database (DB) Development Team at NHN Cloud.

- What exactly does a white hacker do?

Simply put, they are people who prevent black hackers (commonly called 'crackers') who destroy systems. The work is roughly divided into two types, commonly known as the 'Red Team' and the 'Blue Team.'

White hackers are broadly divided into 'Red Team' and 'Blue Team'.

The Red Team's job is to find vulnerabilities in our systems before black hackers do. The work itself is almost identical to that of hackers. However, the difference is that after the work, they must write and submit a vulnerability report and also prepare countermeasures.

The Blue Team patches the system based on the vulnerabilities identified by the Red Team and develops solutions to detect other potential vulnerabilities. In other words, if the Red Team is the hacker, the Blue Team is the security solution developer.

- What is the outlook for white hackers?

White hackers are an essential job group that must exist across all IT systems. Especially for widely used software services, the scale of hacking damage grows exponentially, making them even more important. They are currently, and will continue to be, one of the promising job groups as digitalization accelerates.

- How should one prepare to become a white hacker?

First, it is advantageous to enter departments related to cybersecurity, such as computer engineering or information security. However, to study security seriously, it is better to have broad knowledge related to engineering.

'Wargame' is mainly offered in security competitions. If you aspire to work in security-related fields, actively participating in such competitions is advantageous.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, just as developers need the ability to solve algorithm problems, security experts solve many security problems called 'Wargames.' These problems are mainly provided at nationwide security competitions. If you are interested in such external activities, it will be even more helpful for career development and employment.