Hackers in the shadows, guardians in the light

(With 2 S/C of Abhishek and Adv 1 File Photo)

Raj Patil

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In a world where cybercriminals don’t wear masks but hide behind screens, a new kind of field has emerged and it’s not just in the big metro cities anymore. The digital war has reached Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. And the threat is real.

Behind the scenes, ethical hackers, often called “white hats,” are quietly protecting people from falling into the traps of online scams, phishing frauds, blackmail, and identity theft. Yet, their work often goes unrecognized especially in our own city. “We currently do not employ the services of any ethical hacker in our investigations or operations,” said PI Shivcharan Pandhare, cyber police station This statement reflects the vulnerability in our city's cybercrime response.

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What do ethical hackers really do?

Ethical hackers are cybersecurity experts who think like criminals but work for good. Their job is to test and secure systems before real hackers can exploit them.

They: Simulate cyberattacks to find weak spots

Perform "penetration testing" to test digital defences

Track and decode malicious software

Identify backdoors that criminals use to enter systems

Submit detailed reports to improve cybersecurity

They’re like digital soldiers trained to break in, only to help build stronger walls.

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Walking a legal tightrope

“If any hacker commits a cybercrime without proper government authorization even if he has good intention though , the act is deemed illegal under the IT Act,”

—Advocate Kewal Dongre

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An insider’s battle

“I previously worked with the Maharashtra Cyber Cell in Mumbai. Ethical hackers played a crucial role in protecting our systems. Prevention is key but when needed, we also conducted counter-operations like reverse engineering malware,”

—Cyber expert Abhishek Dharmadhikari

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A call for community trust

“City-level initiatives must include ethical oversight and community participation to ensure both safety and trust.”said Sneha Deshmukh (name changed), a cyber analyst.

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Statewide success, local silence

In metro cities, white-hat hacker panels have been game-changers. These teams have helped police crack serious crimes from dark web child trafficking rings to fake currency networks. “We once dismantled a Telegram-based child trafficking network using a white-hat hacker’s code-breaking skills,” revealed a Mumbai cyber cell official. These stories prove that ethical hackers are essential.

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Why now matters more than ever

Cybercrime is no longer just a tech issue it’s a threat to families, businesses, and society. Families are losing their entire savings to phishing scams. Small businesses are being blackmailed through hacked accounts. Criminals are operating across states and countries, hiding behind fake websites and encrypted chats

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The need of the hour

City stands at a critical point: it can either wait for cybercrime to escalate further or invest in white-hat allies who can guard its digital gates.

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