Smart contract auditors are in high demand because of their crucial role in the blockchain industry. As more blockchain projects get built worldwide, there’s a growing need for skilled auditors to analyze these projects and help them stay secure and efficient. This article is your guide to becoming a professional smart contract auditor.
What are auditors in high demand?
Before a blockchain project is publicly deployed, it undergoes a rigorous audit. This process involves auditors delving deep into the project’s codebase, hunting for potential security vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. They also identify operational inefficiencies and propose practical solutions.
Auditors are in high demand because the blockchain industry continues to grow, with new projects being created daily. These projects require extensive audits before public release, which experts must perform. You can benefit from this growing need by becoming an auditing expert, earning significant pay and helping move the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector forward.
How to become a smart contract auditor
These are the required steps to become a smart contract audit expert:
1. Learn programming
You must be well versed in computer programming, especially in the languages often used to develop decentralized apps, e.g., Rust, Go, C++, Solidity, and Vyper. Auditing involves studying a contract’s codebase to identify potential flaws, and you can’t do this without understanding the code in the first place.
Programming knowledge allows you to sift through a codebase and point out any discrepancies that hackers could exploit. It also enables you to identify code structures preventing the project from performing as efficiently as possible. With your knowledge, you can easily think of solutions to the problems you identified.
2. Understand Web3 technology
Web3 is the new World Wide Web (WWW) iteration that focuses on decentralization, token-based economics, and blockchain technology. It takes a different approach from the traditional WWW, and you must understand the Web3 approach to become an adept auditor.
After getting comfortable with programming, study materials about decentralization, tokenomics, consensus protocols, blockchains, and decentralized apps. These materials will help you understand the aims of Web3 technology, which in turn will help you audit Web3 apps to ensure they deliver their required functionality.
3. Learn cybersecurity
Auditing focuses on examining decentralized apps to point out security flaws. Thus, you need sufficient knowledge about cybersecurity and hackers’ various approaches to breaching Web3 apps. An app can be compromised in seemingly endless ways, and learning about these methods as much as possible is necessary. This knowledge will help prevent your audited apps from falling victim to malicious attacks.
Identifying security vulnerabilities in a contract’s codebase becomes easier when you’re well-versed in cybersecurity techniques.
4. Gain hands-on experience
With the prerequisite knowledge at your fingertips, it’s time to get some auditing experience. You can start by examining the codebase of popular blockchain protocols to see if there’s something worthwhile to identify. You can intern at a professional auditing firm and tag along as the firm audits complex projects. An internship gives you work experience and credibility in the auditing industry. From there, you can work your way up to a full-time auditor and start reviewing blockchain apps.
Conclusion
The blockchain sector continues to increase and needs more auditors to provide security for DeFi applications. We’ve explained how you can become an auditor and provide your services to blockchain firms. Follow our tips, and you’ll likely become an expert auditor with little hassles.
Matthew is a seasoned researcher and writer with over five years of experience creating engaging SEO content. He is passionate about exploring new ideas and sharing his knowledge through writing. Matthew has a keen eye for detail and takes pride in producing content that is not only informative but also visually appealing. He constantly expands his skill set and stays up-to-date with the latest SEO trends to ensure that his content always performs well in search rankings. Matthew can be found reading, surfing, or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen when he’s not writing.