Those people are flat out not telling the truth. Most likely those same people don’t know much about computers or cyber security to start with.
Coding and hacking is 2 different things. You can use coding to make scripts, tools, malware, and reverse engineering. But that’s pretty much it.
What is almost a must for hacking is the ability to social engineer. You also should know about networking. For networking, study the basics of a CCNA (you don’t have to get one).
If you want to go on the white hat side of things, you need to know about the law. You also need to stay updated with the changes. For example, Jeb Bush said he wanted to outlaw encryption when he was talking with silicon valley. (FBI has been wanting this for a while now). This year, Obama talked about making it illegal to teach others how to hack (even in a college).
Because how stupid the law makers are, and how much harder they tend to make our job. You’re going to find a lot of white hats just find another career and turn into gray or black hats.
