According to IT experts, you can divide types of hackers into two main groups:
- white-hat (“good” hackers)
- black-hat (“bad” hackers)
However, let’s cover some less important ones they still deserve some shine.
Script kiddies
Script kiddies are the beginning hackers who lack sophistication and are somewhat unknowledgeable about breaking into computer systems. They normally run downloadable programs invented by someone else and are not really innovative in their skill sets. They typically use easy techniques such as implanting bugs and viruses and think that it is real hacking. They give the illusion of being a hacker and are surprisingly somewhat very confident in their abilities and like to brag a lot. They do not put in much time to learn about systems or read books related to the subjects, they just practice what they heard, and now what was proven. Be careful, because script kiddies can cause some damage to network systems if they come across the right script. Moreover, they will receive the same legal punishments as other hackers.
Grey-hat hackers
Grey-hat hackers are a combination of the black and white hat hackers because they normally get legal access to a computer by pretending to do good things and then use that information for personal gain. This is the sneaky version of the two will use his white hat status to break into systems for positive and then turn around and do something bad like the black hat. On the flip side, a grey hacker may use their skills to illegally gain access to a network not to do good, falling I to that grey/black area with the owner of that system knowledge.
Blue hat hackers
Blue hat hackers are a type of security hacker working for a consulting firm to test out any bugs and search for exploits in a system prior to launching it. The reason they are called “blue hat” hackers is that they are associated with the Microsoft employee badges they need to wear during the annual Blue Hat Microsoft Hacker Conference. This conference began in 2004 as a way for security teams and engineers to test out new software.
Elite hackers
Elite hackers are professional experts; the very best in the game, gifted hackers who do ethical testing. They can detect early sabotage in the world of hacking before it happens. They have a sixth sense in computer technology, a third eye, and exceptional skills that put them on the radar of new employees by the NSA and leaders in the international government’s leading cyber warfare. These are the people script kiddies aspire to become.
Hacktivist
Hacktivist uses the tools and techniques like all the other hackers, except they have a deep desire to spread a sentimental message or political statement through hijacking systems. They normally have no malicious intentions to the free world, only to expose those doing wrong that affects everyone. These guys represent the opposite of cyber terrorism. Normally, hacktivists want to bring attention to a social cause. When they perform hacking attacks, they might make a DDOS attack on specific websites. They normally expose hidden people with lots of power doing wrong or release documents of government wrongdoings. They are a voice of online protesting.
The most popular hackers are the black hat and white hat which is cut pretty
clear. Let’s discuss each in detail:
White-Hat Hackers
These people, also known as “ethical hackers”, perform hacking attacks for good reasons. For example, they might want to test the effectiveness of a company’s antivirus program or IT security protocols. White-hat hackers earn money by conducting authorized attacks against corporate websites and computer systems. Since a white-hat hacker uses his skills and knowledge for legal and authorized purposes, they won’t be apprehended by the authorities for attacking their targets.
The so, called “bad” hackers sometimes will sometimes turn a new leaf after getting busted and start working for the government as informants or as white hat hackers to catch other hackers. Sometimes these people are hired by different companies or law enforcement agencies to develop systems that thwart against hack attacks. They may use skills that these companies or governments do not have access to.
Many white hats get NSA certification and security clearance to work in different fields as a part of the more aggressive “red teams” or the defender “blue teams.” Red teams would be the attackers going in the field testing to penetrate the systems and promote realistic attacks with realistic approaches. They recreate attacks that real criminals will pull off all in an attempt to protect information security. However, the blue team will focus on blocking or protecting the penetrations against the red team by ultimately weakening their offenses. If the red team succeeds then the system is strong, however, is the blue team succeeds then the system is weak.
Other white hat hackers work as freelancers on websites such as Upwork because there is always a market for companies needing to build their computer systems. Highly technologically advanced companies such as Google or Facebook are always in the market for great white hat hackers, and smaller tech companies need hackers for an affordable price. A white-hat hacker is a moral person doing it for a specific cause by testing systems and penetration abilities. They want to secure loopholes and get legal consent in writing from the system’s administrator to perform these breaches. This hacker breaches the system to find weaknesses and learn how to patch them securely. They understand the likely mode of operation for cybercriminals to carry out their crimes and conduct testing by replicating an intrusion to see how easy it is to better understand the network.
Sometimes these tests need to get done on a daily basis in order to understand what they are and record-keeping on each instruction. Most white hat hackers are network security specialists hired are 100% trustworthy and understand penetration testing, testing methodologies, security researching to find a vulnerability in the software. Originally, white hat hackers used to get gifts for their services but now get paid hard cold cash by these corporations and governments. Some get paid thousands of dollars to sell information about vulnerabilities and bug problems in the world of computer systems in an attempt to help to prevent online crimes.
Black-Hat Hackers
Black hat hackers also may go by “crackers,” are the notorious hackers we know of today. The reason they are called black hat actually was a reference in old Western movies depicting the bad guys wearing black hats and of course the good guys wearing white hats. These hackers are true cyber terrorists and online criminals executing attacks to steal information, destroy systems, and cause major problems for their targets.
A black-hat hacker uses malicious programs (known as malware) and data sniffers to gain information about their target. After getting sufficient data, the hacker often performs data theft or system manipulation techniques. It is the black-hat hackers that most people think about whenever they hear the word “hack.” Because these black-hat hackers access computers and networks for illegal purposes, they are considered mastermind criminals with an extreme set of skills.
These people will shut down websites without even fully penetrating the system. They would also generate false traffic to websites in order to create to deny service because the system cannot fully deal with the exceeded number of requests from. Sometimes they will go for the gusto by hacking software systems.
Most countries have existing laws against “digital crimes,” with the United States cracking down on hackers harder than they are with drug dealers. These hackers are responsible for hacking government systems and normally have federal law enforcement agencies chasing after them.
For instance, a black-hat hacker may face fines and/or a prison sentence if caught. Some are getting 13 for hacking in the USA and life sentences in a place like the UK, depending on what is damaged and how many people affected. Black hat hackers’ general purpose is malicious intent targeting individuals for personal gain and inflicting major damage by stealing information from major corporations or organization systems. There are even annual events for corporations and law enforcement to learn the tactics of these hackers as they are constantly advancing every day with the introduction of a new technology system. These people write malware to break into these systems and steal data.
As mentioned above, black-hat hacking is an illegal activity. You can be imprisoned if you will attack computer systems without permission.
