What is a Hacker?
All of our data has been migrated from ledgers and records to computers. This type of change in working has lowered the physical stress on workers while increasing the risk of data theft. Hackers are those who steal data or cause harm to systems.
There are various types of hackers. Let's look at the many varieties of hackers, as well as the several hacker tactics and methods.
TYPES OF HACKERS
- White Hat Hackers
- Hacktivists
- Phreakers
- Script Kiddies
- Grey Hat Hackers
- Black Hat Hackers
White Hat Hackers
These are usually security professionals. A person who is commonly known as an ethical hacker or a penetration tester performs hacking to secure their system or an organization's system that they work for.
They use their skills to protect a system from any other hackers who might try to exploit it or steal valuable information from that system or network.
How do a White Hat Hacker Works?
White hat hackers use their abilities to find security issues to help protect organizations from harmful hackers. They can sometimes be paid contractors or employees working for companies as security specialists who try to find security holes.
One reason that large organizations typically have less downtime and experience fewer issues with their websites is that they have white hat hackers.
It is generally accepted among hackers that it is more difficult to bypass the security measures of large companies than small businesses. The reason for this is that small businesses typically lack the financial and personnel resources to identify all possible vulnerabilities.
White hat hackers use the same methods as black hat hackers, but take permission from the system owner.
This way the process is legal. White hat hackers work with network operators to help fix the issue before others discover it, instead of exploiting vulnerabilities to spread code.
White hat hacker skills and tactics include:
1. Penetration testing
Penetration testing is a type of security testing that is used to find vulnerabilities and weaknesses in an organization's defenses and endpoints so they can be fixed.
2. Social engineering
The primary method used by white hat hackers to exploit weaknesses in an organization is social engineering, or "people hacking".
This involves manipulating employees or other individuals in order to gain access to sensitive information or systems.
Social engineering manipulates and tricks victims into doing something they should not for example (sharing login credentials, making wire transfers, and so on).
3. Programming
White hat hackers create decoys called honeypots to lure cybercriminals and distract them or gain information about the attackers.
4. Reconnaissance and research
The goal is to learn enough about the organization's security controls and mechanisms to find ways to bypass them legally, without causing any damage.
This includes deep research on the company or organization to discover vulnerabilities within the IT infrastructure.
5. Using digital and physical tools
This refers to devices that allow ethical hackers to install bots and other malware to access networks or servers. Some white hat hackers participate in bug bounty programs, which are competitions that give cash prizes to hackers who report vulnerabilities.
There are also training courses, events, and certifications specifically for ethical hacking.
Hacktivists
Hacktivism is a combination of hacking and activism. Hacktivism is the act of hacking into a computer system for a political or social cause. The person who does this is called a hacktivist. Hacktivists aim to send a message through their activities and get attention for their cause.
This person uses technology to spread their beliefs through public means such as websites or online attacks. Most of the time, these attacks are done to make a statement or disrupt service.
Who is the Target of Hacktivists?
Some common targets for people who engage in the practice of "hacktivism" include government agencies, multinational corporations, or any other entity that is seen as negative or incorrect by the hacktivist group or individual. Keep in mind that it is against the law to gain unauthorized access to any organization's assets, no matter what the intention is.
What is the Motivation for Hacktivists?
The main reason people engage in hacktivism is because they believe something is wrong or unfair and want to do something about it.
This can be motivated by things like revenge, political or social incentives, ideology, protest, a desire to embarrass certain organizations or individuals, or just vandalism.
Phreakers
What is a Phreak Hacker?
A phreak is somebody who breaks into the telephone network unlawfully, normally to make free long-distance phone calls or to tap phone lines. The term is now used at times to comprise anyone who breaks or tries to break the security of any network.
Recently, the phone companies have introduced new security precautions, making phreaking more troublesome.
What is Phreaking?
Hacking into secure telecommunication networks is commonly referred to as "phreaking".
This term originated from individuals exploring and manipulating phone networks by generating tones that would mimic real dialing tones in order to trick automatic switches.
Oftentimes, phreaks were motivated by curiosity surrounding how phone networks operated, rather than a want to swindle telecommunications companies.
Script Kiddies
What is a Script Kiddie?
The term "script kiddie" is used by computer hackers to describe immature, but often just as dangerous, exploiters of internet security weaknesses.
While not all novice hackers are script kiddies, some inexperienced attackers do try to learn about and understand the tools they use.
Script kiddies, on the other hand, aren't interested in learning and understanding the exploits they use, instead using what is easy to find and available.
Grey Hat Hackers
Grey hat hackers are those who may violate laws or ethical standards, but don't do so with malicious intent. Black hat hackers, on the other hand, illegally exploit vulnerabilities or tell others how to do so.
Grey hat hackers neither exploit vulnerabilities nor tell others how to do so. Many grey hats believe that the internet is not safe for business, and they work to make it safer for individuals and organizations.
They are the computer guy who sometimes acts legally and sometimes acts illegally, basically refers to a computer hacker of computer security expert who may sometimes violate laws or typical ethical standards, as opposed to a black hat hacker, whose intent is malicious.
Black Hat Hackers
They are computer guys who perform Unethical Hacking. They don't care about laws that they break, and the consequences of Financial loss that are left behind because of their Activities.
A black hat hacker is somebody who unlawfully accesses computer systems or networks with bad intentions.
Historically, the term has been used to describe anyone who has malicious intent, but more recently, it has been used to describe people who specifically break into computer systems.
A hacker may break into a website or network to steal or destroy private data, or to alter, disrupt or shut down websites and networks.
Some hackers may sell their findings to other criminal organizations. "Black hat" is a term used to describe criminal hackers, as opposed to "white hat" and "grey hat" hackers.
This terminology is inspired by early western movies, in which the villains were distinguishable by the black hats they wore and the heroes by their white hats.