Different Hacker Types Explained – Black Hat vs. Gray Hat vs. White Hat
Before moving in to the main topic of the day, which it titled Different Hacker Types Explained – Black Hat vs. Gray Hat vs. White Hat, let’s first take A Deeper Look At Cybersecurity.
CYBERSECURITY
Man creates and builds systems to nurture the values of civilization and the common good, but some men are always trying to throw a spanner in the works, to try and topple the system.
Time-bound security is no longer effective. Cyber crime is not a time-bound activity for some, but twenty-four-hour continuous predation by counter systems.
To counter this systemic attack, intense preparation is necessary. Not just defense, but offense, in the form of counter attacks, is necessary to survive in this ferocious ecosystem. Cyber security is the new buzzword.
The first indication of an event is often the most significant. It may be through a software-defined alert or an end-user alert. “Help Desks” often act as the first alert systems against a cyber crime event. In general, such an event is, generally, a minor occurrence and can be tackled by the desk itself. These are called “incidents”.
In the real world, help desks are often just one person with training in dealing with and solving primary or run of the mill problems, along with a help phone number called “Customer Care”.
The problems dealt with here are mostly not cyber crime related, and cyber security is therefore not called in.
However, in the cases where the user calls and reports a cyber crime, much better organization and better back up is required. Where there are larger setups, teams of experts manning control desks, provide continuous consultation to the help desk.
Significant cyber security events are important changes in the usual or everyday operations of a cyber network or information technology Service, which are created by a security breach or violation of the security policy of that system, or even the failure of security safeguard.
The Spread of Cyber Crime
Cyber Security deals with protection against hackers, malware and viruses. Personal and business information are increasingly under threat from all three forms of cyber crime. Millions of consumers in our digital world are affected by thefts of personal ID’s, and the consequent intrusion into the personal space and property of the users of the net. Data breaches are commonplace. All business communities are desperately fighting to ensure protection for themselves and their customers, and security measures are consequently increasing. Many of these security lapses are first detected by the common users, and it is to these ordinary customers that large institutions are often forced to turn to for support. We live in a connected world. In trying to protect ourselves from the treacherous forces of cyber criminals, we need to combine together to safeguard each other.
A typical ploy to extract your contact information by a hacker consists of sending an email which encourages the receiver to click on a link containing malware. Malicious actors often target adult websites and apps in hopes of tricking careless users. For this reason top hookup apps like https://LocalSxApp.com invest heavily in security and protection of their adult dating members as they detail here when explaining safety and privacy features on sx apps. When browsing adult content it is especially important to maintain vigilance. The hacker does not usually stop at extracting the user’s own personal ID and data. The user’s database is often accessed, and all the contacts phone numbers and other data are also extracted. The hacker then sets up a dark market outlet for selling these contacts to a larger organized crime network. Then this whole criminal setup preys on the contacts and their accounts. In other words, a large group is forced now to become victims of the original misstep by a single user. We need to combine forces to ward off these malicious attacks that can destroy our property and our peace of mind.
Coverage
All interconnected components of an internet system can be compromised. These include the following:
Government databases, which may or may not include license numbers, tax records, social security numbers etc.
Financial data such as bank accounts, debit and credit card numbers, pay-check and loans.
Educational systems with grades, report cards and research data.
Communication systems like SMS, phone calls, emails, and any other text messages, records, photos and other storage data.
Medical systems including medical records, medical insurance records, equipment etc.
Principles
Cybersecurity is based on the following three principles:
Integrity: Integrity means the securing of any information from being altered from its original version. Some malware can totally scramble existing records and protocols and even cause lethal disasters. For example, altering patient records in medical establishments may cause patients treatment to be severely disturbed and may cause deterioration of the health of the patient.
Confidentiality: Sensitive information must be shared only within a small circle of people who maintain the confidentiality of that information. If, for example, the credit card information is shared with criminals, it may result in depletion of the user’s bank account as well as the User’s reputation and credit rating.
Availability: While enforcing security measures on an information system, it must be ensured that those who have the right to that information are able to access it. A cyber attack not only alters information irretrievably but can also prevent others, who have a right to that information, from accessing it. This can cause untold harm both to the Customer and to the System.
Events
Countries that are best prepared for significant cyber-security events are Singapore, USA, Malaysia, Australia, France and Canada. The most common type of cyber crime events are hacking, identity theft, scamming, botnets, DDoS attacks, fraud, ransomware and computer viruses. Phishing, data leakage and insider threats are also the worst cyber threats at this point in time.
Preventive Events
Conferences on this most important subject, affecting everybody in the digital world, are being held globally in 2020. Key events are being held to market a plethora of cyber security systems and types of equipment everywhere. The longest-running and most famous event in cyber security event is DEFCON (held on August 6, 2020, Las Vegas, USA). Founded in 1993, it brings together anyone interested in the hacking and cyber security scene. Black Hat Asia is held in Singapore and some of the most exceptional experts gather here on March 26 (up to 29th) to discuss state-of-the-art security techniques. Several other annual events, like the RSA Conference, are followed eagerly around the world.
CYBERSECURITY ETHICAL HACKING
Different Hacker Types Explained – Black Hat vs. Gray Hat vs. White Hat
People often associate hacking or hackers with a crime. However, the field has different variations, each having an individual goal and purpose in the hacking world. The people involved in stealing information and hacking into apps are known as black hat hackers, while white hat hackers are the ones that protect systems and people. There is a third category, which acts as a middle ground known as gray hat hackers.
So what are black hat hackers? What is the difference between black hat and white hack hackers? Why being a gray hat hacker is more complicated? If you have these questions in mind, you have landed on the right page. This article will answer all your burning questions and help you to understand the different hacker types.
So without further ado, let us begin with our conquest.
Black Hat Hackers: The criminals
Black hat hackers are the ones who steal information and hack into various systems to gain access to classified data and information. This type of hacking consists of criminals with high levels of coding expertise. They use their hacking skills to commit several crimes, which can vary from hacking into personal accounts or gaining access to secret government information or sensitive data.
Black hat hackers are professionals and highly skilled coders with years of expertise in the coding field. However, other categories, such as opportunists, are experts in convincing consumers to share sensitive data using behavioral engineering.
There are many scenarios where you may find the involvement of black hat hackers. Some of the typical motives behind black hat hacking include:
Money – The ultimate goal of a black hat hacker is to steal money or financial secrets. Information about your credit card, bank accounts, and financial transactions are the primary target of black hat hackers.
Accessing private information – Accessing confidential information is one of the most common scenarios involving black hat hackers. These hackers gain access to private data for personal vendetta or to seek information for financial gain.
Hacking into finance information – Finance information of individuals, corporations, or government departments are the most lucrative assets for any black hat hacker. They will target anyone with big monetary pockets, primarily corporate and people dealing with government finance.
Gaining access to property secrets – Alongside money, corporate properties’ financial information is a valuable target for black hat hackers.
White Hat Hackers: The protectors
Unlike black hat hackers, where everything starts and ends with stealing information and secrets, white hat hackers use their hacking skills to prevent these threats. White hat hackers work for different organizations, including government and business entities. They secure the infrastructure by regularly updating security protocols and sealing loopholes in the system.
White hat hackers mostly receive training from military or authorized hacking institutes, making them an excellent choice for any organization. Employing a white hat hacker will ensure that your information stays protected without breaking the law.
Here is the list of roles that a white hat hacker offers:
White hat hackers monitor in and out traffic to check for signs and loopholes of hacking
They develop and test patches to ensure safety and prevent security holes
Identifying vulnerabilities and problems in the security system
Hacking into your app or server to patch loopholes
Testing and having up to date knowledge of the latest hacking tools and software
Monitoring rival business apps for potential breach of data or information
Performing tasks without breaking the law
White hat hackers work by the rules and keep everything intact for their employers.
However, they are still hackers, and since they have all the access to your network, they can use this information to gain financial benefits. It would be best to do a background check before hiring someone.
Gray hat hackers: The tricky ground
Gray hat hackers or Grey hat hackers are experts in camouflage. They can blend into black hat hackers from white hat hackers or vice versa according to their needs. Sometimes many consider grey hat hackers as black hat hackers as most of their work involves stealing information and data. However, if a white hat hacker strikes another fellow hacker, we can consider it an example of grey hat hacking.
Many organizations and businesses hire grey hat hackers to hack into their competitor’s network to steal valuable information. This information helps an entity to stay ahead of its competition and manipulate the market. Grey hat hackers act as a gold mine for these organizations, as they provide them with all the insight and plans of their competitors.
There are several versions or scenarios where grey hat hacking occurs. These versions include:
Hacking into another’s server to improve security by illegally downloading code
Transforming from a white hat hacker to a black hat hacker according to requirements
Breaching other company’s data to strengthen your organization’s security and patch loopholes
Intelligence agencies hacking into each other’s government data and information is also a part of grey hat hacking
Hacking into government servers to access criminal records for identifying criminals
Grey hat hacking sits in between black hat and white hat hacking. Some grey hat hacking scenarios may seem related to black hat hacking, while others involve white hat hackers striking another white hat hacker.
Hackers use many tools and techniques to steal your information. Some of the standard tools hackers use are Rootkits, Keyloggers, and Vulnerability Scanner, while SQL Injection Attack and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) are the most common hacking techniques.
SEE ALSO : What Is Ethical Hacking And How Does It Work?
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