Between pop culture movies such as The Matrix, Mr. Robot, The Net, and Hackers, and the constant news coverage of cyber events such as the recent Equifax, Verizon, or WannaCry breaches, most Americans have a pretty good idea of what hacking is all about. But is this accurate? Are all hacking incidences bad? Let’s take a closer look at the types of hacking and how it can impact users as well as IT departments globally.
When asked what a hacker is, most of us would answer something like this: Someone who has expert computer programming knowledge and uses this to gain unauthorized access to systems, corporations, governments, or business networks, in order to cause problems, delays, or lack of access. This type of hacker, who usually has malicious intent, whether it is stealing data, passwords, or money/valuables, are considered Black Hat Hackers.
There are, however, other types of hackers. These hackers are considered White Hat and Hacktivists. White Hat Hackers or “good hackers” are those individuals who break into computer systems to root out security flaws or bring attention to a cause. Their intentions are not necessarily to wreak havoc, but rather to do a public service. Many times these White Hat Hackers are hired by security companies or the businesses themselves to pinpoint network vulnerabilities that should be shored up in order to prevent a Back Hat from discovering the weakness.
There are still other types of hackers known as Hacktivists. They are groups that have ideological beliefs about government, politics, and/or the greed of large corporations, and they tend to use their hacking expertise to further their groups cause or ideology. One such group that you may have heard of before is Anonymous or Lulz Security group. So, as you can see, there is more than meets the eye to the groups we tend to lump together into the criminal hacking type. While there are a multitude of malicious hackers, there are still some out there with good intentions and those who hope to use their expertise for the greater good.
Categorised in: IT Consulting Services, Security