Hackers

If you’ve ever wanted to be a hacker, you are familiar with the excitement that revolves around hacking activities. However, hacking is not all about malicious intent, and it can be about solving an issue. Let’s delve a little into what it entails and the various types of hackers you are likely to come across in this field.

Hacker

Hacking is an intrusion into a network or a computer without the necessary authorization, which makes it illegal. People who take part in such activities are known as hackers, and they can alter security features as well as systems such that they perform actions that are different from the intended purposes. However, hackers can also change equipment or processes without malicious intent. Thus, not every hacker you come across is doing it with ill intent.

How do they do it?

If you watch lots of movies where hackers are involved, you will see them sitting across these fast machines, busy typing away as they intrude a system, and you may wonder what they use to get into people’s systems. There are a few ways in which you can access someone’s information, as follows:

Vulnerability Scanners

This form of intrusion involves going through computers on a network system, and checking if there are any weaknesses. Any unprotected machine, or one with weak protection mechanisms, becomes an easy target.

Cracking Passwords

Now, this is a commonly used invasion tactic. People use data stored in systems as well as that transmitted in the system to come up with passwords which they can then use to log into people’s accounts.

Packet Sniffers

This process is quite similar to cracking passwords as it uses applications to check what data has transmitted over a system to get the passwords as well as other sensitive information.

Spoofing

This form of intrusion mimics legitimate sites such that people visiting those websites may not be aware that they are using fake sites with false data. They thus enter sensitive information which then gets into the hands of the unintended recipients.

RootKit

In this method, the attackers use programs which take away control from the original operators, leaving it to the hackers, thus compromising the system.

Trojan Horse

Now, this procedure works as a backdoor in a system such that the intruder can gain access to information on the network at a later time, without the knowledge of the operators.

Viruses

These are dangerous programs which place themselves into executable code files, thus compromising the system. People with weak anti-virus programs are prone to attacks from these kinds of hacking.

Key Loggers

This system involves recording keystrokes on a machine which the hacker can later retrieve and use to get the information they need to access the computer.

There are companies which employ hackers to find defects in their security system as this enables them to be a step ahead of any intruders who may have malicious intent.

Types

Around the globe, there are seven main types of hackers as follows: black hats, white hats, grey hats, green hats, script kiddies, red hats, and blue hats.

Black Hats

The black hats also go by the name crackers, and they use their skills on banks and other companies with vulnerable security systems, and they get away with money or vital information regarding people’s accounts.

White Hats

White hats are the nice hackers as they use their skills to get rid of any vulnerabilities in the systems. Most of them hold college degrees in IT.

Grey Hats

Grey hats are a mix of white and black. Though they do not steal from corporations and banks, they are also not out to help people secure their systems.

Green Hats

The green hats are all about hacking, and they wish to build their skills in the field. However, as the name suggests, they are new in the area and are willing to learn from people in their community, often perturbing them with fundamental problems.

Red Hats

The red hats are dangerous in that they will destroy the machine used by a hacker through DDOSing and accessing the system. By the time they finish attacking someone, the cracker will probably need a new computer.

Blue Hats

Blue hats are a lot like script kiddies in that they lack the desire to master the art of hacking. However, they use their skills as a form of revenge on people who have wronged them.