The Hacker Spectrum: White-Black-Grey ...
In the past 20 years, technology has advanced quickly, resulting in new discoveries and instruments to aid us in navigating our technologically advanced society. Technology has made it easier for us to work, live, and navigate contemporary life, but it has also created a growing window of security weaknesses that cybercriminals love to take advantage of.
Hackers have developed, as has the software they use to commit their crimes, and their attack techniques have gotten more and more complex. The hackers of today are highly competent professionals who may be classified into several groups according to their attack methods and motivations.
As a matter of fact, not every hacker is a criminal; in fact, some are employed specifically to foil illicit activity. In this article, we will delve into the various types of hackers and their characteristics, and you will find detailed information on the following topics related to hackers:
- How does hacking work?
- What are the different types of hackers?
- White Hat Hackers
- Black Hat Hackers
- Grey Hat Hackers
- Why are hat colors used to describe hacker types?
- What are the different categories of hackers?
- Red hat hackers
- Blue hat hackers
- Green hat hackers
- Script kiddies
- Hacktivists
- State-sponsored hackers
- Malicious insiders
- Opportunistic hackers
- CryptojackersGaming Hackers
- Botnets
- What are the most common hacking techniques and attacks?
How Does Hacking Work?
Hackers are experts in breaking security measures to obtain unauthorized access to computers, smartphones, tablets, networks, Internet of Things devices, and even an organization's whole networking infrastructure. Hacking is typically performed by taking advantage of the same vulnerabilities in network security because hackers are quite skilled at doing so. These flaws may be societal or technological in character.
- Technical flaws: Hackers are quite skilled at taking advantage of holes in software or lax security procedures. They take this action to obtain illegal access or, on occasion, to introduce malware that would destroy the system as a whole.
- Social weaknesses: This type of social engineering is used to persuade people with authority to open compromised files, click on harmful links, or divulge private information. They may now access facilities that would normally be protected.
What are the Types of Hackers?
Three broad classifications may be used to classify hackers: white hat, black hat, and gray hat. However, there are other kinds of hackers as well. In addition, there are blue hat, green hat, red hat, and other types of hackers. Continue reading to find out more about the various kinds of hackers and what sets them apart.
White Hat Hackers
White hat hackers never use their expertise for evil; instead, they solely utilize it for the benefit of society. Another name for them is ethical hackers. White hat hackers assist companies in locating and resolving security flaws in their systems. White hat hackers assist enterprises in patching security flaws before malevolent hackers may take advantage of them. Penetration testing is one kind of white hat hacking. Penetration testing, also referred to as ethical hacking or pen tests, involves hackers carrying out a sanctioned, simulated cyberattack on a company's systems. With penetration testing, companies may assess the security of their systems and how successfully they've responded to security threats, fixing any holes that are discovered.
Black Hat Hackers
When it comes to hackers, most people associate them with hostile hackers or black hat hackers. Cybercriminals and threat actors are other terms used to describe these hackers. Black hat hackers strive to take advantage of holes in accounts, networks, and systems in order to steal information, implant malware, or interfere with people's and businesses' ability to operate. The goal of black-hat hackers is financial gain. Nevertheless, some black hat hackers could also be carrying out espionage or assaults on behalf of a nation-state, driven by their ideology, or out for vengeance. Here are a few instances of malicious hacking by black hat hackers:
- DDoS attacks: Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are a kind of cyberattack that interferes with a server's regular traffic. Black hat hackers do this by utilizing bots to overload the server with traffic, creating a deluge of online activity. The server either slows down or crashes entirely as a result of this. Black hat hackers frequently demand a substantial sum of money, sometimes referred to as a ransom, in order to end the attack.
- Data breaches: A data breach occurs when a malicious hacker gains access to a system or account and takes private information with them. Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as home addresses and Social Security numbers, might be included in stolen data.
- Malware: One kind of harmful software that is installed on a device or system by black hat hackers is called malware. Once the malware has been installed successfully, it may be used to record your keystrokes, spy on your activities, access the camera and microphone on your device, and take sensitive data that you have saved there.
Grey Hat Hackers
Between white hat and black hat hackers, gray hat hackers can occasionally utilize their hacking abilities for good as well as for destructive purposes. In addition to wanting to reveal security flaws, gray hat hackers are driven by a desire to enhance security. Here are a few instances of gray hat hacking:
- Reporting security flaws: Gray hat hackers search for weaknesses in an organization's security and offer to disclose them in exchange for money. The gray hat hacker will notify the organization of the location and nature of the security vulnerability after they are paid by the organization.
- Assisting people: Some gray hat hackers will apply their expertise to assist people who have fallen prey to a cyberattack. For instance, they'll assist customers in getting rid of viruses from their devices or helping them restore their data.
Why are Hat Colors Used to Describe Hacker Types?
In the field of information security, hackers are classified into three categories: black hats, white hats, and gray hats. As hackers attempted to set themselves apart and identify the good from the evil, these colored hat descriptors were formed. Western films, in which the antagonists wore black hats and the protagonists wore white hats, are the source of the black and white hat designations. The hacker hat rainbow is becoming wider these days. Other hacker qualities are described by newer hat colors, although the names are not as popular or well-known. It will take time to see if these nicknames stick, going from green to red to blue.
What are the Different Categories of Hackers?
Below, you will find information about the different categories of hackers.
Red Hat Hackers
Red hat hackers are similar to white hat hackers, except that they work for themselves to thwart black hat hackers rather than being employed by companies or governments to identify and address vulnerabilities. These dark web virtuosos, commonly known as "vigilante hackers" or "Robin Hood hackers", frequently employ forceful (and perhaps even unlawful) tactics to retaliate against black hat scammers.
Red hat hackers can work together to attack large-scale scams that take advantage of people using social engineering hacks like spearphishing and scareware. Red hats breach scammers' networks and devices to stop them in their tracks; occasionally, they even use malware to knock them offline for several days or weeks at a time.
Blue Hat Hackers
Similar to white hat hackers, blue hat hackers utilize early access to test new systems for vulnerabilities rather than getting into systems or software that is already in use. The organization can then decide whether to upgrade or deploy systems after identifying possible dangers or weak areas.
Still unclear? Let's imagine a business that wants to introduce a new file-sharing system. They absolutely do not want hackers to be able to simply breach company systems and steal sensitive information. So, in order to test the system before making a choice, they will employ a hacker. The program can be released if the system is safe enough.
Green Hat Hackers
Hackers in training are known as green hat hackers. Green hat hackers want to get the abilities necessary to someday become more skilled hackers, even if they lack the expertise that black hat hackers have with online scamming. Green hat hackers invest as much time as necessary to become proficient hackers when they locate an experienced hacker to study under.
Script Kiddies
Script kids are similar to green hat hackers, but they don't have the same motivation to study. The goal of script kiddies is not to become proficient black hat hackers. Rather than developing their own hacking tools and methods, they replicate malware that has already been created by more skilled hackers.
The most well-known instance of script kiddie happened in 2022 when a teenager compromised Uber's internal systems. After gaining access using 2FA spam and basic social engineering techniques, the inexperienced hacker copied and pasted code scripts to cause chaos on the Uber network. Even though the culprit was quickly found and taken into custody, the harm had already been done.
Hacktivists
Hacktivists are those who breach systems in an effort to retaliate against perceived injustices in politics or society. Hacktivists frequently attempt to reveal corporate or governmental wrongdoing by breaching secure networks and revealing confidential data.
The most well-known hacktivist group is Anonymous, which has targeted several institutions to protest perceived injustice, including the US Federal Reserve, the Church of Scientology, and governments all around the world.
Even if they think their actions are serving the greater good, those who participate in hacktivism nearly always mean to hurt their victims' reputations or in some other way.
State-sponsored Hackers
The James Bonds of the cyber world are state-sponsored hackers. In order to better understand and manage both current and potential dangers, government organizations employ these people to gather private information about other nations.
Many people are aware of Cozy Bear, a state-sponsored hacking outfit that has been accused of interfering with the 2016 US presidential election. The gang has a history of targeting prominent institutions, including energy firms, governments, and other businesses that are essential to society's everyday operations.
Malicious Insiders
Unlike whistleblowers, malicious insiders don't care about justice or honesty. They purposefully breach company networks to cause havoc or profit from private information that could put the company and its customers in danger, usually out of greed or retaliation for perceived slights.
This might happen if an employee gets an alluring offer to steal private company documents in return for money. An employee turns into a malevolent insider as soon as they have access to the network with the goal of stealing confidential information.
Opportunistic Hackers
Opportunists take advantage of those who are ill-prepared by frequently playing on human weaknesses like familiarity and trust. They commit their crimes against certain companies or people, relying on targeted or focused attacks. Before launching an actual assault, hackers typically conduct extensive research on their targets and conduct tests. Additionally, in order to get as many victims into their webs as possible, opportunists search for loopholes or vulnerabilities that already exist and may be widely exploited. In fact, the FBI predicted a 300% rise in opportunity-related crimes by August 2020.
Cryptojackers
Cryptojackers are known to mine for cryptocurrency by taking advantage of weaknesses in networks and stealing computer resources. They utilize a number of techniques to propagate malware, most frequently by infecting websites with malicious viruses. They install harmful programs on victims' systems with the use of viruses and techniques akin to ransomware, which operate covertly in the background without the victims' awareness. After the code has been planted, the hacker receives the results.
Due to the lengthy detection time of malicious code, crypto-jackers are difficult to identify. Once the infection is detected, it might be challenging to identify its source because the attackers' primary goal is to utilize the victim's machine to mine Bitcoin rather than steal their data.
Gaming Hackers
A hacker who targets rivals in the gaming industry is known as a game hacker. It's hardly surprising that a distinct class of game hackers has developed as a result of the gaming industry's explosive growth. Expert gamers may shell out thousands of dollars for top-tier gear and gaming credits, and hackers usually launch such assaults with the intention of stealing competitor credit caches or forcing them offline via distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) operations.
Botnets
Malware programmers known as "botnet hackers" use automated programs to launch frequent, high-volume attacks on as many devices as they can. Usually, they target routers, webcams, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The way the bots work is that they search for unprotected devices to infiltrate, or devices that retain their original login credentials. In addition to being immediately useful to the hacker who developed them, botnets are often sold on the dark web for use by other hackers.
What are the most common Hacking Techniques and Attacks?
The most common hacking attacks and methods are outlined below:
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Denial of Service (DoS) attacks: Websites are frequently the subject of common hacking techniques, such as denial of service (DoS) assaults, which aim to disrupt and destroy them. Your systems are overloaded with more network traffic than they can manage as a result of this assault. Consider your website as an example. It can often serve hundreds or even thousands of people at once each day. However, if too many people visit the website at once, it becomes overwhelmed and crashes.
Hackers imitate hundreds of requests during a denial-of-service attack, taxing your systems until they eventually collapse. Occasionally, you can come across a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) assault, which operates on the same concept but masks the source and purpose of the traffic by using a network of computers to produce traffic.
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SQL injection: A database is used by all of your most crucial systems, including your website, to store data. These databases read and write data nearly exclusively using Structured Query Language (SQL). Hackers will attempt to remotely execute database instructions using SQL injection attacks by taking advantage of security flaws in your systems. They can steal important data that can be resold if they can insert SQL instructions into your website. Troublemakers and hacktivists could just erase every piece of data they could.
Hackers with experience could also be able to manipulate backends and alter system configurations. After gaining access to the database server, hackers could be able to attack other network resources to steal even more data.
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Malware: The most popular kind of hacking is malware. Any "code developed by cyber-attackers, designed to cause extensive damage to data and systems or to gain unauthorized access to a network" is what one anti-malware company defines as it. Malware can be found in several formats, such as:
- Viruses that corrupt data or prevent your machines from operating properly. This might entail utilizing infected devices to "mine" cryptocurrencies or generating pop-up advertisements.
- Ransomware that encrypts your files and requests a ransom to be paid in order to unlock them.
- Trojan horses that let hackers access your computer through a backdoor and steal confidential information or even take over the whole machine
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Phishing & Social Engineering: A low-tech yet very efficient hacking method involves requesting individuals to voluntarily provide their passwords and other confidential personal data. Although the complexity of these social engineering assaults varies, they always aim to take advantage of humans as the weakest link in your cybersecurity defenses.
Hackers create meticulously constructed emails that seem to be from a reliable source, such as your bank, in order to carry out phishing attacks. Phishing emails typically inform their target that hackers have accessed their account and that they need to change their password right away. The user is sent to a website that seems authentic but is really managed by the hackers when they click on the email. The user is giving the hacker their active login credentials while believing they are going through a password reset procedure. Your protected assets may then be accessed using those credentials.
Similar deception is used in social engineering attacks when hackers pose as representatives of a reliable source. One of the simplest and most successful social engineering strategies is having a hacker call one of your staff members while pretending to be a member of the technical support staff. In order to run some tests, the hacker requests the user's login and password after reporting a problem with their account. After gaining access to systems, the hacker can use those credentials to steal information or wreak havoc.
The modern version of traditional confidence tricks is called social engineering hacking. While there are technological ways to defend against these assaults, educating your users to spot phony emails and calls is a more successful strategy.
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Man-in-the-Middle attacks: Man-in-the-middle (MiTM)attacks snoop on traffic as it travels across the internet or your network. The hacker merely records every piece of data that is sent between two locations and examines it to look for any relevant information, such as passwords or private information. As an alternative, the hacker could "spoof" a trustworthy location and gather all of the information you transmit; this is a common tactic in mobile hacking.
The man-in-the-middle WiFi attack is among the most often used methods. In this setup, hackers frequently install a hacked WiFi access point in a public area. Hackers can obtain all data passing via the "fake" access point when devices connect to it.
Encryption is essential for preventing man-in-the-middle attacks. SSL is the same technology that encrypts your network traffic and safeguards your credit card information when you purchase online. Even if a hacker manages to obtain the data, they will be unable to utilize it due to its encryption.
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Zero-day attacks: A zero-day attack is an exploit that is created when a hacker finds a way to take advantage of a vulnerability before software developers can discover a solution. Since zero-day vulnerabilities might seem like any kind of wider software weakness, they can take on nearly any shape. They might manifest as bugs, flawed algorithms, URL redirection, SQL injection, buffer overflows, missing authorizations, missing data encryption, or issues with password security. This makes it harder to proactively identify zero-day vulnerabilities, which is somewhat advantageous as it also makes it more difficult for hackers to uncover them. However, it also implies that it's challenging to properly defend against these weaknesses.