What is the difference between Black Hat, Grey Hat and White Hat hacks?
White, Grey or Black ?
Are you a White Hat Hacker ? Not all hackers are inherently evil. When used in the mainstream media, the word “hacker” is usually used in relation to cybercriminals, but a hacker can be anyone, regardless of their intentions, who uses their knowledge of software and hardware to analyze and circumvent security measures on a computer, device, or network. Hacking is not an illegal activity unless the hacker compromises a system without the owner’s permission. Many companies and government agencies actually employ hackers to help them protect their systems.
White Hat Hackers
White Hat Hackers choose to use their powers for good rather than evil. Also known as “ethical hackers,” white hat hackers can sometimes be paid or contracted employees who work for companies as security specialists attempting to find security holes through hacking.
White hat hackers use the same hacking methods as those used by black hats, with one exception: they do so with the permission of the system owner, which makes the process completely legal. White hat hackers perform penetration testing, on-site security testing, and perform vulnerability assessments for companies. There are also courses, training, conferences and certifications for ethical hacking.
Grey Hat Hackers
As in life, there are gray areas that are neither black nor white. Grey Hat hackers are a mixture of both Black and White Hat activities. Often, Grey Hat hackers look for vulnerabilities in a system without the owner’s permission or knowledge. If problems are found, they report them to the owner, sometimes demanding a small fee to fix the problem. If the owner does not respond or comply, then sometimes hackers post the newly found exploit online for the world to see.
These types of hackers are not inherently malicious with their intentions; they are just trying to get something out of their findings for themselves. Usually, gray-hatted hackers do not exploit found vulnerabilities. However, this type of hacking is still considered illegal because the hacker has not received permission from the owner before attempting to attack the system.
Although the word hacker tends to evoke negative connotations, it is important to remember that all hackers do not act in the same way. If we did not have white hat hackers diligently looking for threats and vulnerabilities before Black Hat can find them, there would probably be a lot more activity involving cybercriminals exploiting vulnerabilities and collecting sensitive data than there is now.
Black Hat Hackers
Like all hackers, black hat hackers usually have extensive knowledge of accessing computer networks and circumventing security protocols. They are also responsible for writing malware, which is a method used to gain access to these systems.
Their primary motivation is usually for personal or financial gain, but they may also be involved in cyber espionage, protesting, or perhaps are simply addicted to the thrill of cybercrime. Black hat hackers can range from amateurs who get their feet wet by spreading malware to experienced hackers who aim to steal data, particularly financial information, personal information, and login credentials. Hackers not only try to steal data, but also to modify or destroy it.
I would like to add another category, the most dangerous of all, both to themselves and to those they attack/test.
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The term Script kiddies is used to identify those unqualified individuals who attempt to gain access to computer systems using tools already made and known. A Script kiddies attempt to attack computer systems and networks, and vandalize websites. Although they are considered inexperienced and immature, script kiddies can inflict as much computer damage as professional hackers and can face similar criminal charges as their older, more experienced counterparts. In other words, they are those people who believe they are Hackers without years of study and testing and use software found around the net to just make messes.