You may be aware of what a hacker is if you watch the news or keep up with technology, but you may not be aware that hackers are classified as black hat, white hat, or grey hat. The names are derived from old American popular culture Western films, in which the protagonists wore white or light-colored hats and the antagonists wore black hats.
Essentially, the motivation of the hacker and whether or not they are breaking the law determine the sort of hacker.
Definition of a black hat hacker
Criminals who enter into computer networks with evil intent are known as black hat hackers. They may also spread malware that deletes files, enslaves machines, or steals passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal data.
Black hats are driven by self-interested motives such as financial gain, vengeance, or simply wreaking devastation. It's possible that their purpose is ideological, as they target persons with whom they strongly disagree.
What is a black hat hacker?
Black hat hackers frequently start out as inexperienced "script kiddies" who use pre-purchased hacking tools to take advantage of security flaws. Some are taught to hack by managers who are eager to make quick money. The most prominent black hats are expert hackers who work for sophisticated criminal organizations that, like regular firms, provide collaboration tools for their employees and offer service agreements to clients. On occasion, warranties and customer support are included with black hat malware kits sold on the dark web.
Hackers that specialize in phishing or administering remote access tools are known as black hat hackers. Many people find "jobs" on the dark web through forums and other connections. Some people create and sell harmful software on their own, while others prefer to work through franchises or leasing agreements, which is similar to how genuine businesses operate.
Although hacking has become an important intelligence-gathering tool for governments, black hat hackers are more likely to work alone or with organized crime organizations for quick cash.
How do black hat hackers operate?
Hacking can be run like a major business, with the size making it simple to spread harmful software. Partners, resellers, suppliers, and affiliates let businesses buy and sell malware licenses to other criminal organizations for exploitation in new locations or markets.
Some black hat groups even have contact centers where they claim to work for a well-known technology company like Microsoft and make outbound calls.
The hacker tries to persuade potential victims to grant remote access to their systems or download malware in this scam. By giving access or installing the recommended software, the victim unwittingly allows crooks to steal passwords and banking information, or take control of the computer and use it to launch attacks on others. To make matters worse, the victim is usually paid an excessive amount for this "assistance."
Other hacks are quick and automatic, with no human interaction. Attack bots scour the internet for unprotected machines to penetrate, frequently via phishing, virus attachments, or links to compromised websites.
Black hat hacking is a worldwide issue, making it incredibly tough to eradicate. Hackers often leave little evidence, access the computers of unknowing victims, and cross many jurisdictions, which makes it difficult for law enforcement to catch them. Even if authorities are successful in shutting down a hacking site in one nation, the same operation may continue in another country, allowing the organization to continue operating.
An example of a black hat hacker
Kevin Mitnick, a well-known black hat hacker who was once the world's most wanted cybercriminal, is one of the most well-known black hat hackers. As a black hat hacker, he gained access to roughly 40 major companies, including IBM and Motorola, as well as the US National Defense Warning System. As a black hat hacker, he gained access to roughly 40 major companies, including IBM and Motorola, as well as the US National Defense Warning System.
He was apprehended and imprisoned as a result. He went on to work as a cybersecurity consultant after his release, where he uses his hacking expertise for white hat hacking. Another well-known example is Tsutomu Shimomura, a cybersecurity expert who is credited with tracking down Kevin Mitnick. Shimomura was a computational physics researcher who also worked for the US National Security Agency. He was one of the pioneering researchers who first brought attention to the issue of security and privacy in cell phones. The founder of Neofocal Systems put his security expertise to good use and was instrumental in bringing Kevin Mitnick to justice. Takedown, his book, was eventually made into a film.