Are cybersecurity hackers the same? When people hear about the word hacker, they immediately think about the bad guys they often see in movies. But did you know that there are different types of hackers? Let us get to know them in this article.
Are Cybersecurity Hackers the Same?
Black Hat Hackers
These are the types of hackers people think about when they hear the word hacker. What are black hat hackers? Well, they are the hackers that use their computer skills to get into a system or a network and steal information or damage things. They also use their skills to commit cybercrimes such as identity theft, credit card fraud, and more.
Black hat hackers usually do not care who gets hurt by their actions. They just want to get whatever they want and make a profit by selling the information they stole or the things they damaged.
White Hat Hackers
This is the type of hacker who uses his computer skills for good. White hat hackers are almost the opposite of black hat hackers. They use their skills to find vulnerabilities in a system or network so that they can be fixed before anyone else finds them. They also help companies with security testing.
White hat hackers do not steal any information from a system or network because they do not need it for anything. Their job is to make sure that it is secure and safe for everyone to use. Black hats want to steal everything so that they can make money from it. But white hat hackers do not care about making money with their skills, they only care about helping as many companies as possible. Also, they are making sure that no one gets hurt by using something that is not secure enough.
Gray Hat Hackers
These are hackers who have skills that can be used for both good and bad purposes. They are not the type of people who want to hurt anyone, but they also do not mind using their skills for personal benefits. They hack into a system or a network and steal information but they do not share it with any other people.
Gray hat hackers are not interested in money, they just want to have the information for themselves. They do it for fun and try to enjoy the power they have over the system or the network they hacked into.
The difference between gray hat hackers and black hat hackers is that gray hat hackers never share their gained information with anyone and black hat hackers always do that. Gray hat hackers are not interested in hurting anyone by using their skills, but black hat hackers care about no one else but themselves.
Cybersecurity Hackers Are Not the Same
As you can see, there are different types of hackers. It is a very interesting topic to think about because it is not always easy to figure out who the bad guys are. Many people often think that black hat hackers are the only type of hackers, but there are also white hat hackers and gray hat hackers who do not deserve to be called as bad guys. So, what type of hacker do you want to be?
