Hackers used to learn their craft in many ways by trial and error, studying network operating system, looking for vulnerabilities and attempting to exploit them. They are people who respect their own privacy the most, and were once revolutionaries, somewhat even philosophers.
Today, the term ‘hacker’ is being referred mostly to serious illegitimate crime groups and individuals.
Who are the Hackers?
There is a hierarchy in the hackers’ community. The term ‘real hacker’ is reserved for expert programmers, networking wizards, etc. ‘Old school hackers’ would be ‘script kiddies’ who use software written by others to develop their own. Hackers come in all shapes and forms, from different cultures, religions, and genders.
Hacking involves a person who takes delight in experimenting with software, hardware, and network systems in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Hacking for them is a form of art and philosophy, conveying beauty and truth through code. The hackers culture is divided into two main groups; black hats and white hats.
– Black hats break into systems illegally for personal or monetary gain.
– White hats utilize their skills for legitimate testing and improvement of network security and systems, and usually work for corporations to help them improve their overall network security measures.
A Place on the Dark Web
While some hackers are malicious, others are simply idealists of sorts, hungry for recognition for them and their associated agenda. The idealist hacker will most probably end up being a part of something more dangerous than he or she expected. More often, the young hacker will pass various initiation tests, only to realize he has already been involved in an illegal cyber-crime by doing so. This is where the term hacker gets a whole new meaning, differentiating the white hats from the black hats, the idealists from the ‘capitalists’, the latter having realized they can make not just a living, but rather a successful business through hacking.
Strategy of Attack
No matter the ideology, these groups are formed around the same concept; to breach a system, gain access, to collect valuable information and leave, either seamless or with an intentional ‘trademark’ left behind. Before gaining entrance to the targeted system they will perform ‘electronical sniffing, and of course, the more challenging the breach, the more valuable the asset, the bigger the reward and more luxurious the recognition.
Attacks are never random, and unplanned. Much like a corporate strategic meeting, hackers hold discussions about the stages of action. The first stage being selecting the target, and appraise the value. The second stage would be an assessment of the target, researching vulnerabilities in the security system. The third stage is breaching the system and entering the space inside the company. The last stage is gaining valuable information and escaping before being seen.
Profiling the Hacker
Dozens of researches have been published by industry professionals in order to type-cast and profile possible hacker types;
– The pioneer – Fascinated by technology, curious about how a system works.
– The scamp – Playful hackers who just love leaving behind a digital signature, hungry for recognition.
– The explorer – Doesn’t necessarily have malicious intentions, but is thrilled by going places he is not supposed to.
– The game player – Looks at hacking as a game, trying to escape security or not get noticed, with the ultimate win being a successful penetration to the system.
– Hacking for dollars – who’s main goal is monetary profit. They see hacking as a job, a profession like any other.
– The white collar hacker – A company employee, selling information to the outside source, usually for profit.
– The computer con artist – Manipulative and deceptive, deals with internet scams like auctions, credit card fraud, web scamming, identity theft, false business, and investment opportunities
– The cracker – Cracks software by reverse engineering commercial applications. Typically, the goal is to examine software closely, tackle a challenge and see whether he can outwit a worthy opponent, the developer.
– The virus writer – Creator of Trojan and worms, writing code which attempts to reproduce itself on another system.
For many of them hacking is a hobby, something they are really good at. And then there are the ones who just want to use their skills to make a profit. Breaching broadband connection is like their entrance to system and computers. It is a secret key to utilize when on the hunt for valuable information. That valuable information could be your personal identifying data, which means you are the prey. The more data you leave exposed, the more valuable prize you are. The only way to escape is to watch out for the traces you leave behind. Protect yourself by keeping your on-guard computer status optimal.