4.1B - White, Grey, and Black Hat Hackers - Genial.ly

White, Grey, and Black Hat Hackers

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By Abhiram

Index

History of hacking

Additional sources

Ethical vs. Unethical hacking

Relation between all forms of hacking

Grey Hat Hackers

Black Hat Hackers

White Hat Hackers

Hacking began in the 1960s as a creative, exploratory practice by computer enthusiasts at MIT who sought innovative ways to solve problems and improve technology.

History of Hacking

White Hat Hackers

White hat hackers are ethical hackers who work to help protect companies and government agencies from cybercriminals. They are known for their strong ethics and commitment to integrity and confidentiality. When they find a vulnerability in a system, they report it responsibly and address it, instead of exploiting it for personal gain

Grey Hat Hackers

A grey hat hacker is a computer security expert who operates in a morally ambiguous area between white hat and black hat hackers. White hat hackers work with system owners to find and fix vulnerabilities and Grey hat hackers may violate laws or ethical standards, but usually don't have malicious intent

Black Hat Hackers

A black hat hacker is a computer hacker who violates laws or ethical standards for malicious purposes. Black hat hackers are also known as "crackers". Their actions can include cybercrime, cyberwarfare, piracy, and identity theft

Ethical vs. Unethical hacking

Ethical hacking and unethical hacking differ in their intent, purpose, and methods. Ethical hacking is authorized testing of computer systems and networks to identify vulnerabilities and fix them before malicious hackers can exploit them. Ethical hackers work within legal boundaries and follow a code of ethics. Unethical hacking is performed with malicious intent to steal data, cause harm, or disrupt systems. Unethical hackers use destructive methods like data breaches, DDoS attacks, ransomware, and social engineering. Their activities are illegal and can cause significant harm to individuals, companies, or governments.

How all three forms of hacking-related to Cyber Security

All three forms of hacking impact cybersecurity in different ways. White Hat Hackers strengthen cybersecurity by finding and fixing vulnerabilities. Grey Hat Hackers mostly expose issues without authorization, sometimes helping improve security indirectly. Black Hat Hackers threaten systems by exploiting vulnerabilities, pushing cybersecurity to continuously evolve to prevent attacks and safeguard data.

Additional sources

• https://www.cobalt.io/blog/history-of-hacking
• https://www.avast.com/c-hacker-types#
• https://newresources.com/blogs/ethical-hacking-vs-non-ethical-hacking/