Hackers The news loves to report them, and the public just loves to completely fail to understand what they are really doing. The word “hacker” has come to be associated with malicious computer criminals, largely due to the way it is used in the media and films.
The malicious type of computer wizards was originally known as the “cracker,” but the hacking community seems to have given up trying to get the “cracker” to take root. Instead, hackers with different moral inclinations are sorted into three different hats. Wizards, too, as it turns out.
So, if you think all hackers are the “bad guys,” now is the time to uncover the basics of hacker morality. With a lot of power comes a lot of responsibility, and how a hacker decides to use his knowledge determines what kind of hat he will wear.
Of course, any hacker can wear more than one hat. The hat is associated with the type of hacking in progress, not necessarily with who is hacking.
By the end of this article, you will have understood which type of hacking suits which hat, and hopefully, you will know how hackers fit into the larger digital ecosystem. So hold on to your hat (whatever it is) as we delve deeper into the moral foundations of hacker culture.
The White Hat Pirates are the rightful legitimate Wizards of the network
White hat hackers are also called “ethical hackers”. If you are looking for a legal career as a hacker, then this is the only hat you should be wearing. Ethical hackers always do their best to ensure that whatever they do happens with the consent of everyone involved. They act as security consultants and advocate for a safer digital world.
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One of the most valuable services offered by the white hats is known as the penetration test or “pentest”. Basically an ethical hacker goes out of his way to find holes in the client’s security. If they manage to bypass the client’s security, a full report will follow with details of the security measures.
Ethical hackers never intentionally harm data, systems, or people. You can actually take courses on ethical hacking and, if you have the relevant experience and qualifications, get your certificate of ethical hacker.
White hats are usually driven by a passion for privacy and security. They are becoming increasingly important as the businesses, services, and government agencies we all need move to fully digital business models.
The Gray Hat Pirates is a true neutral roll
Gray-hat hackers are not intruders in their own right, but neither do they adhere to strict ethical standards. The gray hat can while away the time digging in places where they are prohibited from being. They don’t steal information or spoil anything intentionally, but they don’t care about consent either.
If the gray hat finds a security vulnerability, they will most likely report it to the owners of the system privately. However, gray hats are known to publish exploits if they are not patched to force the owners of the system to act.
Gray hat hackers are often driven by sheer curiosity and a desire to explore the web. They have no intention of breaking the law or causing harm.
It’s just that sometimes pesky laws and ethical principles get in the way of what they want to do. Even though unethical pentests are illegal, some companies can tolerate gray hats that bring them critical exploits without exposing them to attackers.
Big tech companies often offer bug bounty programs where people can sneakily bring in vulnerabilities they discover. If the disclosure is in accordance with their error bounty rules, anyone can participate.
Black Hat Pirates – Anarchist Evil Conjurers
Hackers in black hat are the personification of the Internet. These people use their skills and knowledge to make a profit, “lulz” or both. “Lulz” is a misrepresentation of the Internet term “LOL” or laugh out loud . In this context, it means doing something just because you think you can, or because it would be fun.
When it comes to making money, black hats have many options, and they are all illegal and immoral! They hack into systems to steal information or simply destroy everything, causing massive damage.
Selling stolen credit card information is a black hat business. Identity theft? Another day on the internet, guys from the underworld. The other two types of hackers, as you’d expect, usually counter attackers.
State Hackers
Government hackers are a relatively new addition to the hacker pantheon. They don’t quite match any of the traditional headgear and represent the next generation of cyberwar soldiers. What they are doing (should be) legal under their own country’s espionage laws, but their intentions may also be malicious.
Government hackers don’t fit into the hacker hat spectrum because, until today, hackers have mostly been civilian groups and individuals. However, government hackers are here to stay, so we need to find a place for them in our thinking about the hacker world. Maybe we could call them “camouflage hats.” No, it will never catch on, will it?
We need pirates!
By nature, hackers live on the fringes of the digital world. They are certainly very different from regular users, and even power users and technology aficionados don’t fall into the same circles.
A hacker’s mind, no matter what kind of hat he wears, should be at right angles to that of the average person. They can move away from the prejudices and prejudices that most of us have, and thus find some pretty surprising workarounds and solutions.
While the specter of black hackers may keep some people awake at night, there is no doubt that we need people with this “hacker†mindset in order to develop technology and policies around these technologies.
It is important to remember that hacking is often part of the innovation process. Someone comes up with an idea and tests it instead of rejecting it as impossible. So if you automatically associate the word “hacker” with crime, it might be time to rethink those prejudices.
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