A brief overview of a Hacker and Hacking
Hacking initially arose as a phase in 1970, but its use increased during the next decade. The 1980 issue of Psychology Today had an article titled “The Hacker Papers” that examined the addictive aspect of computer use. Two years later, two films, Tron and WarGames, were produced in which the protagonists hacked into computer networks, thereby introducing the concept of hacking to a large public and as a potential threat to national security.
Later that same year, a group of teens successfully hacked into the computer networks of large organizations, including Los Alamos National Laboratory, Security Pacific Bank, and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A Newsweek article detailing the event was the first to use the term “hacker” in its current pejorative use.
This event also prompted Congress to establish a variety of computer crime-related laws, but this did not prevent high-profile attacks on corporate and government systems. The concept of hacking has exploded with the public release of the internet, which has resulted in far greater opportunities and attractive rewards for hacking activity. This resulted in the evolution and sophistication of hacking techniques and the emergence of numerous hacking types and hackers.
The Meaning of Hacking
The act of compromising digital devices and networks through illegal access to an account or computer system is a popular definition of hacking. Hacking is not always a harmful act, however, it is usually connected with cybercriminal activities and data theft.
So what is hacking in the context of cyber security?
In cyber security, hacking refers to the exploitation of technologies such as computers, cellphones, and networks to harm or destroy systems, obtain information about users, steal data and documents, or disrupt data-related activity.
The classic conception of a hacker is a lone, talented programmer who modifies computer software and hardware systems. Yet, this limited perspective does not encompass the full technical aspect of hacking. Hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, employing stealthy attack techniques designed to remain undetected by cybersecurity software and IT staff. They are also highly competent at developing attack vectors that deceive users into opening infected attachments or URLs and voluntarily handing over sensitive personal information.
So, modern hacking includes significantly more than an irate teenager in his bedroom. It is a multibillion-dollar enterprise employing highly complex and effective methods.
What does “ethical hacking” mean? What is the legality of ethical hacking?
Ethical hacking is what people who wear white hats when they hack do. It involves getting into computer systems and networks in order to look for possible weaknesses and then fixing any that are found. It is legal to use these technical skills to do ethical hacking, as long as the person has written permission from the system or network owner, protects the organization’s privacy, and tells the organization and its vendors about any weaknesses they find.
Forms of Hacking and Hackers
There are often four primary reasons why malicious actors hack websites or computer systems: (1) financial gain through the theft of credit card numbers or by scamming financial services; (2) corporate espionage; (3) to earn popularity or admiration for their hacking talents; and (4) state-sponsored hacking with the intent of stealing commercial information and national intelligence. In addition, there are politically motivated hackers, or hacktivists, such as Anonymous, LulzSec, and WikiLeaks, who disclose sensitive information to attract public attention.
Among the most prevalent sorts of hackers who engage in these actions are:
Black Hat Hackers
Hackers who wear black hats are the “evil guys” of the hacking community. They go out of their way to find vulnerabilities in computer systems and software in order to exploit them for financial benefit or for more nefarious goals, such as gaining a reputation, conducting corporate espionage, or as part of a nation-state hacking campaign.
The conduct of these individuals can cause severe harm to both computer users and their employers. They are able to steal sensitive personal data, corrupt computer and financial systems, and change or disable the performance of websites and vital networks.
White Hat Hackers
White hat hackers are the “good people” who utilize proactive hacking to avoid the success of black hat hackers. Ethical hackers utilize their technical expertise to break into systems in order to analyze and test the level of network security. This helps to identify system vulnerabilities before malicious hackers may detect and exploit them.
White hat hackers employ techniques that are similar to or even identical to those of black hat hackers, however these individuals are employed by corporations to test and identify potential security vulnerabilities.
Grey Hat Hackers
Grey hat hackers exist between the good and bad hackers. In contrast to black hat hackers, they break rules and principles without intending harm or financial benefit. Typically, their actions are performed for the common benefit. Unlike white hat hackers, they may exploit a vulnerability to bring attention to its existence. This informs malicious actors to the vulnerability’s existence.
Protection from Being Hacked
There are a number of essential steps and best practices that organizations and users may take to reduce the likelihood of being hacked.
System Upgrade
Hackers are continuously searching for undiscovered or unpatched security flaws or vulnerabilities. Software and operating system updates are essential to preventing people and businesses from being hacked. Users must activate automatic updates and install the most recent software version on all of their devices and programs.
Use Unique Passwords for Each Account
The most common source of data breaches and cyberattacks is the use of weak passwords, account credentials, and improper password habits. It is crucial not only to employ complex, difficult-to-crack passwords, but also to never use the same password for many accounts. Using unique passwords is essential for decreasing the efficacy of hackers.
HTTPS Security
The spoofing of websites is another prevalent method of data theft, in which hackers construct a website that appears authentic but steals the credentials that users submit. It is essential to look for the HTTPS prefix at the beginning of a website’s address. Such as: https://www.fortinet.com.
Avoid clicking on advertisements or odd links.
Hackers also frequently employ advertisements such as pop-up adverts. When clicked, they cause the user’s device to unwittingly download malware or spyware. Links should be handled with care, and unusual links in email messages or on social media should never be clicked. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to install malware on a device or direct users to fake websites.
Modify Your Router’s and Smart Devices’ Default Username and Password
Routers and intelligent devices provide usernames and passwords by default. As suppliers ship millions of devices, there is a risk that the credentials are not unique, which increases the likelihood of hackers gaining access. It is recommended to set a unique username and password for these kinds of devices.
Smart gadgets
Hackers like to steal money from smart devices like smartphones. The software development process for Android devices, in particular, is more open source and less consistent than that for Apple devices. This makes Android devices more likely to have their data stolen or changed. But hackers are going after the millions of devices that are connected to the Internet of Things more and more (IoT).
Webcams
Webcams that are built into computers are often hacked, mostly because it is easy to do so. Hackers usually get into a computer by using a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) in rootkit malware. This lets them spy on users, read their messages, see what they’re doing online, take screenshots, and take over their webcam.
Routers
By hacking routers, an attacker can get into the data that is sent and received over them and into the networks that are accessed through them. Hackers can also take over a router to do other bad things, like distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, DNS spoofing, or cryptomining.
Email is one of the most common things that hackers try to get into. It is used to spread malware and ransomware and as a method for phishing attacks, which let attackers send malicious attachments or links to people they want to attack.
Jailbroken Phones
When you jailbreak a phone, you take away the restrictions that were put on its operating system. This lets the user install apps or other software that isn’t in the phone’s official app store. Not only does jailbreaking break the end-license user’s agreement with the phone developer, but it also opens up many security holes. Hackers can go after jailbroken phones, which gives them access to all the data on the device and lets them attack other systems and networks that are connected to it.
FAQs
What exactly is hacking?
The act of compromising digital devices and networks by gaining unauthorized access to an account or computer system is known as hacking. Understanding the intent behind hacking is critical to understanding it, which typically involves the hacker seeking access to digital infrastructure, application data, and stealing sensitive customer information that could harm companies if leaked online. Ransomware is a type of hacking that is used to obtain money.
What are the seven different types of hackers?
There are numerous types of hackers, with the most common being black, grey, and white hat hackers. The bad guys—the cyber criminals—are black hat hackers. The good guys are white hat or ethical hackers, while grey hat hackers are somewhere in the middle.
Blue hat hackers are amateur hackers who carry out malicious acts such as revenge attacks, red hat hackers look for black hat hackers to prevent their attacks, and green hat hackers want to learn about and observe hacking techniques on hacking forums.
Cyber terrorists, hacktivists, state- or nation-sponsored hackers, script kiddies, malicious insiders, and elite hackers are also common types of hackers. Some hacker groups are extremely well organized, and they are constantly looking for new ways to identify weaknesses and organize security penetration of large and small organizations.
What is the most significant hack in history?
The data breach against Yahoo! is thought to be the largest hack in history. The 2013 attack compromised approximately 3 billion people, and the company revealed that it affected every Yahoo! customer.
Which country has the greatest number of hackers?
China is thought to be the country with the most dangerous hackers. China is responsible for the majority of major cyberattacks that have occurred around the world.
Find out more on hackers such as Rajat Khare.
