Types of hackers to watch out for in 2023

Many of us are fascinated with hackers and hacking movies. But do you know all hackers don’t do illegal activities, as we see in movies? They do various tasks ranging from hacking, bug bounty, cyber security, etc. All hackers work with organizations or governments and sometimes as a freelancer. In this article, I will tell you about a hacker, different types of hackers, and their responsibilities.

Let’s dive in.

What is a hacker?

The term “hacker” can have multiple meanings.

Hacker could be someone who wants to gain access to a system to commit cybercrime or some ransomware attack (Black hat hacker).

The term “hacker” can also refer to someone gaining access to a system with its owner’s permission to find any security flaws and fix them (White hat hacker).

Main types of Hackers

All hackers have their work and motive to hack. We can divide Hackers into different types. First, let us see the main types of Hackers.

White Hat Hackers

Also known as Ethical Hackers (or pen testers)
Gain access to a system with their respective Administrator’s or owner’s permission
Hack to test the security flaws in a system
Their main motive is to protect systems from bad guys
Often considered good guys

Black Hat Hackers

Also known as Unethical Hackers (or cyber criminals)
Gain access to a system without their administrator’s or owner’s permission
Hack to execute cyber-attacks (Ransomware attacks, Identity theft, etc.)
Uses the same technologies as White Hat Hackers
Their main motive is to make money through cyber attacks
They are considered bad guys in the hacking world

Gray Hat Hackers

Gain access to a system both with or without the owner’s permission
Hack to find the security flaws and loopholes of a system
They have no intention of stealing any information from the system they hack
They are sometimes considered legal and illegal in some other situations

Green Hat Hackers

They are newbie hackers
They hack a system intentionally or sometimes without any intention
Their main motive is to learn and implement a new skill
They might be dangerous in some situations as they don’t know the consequences of what they are doing

Blue Hat Hackers

They are almost the same as White Hat Hackers
They also do penetration testing (finding bugs and flaws in a system)
The main difference is they are mostly externally hired by companies to test and update their system
Their purpose is not to misuse information or to perform cyber attack

Red Hat Hackers

Their main aim is to stop Black Hat Hackers
They can go to any extent to do this
Maybe even launch a full-fledged cyber attacks
Also known as the Robinhood of the hacking world
They are very similar to White Hat Hackers

Some other Hackers

Some of them are the following:

Gaming Hackers

Hack various games using their hacking knowledge
Their main motive is fun and sometimes to make money through hacking games
They hack games to modify them by adding new things to games (also known as modders in the gaming industry)
Some popular mods are Brutal Doom, New California, Roleplay servers of GTA5, etc.
Gaming Hackers are more popular among teenagers, as most teenagers play games
They also live stream hacked games on YouTube, Twitch, etc

Botnets Hackers

These types of hackers use a hijacked system to do cyber attacks or other malicious activities
Botnet Hackers do this by hijacking a computer system or any internet-connected device and then using it for their means
They do this to hundreds or even thousands of devices for a massive impact
The primary use of botnets is for financial theft, information theft, cryptocurrency scams, etc

Script kiddies

Their work is also similar to that of Green Hat Hackers but with some differences
Script kiddies are also newbies/beginners
The main difference between the Green Hat Hackers and Script kiddies is that Script kiddies mainly use pre-built tools instead of doing anything on their own
They pay for the hacking tools and then use them to perform cyber attacks. For example, buying ransomware as a service tool for executing a simple ransomware attack
They don’t learn any tools or technologies used by other hackers (Black Hat, White Hat, and so on)

Hacktivist Hacker

They gain unauthorized access to a system for a political or social cause
They also use the same technologies and abilities to gain access
Their main motive is to spread a message or to help activists in a protest
They have no intention of making money through hacking
An example of hacking performed by a Hacktivist is executing a DDOS attack on a government website to shut it down

Cryptojackers

Cryptojackers came into the limelight around 2018 with the increasing popularity of the cryptocurrency
Cryptojacking falls in the category of a cybercrime
They gain access to other people’s devices (such as Desktop pc, laptops, etc.) and use the device resources to mine crypto and sell them to make money from them
Their sole purpose is to make money throughout this process
They make themselves to hide from the owner of the device

State/Nation sponsored Hackers

The government of a country hires these hackers to perform cyber attacks on its rival country
Cyber attacks done by these hackers can cause a great destruction
These attacks are beneficial for the government as they are easier to deny when they are exposed
These attacks are cheaper for a government as compared to a military strike and can destroy at a mass level (Power grid failure in a state)

Do you know how to protect yourself from these types of hackers?

You could also be a victim of these hackers. You should follow some preventive measures to prevent yourself from getting hacked by these hackers. Some of them are listed below:

Only use apps and websites from a trusted source.
Do not access the internet using public wifi.
Opt for two-factor authentication wherever available.
Always use a strong password for your apps and websites.
Do not click an unknown link or attachment.

Conclusion

We see many types of hackers and their work in this article. You can also be a victim of a cyber-attack or data breach. To prevent yourself from a cyber-attack, you should follow the preventive measures listed above.

FAQs

Which type of hacker is most effective?

Although almost all hackers use the same tools and techniques for gaining access to a system, White Hat Hackers can be considered the most effective as they hack for a good cause.

How effective is each type of hacker?

There is no perimeter to calculate the effectiveness of a hacker. Each hacker has a purpose.

What types of hackers are there?

All types of hackers are discussed above in the article.

How does a hacker work?

There are multiple ways to work. First, they identify their target, gain access to their system using various techniques and steal the information they want.

Who is the number 1 hacker in the world?

We can’t conclude any hacker is number 1. But in terms of popularity, Kevin Mitnick is considered the most popular hacker of all time.