Types of Hackers in Cybersecurity

Types of Hackers and Their Impact

Script kiddies

Script kiddies are newbies in the hacking field. They are not very familiar with how hacking tools function. So, they often rely on ready-made tools, online tutorials, and premade scripts to carry out attacks. These individuals can execute distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks without technical details.

Blue hat hackers

Blue hat hackers do not have any formal cybersecurity training. They identify system vulnerabilities and report security flaws before bad actors find and exploit them. They primarily work independently as contractors with organizations to perform security testing tasks. Their core services include penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and stress testing, which help uncover systems’ weaknesses.

Purple hat hackers

Purple-hat hackers are learners who keep trying to improve and develop their skills within a controlled environment. They experiment and practice to expand their knowledge base. Adhering to ethical practices, they do not engage in activities that could harm the security of other systems. To refine their skills, they create their networks without harming other systems. They share their knowledge, such as insights and the latest tools, with others and contribute to the cyber cybersecurity community.

Through self-training and experimentation, purple hat hackers deeply understand attack vectors. Their innovative mindset helps organizations to develop new strategies to enhance cyber security.

Red hat hackers

Red hat hackers defend organizations’ cybersecurity by fighting malicious hackers. They adopt aggressive approaches, such as operating against traditional boundaries. They not only report problems like code weaknesses but also fix them.  Sometimes, they attack first to prevent damage and disrupt cybercriminals. As a precautionary measure, they shut down networks, websites, or other malicious actors’ infrastructure. Stopping cybercriminals to perform harmful activities is the primary objective of red hat hackers.

Green hat hackers

Green hat hackers help organizations to get a fresh perspective on their digital assets. Their assistance allows organizations to enhance user experience and detect security weaknesses. They specifically highlight potential flaws in design and some standard system functionalities.

Moreover, they are not experts and work in a controlled environment. To avoid accidental damage, they test or access a system with the permission of the authorized owner.

Hacktivists

Hacktivists use their skills to achieve specific causes, such as promoting a political agenda or protesting against an organization. They can disrupt online services, steal sensitive information, or promote a social movement.

It is a digital form of civil disobedience because hackers are influenced by revenge or ideology. They often alter the appearance of a website they attack to promote their political statement. Their actions provoke or challenge governments or organizations. To meet their objectives, they use illegal methods.

Whistleblower

Whistleblowers are corporate spies who expose illegal activities such as fraud and corruption within an organization. The objectives behind such actions can vary from one whistleblower to another. They often intend to protect employees or the organization’s rights. Sometimes, they do it to blackmail organizations to gain personal benefits. The purpose and intention behind this act determine whether it is ethical or a betrayal.

The true Whistleblower seeks transparency despite facing retaliation. On the other hand, the one who leaks confidential information for personal gain is a corporate mole.

 Botnet hackers

Botnet hackers hijack networks and digital devices to carry out various scams and cyberattacks. Tracing them is challenging because they use other computers and devices to perform harmful activities. Moreover, they use botnets to automate attacks such as stealing data, crashing servers, or spreading malware.

They can send a large number of emails or phishing messages to steal sensitive information. Moreover, they can overload websites or servers to take them offline. Mining cryptocurrency using other computers is also one of their secret attacks.

Crypto hackers

Crypto hackers exploit vulnerabilities of cryptocurrency exchanges and steal cryptocurrencies. They use different methods to gain unauthorized access, such as:

• Phishing
• Malware
• Social engineering
• Finding vulnerabilities in smart contracts.
• Intercepting calls and text messages.

They always try new techniques to steal digital assets and sensitive information. Utilizing sophisticated hacking techniques, they target large-scale organizations.

Crypto jackers

Crypto jackers use other resources without their consent, such as computers, to mine cryptocurrency. They use malware or malicious scripts to exploit the victim’s device. Their attack slows down the system and increases electricity costs.

They attack with a malicious link that sends crypt mining code to victims’ devices. Moreover, they infect websites with an ad or a JavaScript code that automatically starts running once loaded on the victim’s browser.

Some scripts contain worming capabilities that can infect servers and networks, making removing them highly challenging. Mining programs are at war because they find another hidden crypto-jacking malware in a system. The first one shuts down to completely utilize the system power.

Cyber terrorists

Cyberterrorists access devices accessible through the public Internet to attack government networks. They also target banks, military sites, power plants, and air traffic control. They intend to spread violence and fear among the general public, disrupt essential infrastructure, and damage people’s trust in the government.

They use various methods to carry out attacks, such as injecting viruses, malware, or denial-of-service attacks. Moreover, propaganda alters and destroys critical information. Cyberterrorism affects the lives of many people and gains significant media attention.

There is a difference between hacktivists and cyberterrorists. Hacktivists support their political causes, while cyberterrorists aim to cause significant harm.

Elite hackers

Elite hackers are the most skilled IT security professionals. They can modify their logged files. Their presence within a system can go undetected for months, helping them gather sensitive information. They take an innovative approach. Instead of exploiting known weaknesses, they find new ones. Discovering new strategies makes them more dangerous than others.

Moreover, they are familiar with operating systems such as Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, and Windows, which gives them a wider range of opportunities to find and exploit weaknesses. Their attacks can disrupt routine operations and damage an organization’s reputation.

Gaming hackers

Gaming hackers attack login credentials, payment details, and other account information. They exploit security vulnerabilities to steal valuable in-game assets. Moreover, they can carry out a distributed Denial-of-Service attack (DDOS) to disrupt gameplay or gain an unfair competitive edge.

The increasing number of cyber-attacks on gaming platforms highlights the need for cybersecurity in the gaming community. To avoid mishaps, gamers should use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

Malicious Insiders

Malicious insiders are an organization’s former employees, business partners, or contractors. They intentionally misuse their access to harm an organization. Unlike external attackers, they understand system configurations. So, breaching security defenses like bypassing firewalls is much easier for them than for outsiders. There are two categories of malicious insiders:

• Turn-cloak insider
• Pawn insider