Growing up, I have always thought that the term “hacker” had
a negative connotation and associated the term with a cyber-criminal. Why?
Mainly, it’s because of how the media gives most of its attentions to ‘black-hat’
hackers, people who hack with unethical intentions. Just imagine how shocked I
was when I found out that hacking can actually be a good thing and that all
hackers aren’t some sort of cyber criminals. Once I learned about the existence
of ‘white-hat’ hackers, people who hack in order to improve security, I gained
a new appreciation for hackers and learned about the importance of hacking.
What exactly is hacking? Hacking “is the practice of
modifying the features of a system, in order to accomplish a goal outside of
the creator’s original purpose” and although there are many types of hacking
(phone hacking, brain hacking, etc), “computer hacking is the most popular form
of hacking nowadays, especially in the field of computer security” (http://whatishacking.org/).
White-hat hackers or ethical hackers are invaluable because
they are extremely good at spotting bugs and security holes. They can
demonstrate the vulnerabilities in the security of large companies so that it
can be fixed. With the rise of cyber-crime, ethical hacking is a great way
fight against online threats. Cyber-security is a major issue and there is a
growing demand for ethical hackers.
Black-hat hackers or crackers are people who hack with
malicious intent without authorization. They “typically want to prove his or
hacking abilities and will commit a range of cyber-crimes, such as identity
theft, credit card fraud and piracy” (Bodhani.). Recently, Adobe was hacked and millions of customers’ data was stolen. Specifically, their IDs, password,
and credit card information was obtained. Because of this attack, the company’s
brand was tarnished and many of their customers were negatively affected. This
just proves the importance of Cyber-security and the need for white-hat hackers
to expose these holes in security to the company.
There are many more types of hackers like grey-hat, blue-hat,
Elite hacker and etc. If you would like to learn more about the different types,
you can read this informative article. If you want to hack, then stay away from
the dark side as there are way too many consequences.
Works Cited
Bodhani, Aasha. "Ethical Hacking: Bad in a Good Way." E & T Magazine. N.p., 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/12/bad-in-a-good-way.cfm>.
Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I never really realized there were so many different types of hackers, such as the ones you mentioned as the end of your post (grey-hat, blue-hat, etc.). You also made a great distinction between the good and the evil in hacking. Like you said, security is very important and not everyone knows how security can be maximized to its fullest benefit. Hackers are a threat to everyone, but they also help us optimize our security because once they find a hole, we find a way to fix it. It’s all trial and error! Thank you for the opportunity to learn more about hackers from your post as well as from the article you cited.
Hi, Sindu,
ReplyDeleteIt is happy to see you here.
I always know that you have good writing ability. This post is nice and informative. From it, I learned that there are so many different hackers. Before reading your article, I only heard red-hacker and black-hacker. All hackers are good at programming. As a student in computer science, I dream that I can turn into a hacker when I meet hard programming assignments. Aha, it is also good that if I have a hacker friend. It is said that being a hacker is not easy. First of all, she/he must has outstanding programming ability. Then, building the popularity in hackers community is also the same important. The above two features are already difficult for common people, not to mention other prerequisites. Wow! Your article attracts me to write so many words. Any one, this post gives readers much information about hackers. As one of them, I learned a lot about this special term. Thank you!
Hopefully see your new post soon.
Hi Sindu,
ReplyDeleteGreat title and summary on the differences between black-hats and white-hats. I find that the adobe hacking example shows that even big companies are at risk and that so long as black-hats are out there, so is the possibility of a security breach. I also really like that you include that the division isn't so fine cut as black and white, but that there are variations out there as well.
I totally agree with you that hackers are good and knowledgeable programmers. I think most of the hackers are good and try to use their expertise in fixing network issues and solving problems. People are usually confused between hackers and crackers. Crackers are bad because they try to break copyright and software protection. Anyways, you were right. To determine who is good or who is bad, it all depends on how people apply their skills in life.
ReplyDelete