Introduction
A hacking attack is a set of actions to find insecurities in digital systems, such as computers, smartphones, tablets, or even entire computer networks. It should be noted that hackers do not always engage in harmful activities. Today, however, the term ‘hacking’ is generally used in the context of illegal behavior. Hackers are cybercriminals who try to obtain financial gain, protest, gather certain information (i.e., engage in cyber espionage), or want to have entertainment.
Black Hats
A Black Hat hacker is a personality who tries to find disruptions in computer security and applies them for personal and monetary profit or other malicious reasons. This differs from white hat hackers – security specialists who use vicious methods to find security flaws that Black Hat attackers can exploit (Kempen, 2020). Black crackers can cause major destruction to both private network users and great institutions by taking private business reports, hazarding the protection of major operations, or sealing down or modifying the capacity of websites and systems.
Hackers engaged in blackhat activities can range from teenage adventurers expanding network viruses to networks of offenders who steal account card numbers and other valuable securities data. Black Hat hacker activities include infusing keystroke monitoring software to steal data and beginning attacks to disable access to Web sites. Attackers sometimes use non-computer methods to gain data, such as calls and identities, to collect a user’s password. Black Hat workers have their own conventions, among which the two better known are DEFCON and BlackHat (Kempen, 2020). Conventions on dark hats are often attended by security professionals and academics who want to know how to hack from Black Hats.
White Hats
White Hats, who are also called ethical or good hackers, are the opposite of Black ones. Their main aim is to identify security flaws in computer systems and networks and make recommendations for enhancement. White Hats apply their knowledge and experience to defend organizations from dangerous attacks. Sometimes they may be full-time employees or contractors working for a company as security specialists whose job is to find system imperfections. Their work is one of the reasons why large organizations tend to have fewer downtime and website queries. Most hackers know that infiltrating systems run by large companies is more laborious than those operated by small businesses, which probably do not have the resources to look for possible safety vulnerabilities (Martin, 2017). The ethical hacker group includes penetration testers who specialize in finding problems and assessing risks in operations.
White Hats apply the same hacking techniques as Black Hats, but the chief difference is that they first get the system owner’s permission, making the process completely legitimate. Instead of using vulnerabilities to spread code, White Hats work with network operators and solve the enigma before the attackers discover it (Porterfield, 2016). They typically use social engineering solely to discover weaknesses in the human aspect of an organization’s defenses and then fix them. Their principal goal is to get enough information to identify ways to legally bypass security tools and mechanisms without damaging or hacking anything. White Hats also create decoys to attract cybercriminals to confuse them or gain relevant information about them.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the major distinction between Black and White Hats is motivation. Black hackers gain access to systems illegally, with malicious intentions, and often for personal enrichment. On the other hand, White Hats work with companies and help them identify weaknesses in their systems and fix relevant vulnerabilities to ensure that attackers cannot illegally gain access to data. Consequently, hackers should not automatically be associated with criminal matters because it all depends on the hat that they wear.
References
Kempen, A. (2020). Are all hackers bad? Servamus Community-based Safety and Security Magazine, 113(6), 38-39. Web.
Martin, C. D. (2017). White hat, black hat: The ethics of cybersecurity. ACM Inroads, 8(1), 33-35. Web.
Porterfield, J. (2016). White and Black Hat Hackers. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.