White Grey Black Hat Hackers

A Guide to the Different Types of Hackers

In many ways, the Internet has improved the lives of all its users. Never in human history has it been easier to access information, contact others, and manage your data. 

However, the Internet and cyber technology also have their downsides. As you store data on your network and make online transactions, your data becomes vulnerable to hackers. 

People throw the word "hacker" around as a universal term. However, it turns out there are more types of hackers than people realize. 

How many types of hackers are there? In this guide, we'll explore that question in greater detail.

3 Types of Hackers

There are three common types of hackers in the digital sphere. These three include black hat, white hat, and grey hat hackers. In this section, we'll explore how these types differ from one another.

Black Hat Hackers

When people hear the word hacker, they usually imagine this type. Black hat hackers break into secure systems for malicious reasons. There are several types of attacks hackers use to do so. 

One leading method they use is to infiltrate an email account on a secure network. From there, they reply to existing email threads with nefarious attachments. As people open the attachment, hackers gain more access to the network and its stored data. 

What are some common types of malicious attachments hackers use? In many cases, the most common method is through malware. 

White Hat Hackers

As we've covered, black hat hackers are the persona most people imagine when they hear the term hacker. However, there are other types of hackers as well. The total opposite of a black hat hacker is a white hat hacker. 

All types of hackers infiltrate systems for some purpose. While a black hat hacker uses their skills for nefarious means, a white hat hacker does the opposite. 

White hat hackers are often IT workers who use their hacking skills to ward off black hat attacks. They do so by anticipating hacker attacks and using those predictions to defend any system weaknesses. 

Grey Hat Hackers

We've discussed the nefarious villains and the heroes of the hacking world. Now, let's spend some time examining the "antiheroes." A grey hat hacker falls somewhere between their black hat and white hat counterparts. 

On one hand, grey hat hackers function similarly to black hats. They use their hacking skills to infiltrate networks and systems without permission. 

In doing so, they often compromise data and technology in that system. As such, a company may see no difference between black and grey hats.

However, there is a difference in motive. Grey hat hackers breach and steal information for what they believe is a higher purpose. These "hacktivists" have often breached systems on behalf of political causes and campaigns. 

How to Defend Yourself

As you can see, not all types of hackers pose a threat to your business. Instead, most of your efforts will focus on blocking black (or maybe grey) hackers from your data. 

To do so, find some white hackers like SecPoint's team to protect you. Contact us today for more information.