Who is a Hacker? Types, Skills and Tools

Cybersecurity is a constant concern for individuals & organizations alike in our technologically advanced world. With the rising number of online security breaches, the term "hacker" has become all too common. However, the term itself has caused confusion among many, often being used interchangeably with other terms such as "cybercriminal" or "cracker".

Today, we will take an in-depth look at what is hacker in cybersecurity. We'll also look at the different categories of hackers, what do hackers do, their tactics, & the impact that they can have on individuals, businesses & even governments.

What is Hacking?

• Hacking is simply the act of breaching unauthorized access to a system & a network. Hacking can be divided into two types: ethical & unethical. 
• Ethical hacking is when an individual or institution tests the security of a system or network to identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious attackers.
• Unethical hacking involves attempting to gain unauthorized access to a system & a network with malicious intent.

With the increasing reliance on technology in all aspects of life, hackers have found more sophisticated ways to breach systems & networks. A few general common methods utilized by hackers are phishing attacks, malware, ransomware & social engineering.

But not all hackers are criminals. Hacking can also refer to the creative problem-solving techniques used by developers to improve software & systems. In the context of ethical hacking, individuals & organizations use hacking techniques to identify vulnerabilities & improve the security of their systems. To become proficient in ethical hacking, aspiring cybersecurity professionals can enroll in an Ethical Hacking course.

Who are Hackers?

So, Who is a hacker? Hackers refer to individuals with exceptional computer skills who use their knowledge to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems, exposing security vulnerabilities & gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information. Aside from popular belief, we cannot call all hackers malicious. Hacker means a broad range of individuals from black hat hackers, who cause harm & steal sensitive information, to white hat hackers, who identify weaknesses in computer systems.

What Do They Do?

They can do anything from stealing sensitive information, bringing down websites, gaining access to private system resources, using your computer to do illegal activities or even spying on individuals. Malicious hackers can do significant damage, & their actions can cause harm to both individuals & organizations.

Some hackers operate solely for personal gain, while others may be motivated by state-sponsored or ideological motives. Hackers employ a range of methods to gain access to systems, including phishing attacks, social engineering & exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities. Hackers pose a significant threat to individuals & organizations, & it is crucial for individuals & businesses to take steps to protect themselves from these nefarious actors.

The Difference Between Hackers and Cyber Attackers

Category	Hackers	Cyber Attackers
Motivation	Mostly driven by curiosity or challenge	Driven by financial gain or other malicious motives
Goals	Test system vulnerabilities, improve security measures	Exploit vulnerabilities, steal data, disrupt operations
Techniques	Use legal methods and tools to discover & report vulnerabilities	Use illegal methods & tools to breach systems & networks
Ethics	Ethical or white hat hackers disclose vulnerabilities and help patch them	Unethical or black hat attackers exploit vulnerabilities
Impact on Society	Can help improve cybersecurity measures	Can cause massive financial losses & damage to reputation
Legality	Legal	Illegal
Examples of Activities	Finding vulnerabilities in software, developing security measures	DDoS attacks, ransomware, phishing scams, stealing data

What Makes Someone a Hacker? / Motivations for Hacking

The motivation behind this activity can vary from individual to individual, ranging from financial gain to pure curiosity. Below are some common motivations for hacking:

1. Financial Gain: Some hackers use their skills to infiltrate systems & steal sensitive information, which they can then use for financial gain. This can include stealing credit card numbers & bank account details.
2. Political Activism: Some hackers may be motivated by political or social causes & use hacking as a means of protesting or spreading awareness. These hackers may target government or corporate websites to make a statement.
3. Intellectual Challenge: For some hackers, the challenge of breaking into a highly secure system is the ultimate thrill. The excitement of finding new vulnerabilities & overcoming obstacles can be highly motivating.
4. Revenge: In some cases, hackers may be motivated by a desire for revenge against an individual or organization. They may seek to cause damage or embarrassment by hacking into their systems & stealing sensitive data.

Characteristics of a Hacker

• Hackers are a unique breed of individuals who possess a distinctive set of characteristics that set them apart from the general population. 
• They are skilled in the art of computer programming & possess an insatiable curiosity to explore, understand & manipulate computer systems.
• They have a natural tendency to question authority & often exhibit a rebellious streak, which drives them to challenge the status quo & push boundaries.
• Hackers also possess a high degree of technical expertise & allows them to identify vulnerabilities in computer systems & exploit them for their own benefit. 
• They are skilled in a wide range of programming languages, operating systems & tools that enable them to carry out their nefarious activities. 
• Moreover, hackers are known for their ability to think outside the box & come up with creative solutions to complex problems.

Skills and Knowledge of Hackers

Some of the key skills and knowledge areas that hackers typically possess include: 

• Programming: Hackers are typically proficient in one or more programming languages & this allows them to write & execute custom scripts & tools to aid in their attacks.
• Networking: A deep understanding of networking is crucial for many types of attacks, such as packet sniffing, DNS spoofing & man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Social Engineering: Many attacks require manipulating human behavior to gain access to sensitive information or systems. Hackers are skilled at crafting convincing phishing emails, phone calls & other social engineering tactics.
• Operating Systems: Hackers must be intimately familiar with the operating systems they are targeting, including Windows, macOS & various flavors of Linux.
• Web Technologies: Attacks on websites often require knowledge of web development technologies, such as HTML, JavaScript & PHP.

What are the Types of Hackers?

Types of hackers and what they do vary greatly, but as we broadly take into context, there are 3 main categories of hackers. 

1. White Hat hacker, who is an ethical hacker that uses their skills to identify & fix security weaknesses for companies or organizations. These hackers are also known as "ethical hackers" as they work to protect systems & data from unauthorized access.
2. Black Hat hackers are individuals who use their skills in unethical ways. They hack into computer systems & networks for personal gain, whether it be financial, political or malicious. Black hat hackers have bad intentions & engage in criminal activities. What is a black hat hacker? The opposite of a white hat hacker.
3. Grey Hat hackers are somewhere in between. They may use their skills to identify security weaknesses, but they do so without permission. Unlike black hat hackers who commit illegal activities, grey hat hackers may disclose the vulnerability to the organization, but only after exploiting it for their own gain. What is a grey hat hacker? They are a mixture of good & bad intentions.

Other Types of Hackers 

The world of hacking is vast and diverse & it is important to distinguish between different types of hackers. 

1. Cybercriminals: Cybercriminals are individuals or groups who use their technical skills to commit illegal activities, such as stealing personal information or money through cyberattacks. 
2. Hacktivists: Hacktivists, on the other hand, use hacking techniques to further their social or political goals. They may target organizations or individuals they believe are engaged in unethical or oppressive behavior. 
3. Script Kiddies: Script kiddies are individuals who lack the technical skills of other types of hackers but use pre-made tools and scripts to launch attacks. They are often inexperienced & may target easy-to-exploit vulnerabilities.

Understanding the differences between what is a white hat hacker, black hat hacker, & grey hat hackers is crucial in protecting systems & data from unauthorized access. While white hat hackers work to ensure security, black hat hackers pose significant risks to businesses, & grey hat hackers can fall on either side of the ethical spectrum depending on their intentions.

Tools Hackers Use

Nowadays, hacking is not just the pastime of tech-savvy individuals, but a sophisticated & organized criminal activity that threatens companies & individuals. Hackers use a variety of tools to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks & applications. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Metasploit: This open-source framework includes various exploits and payloads & makes it easier to launch attacks against systems with known vulnerabilities.
2. Nmap: A network mapping tool that scans the target network for active hosts & services, & provides valuable information about potential targets.
3. Cain and Abel: A password cracking tool that can reveal weak passwords used in online accounts, databases & Windows systems.
4. John the Ripper: Another password cracking tool, but with a wider scope of supported algorithms and customization options.
5. Wireshark: A network protocol analyzer that captures & displays network traffic & allows hackers to sniff passwords, cookies & other sensitive information.
6. Aircrack-ng: A suite of tools for cracking & analyzing wireless network security protocols, such as WEP & WPA.

Famous Hackers and Their Contributions

Throughout history, there have been numerous individuals who have made a name for themselves through their hacking exploits. 

• Kevin Mitnick, known as the "most wanted computer criminal in US history," who demonstrated the potential for social engineering techniques to breach even the most secure systems.
• Another notable hacker is Adrian Lamo, who infiltrated The New York Times computer system & brought to light several security vulnerabilities. 
• Lamo also exposed government secrets, which led to his arrest but ultimately helped improve security measures.
• The hacker group Anonymous has also made significant contributions to cybersecurity discussions and activism. Known for their notorious DDoS attacks, this collective has used their skills to hold organizations accountable and raise awareness on political issues. Individuals can pursue Cyber Security certifications to gain knowledge & expertise in the field of cybersecurity.

Common Misconceptions About Hackers

To gain a more nuanced understanding of hackers, it is important to dispel some common misconceptions:

• AAll Hackers are Malicious: It is true that some hackers aim to cause harm, but others use their skills for the greater good. Ethical hackers, or security researchers, use their knowledge to identify weaknesses & develop solutions that protect against potential cyber attacks.
• All Hackers are Tech Geniuses: While skill and knowledge are certainly important assets, not all hackers possess immense technical prowess. Hackers may rely on social engineering tactics, such as phishing & pretexting, to gain access to sensitive information.
• All Hackers Work Alone: Collaboration & community are integral aspects of many hacking communities. Hacktivist groups, for example, often coordinate to launch attacks in pursuit of a shared ideology.
• All Hackers are Motivated by Money: Financial gain is just one of many possible motivations for hacking. Some hackers seek fame, political power, or simply the thrill of the challenge.

What a Hacker can Achieve with a Successful Phish?

Phishing is a hackers’ technique employed to steal sensitive info from usernames, passwords to credit card numbers. Hackers create phishing emails that look legitimate & convince victims to click on a link or download an attachment. Once the victim interacts with the phishing email, the attacker gains access to their credentials & other sensitive information & can potentially lead to devastating consequences.

With a successful phish, hackers can achieve a wide variety of nefarious objectives. First, they can gain access to the victim's email account & give them access to the victim's confidential emails & contacts. This information can then be used to spread the phishing attack to even more targets.

Hackers can also use successful phishing emails to obtain login credentials for other online platforms such as banking or social media sites. With this information, the attacker can conduct fraudulent transactions or steal even more sensitive data. In some cases, hackers may even use the victim's email address & login credentials & access their employer's network, putting corporate data & systems at risk.

What do hackers use to hack? Phishing attacks are just one tactic in a hacker's arsenal of tools. To defend against phishing, it is vital to educate users about how to identify & avoid these kinds of attacks & to implement security measures.

Final Notes

In summary, what is hacker in cyber security? A hacker is an individual who uses computers, networks, or technology to gain unauthorized access to someone else's private data and/or system for malicious purposes or other unethical goals. Hackers come from all walks of life & exist on different ends of the moral spectrum. Some use their skills merely as a means of entertainment while others are motivated by propaganda & monetary gain.

Whatever their intentions may be, hackers have advanced the field of cybersecurity greatly; they can often bypass previously unbreachable safety protocols & help practitioners discover new avenues for protection in cyberspace. As long as cyber security professionals work to combat malicious acts of hacking, hackers will continue to evolve alongside technology for future decades to come. Moreover, to combat such threats posed by hackers, the cybersecurity industry offers different professional certifications like KnowledgeHut’s CEH v12 certification.