When we’re hacked, our mind immediately assumes it is a group of people, or even an entire organization. When in reality, a hacker can be anyone. In fact, a good majority of hackers are single individuals. Hackers come in a variety of forms, however we can group them into three categories: white hat, black hat, and gray hat. 

What is a white hat hacker? 

A white hat hacker is known as an “ethical hacker,” or “the good guys” of the hacking world. These are people who are typically government employed or paid employees that protect data from getting to black hat hackers. In other words, they use their abilities for good; not evil! 

What’s interesting about white-hat hackers is they use the same hacking techniques that a black-hat hacker would. But their techniques are deemed legal because they are given explicit permission by the system’s owner to do it. In a nutshell, white-hact hackers are hired to test security systems that are already in place to see what can be improved. 

What is a black hat hacker?

The black hat hackers are considered the “unethical” or “bad guys” of the hacking world. Because instead of using their abilities and knowledge to protect organizations, they capitalize on it. They’ll use the information as leverage to infiltrate a system without the permission of the owner. These hackers are able to bypass security protocols, and are typically the same people who write malware code; one of the primary methods of cyber security hacking. 

Black hat hackers are typically motivated by financial gain, although there are other factors involved. They could also be associated with cyberspying, protest groups, or just simply an adrenaline rush. 

What is a gray hat hacker? 

As you probably guessed, these people lie in the inbetween. Like black hat hackers, gray hats will look for vulnerabilities in a computer system without a system owner’s permission. However if they do find an issue, gray hat hackers will typically report it to the system’s owner and ask what they can do to repair it. 

Don’t have too much faith in them yet! Sometimes if the system’s owner doesn’t respond to the hacker or comply with their request, they’ll “seek revenge” and threaten to post their vulnerabilities online. But in most cases, gray hats aren’t malicious; they just want to gain something from their discoveries. When it comes down to it, gray hat hacking is considered illegal because they attacked the owner’s system without permission. 

Regardless of the hacking type, Thinline Technologies can help prevent any potential threats to your organization. It’s important that your data remains private and secure for the protection of your customers and your business. Our cyber security network specialists can address active threats to your organization and prevent future hackers from threatening your business and information. Visit our cyber security services page to learn more, or give us a call at (410) 453-9300.