Hackers are generally of 10 types, are any skilled computer expert that uses their technical knowledge to overcome a problem.
Hackers are most often, programmers. They gather advanced knowledge of operating systems and programming languages and find bugs or exploits to break into computer systems.
Types of Hackers
1. White Hat Hacker
White hat hacker is types of hackers also known as an ethical hacker who are the cybersecurity experts who help the Govt and organizations by performing penetration testing and identifying loopholes in their cybersecurity.
This Types of hackers even do other methodologies and ensure protection from black hat hackers and other malicious cyber crimes.
Simply stated, these are the right people who are on your side. These types of Hackers will hack into your system with the good intention of finding vulnerabilities and helping you remove viruses and malware from your system.
2. Black Hat Hacker
Black Hat hackers, also known as crackers, are those who hack in order to gain unauthorized access to a system and harm its operations or steal sensitive information.
Black Hat hacking is always illegal because of its bad intent which includes stealing corporate data, violating the privacy, damaging the system, blocking network communication, etc.
These Types of Hackers are considered to be criminals and can be easily identified because of their malicious actions.
3. Gray Hat Hacker
Gray hat hackers fall somewhere in the category between white hat and black hat hackers. While they may not use their skills for personal gain, they can, however, have both good and bad intentions.
For instance, a hacker who hacks into an organization and finds some vulnerability may leak it over the Internet or inform the organization about it.
It all depends upon the hacker. Nevertheless, as soon as they use their hacking skills for personal gain they become black hat hackers.
There is a fine line between these two types of Hackers. So, let me make it simple for you. Because a gray hat hacker doesn’t use his skills for personal gain, he is not a black hat hacker.
Also, because he is not legally authorized to hack the organization’s cybersecurity, he can’t be considered a white hat either.
4. Script Kiddies
Script Kiddies normally don’t care about hacking (if they did, they’d be Green Hats. See below.). These Types of Hackers copy the code and use it for a virus or SQL or something else.
Script Kiddies will never hack for themselves; they’ll just download overused software (LOIC or Metasploit, for example) and watch a YouTube video on how to use it.
A common Script Kiddie attack is DoSing or DDoSing (Denial of Service and Distributed Denial of Service), in which they flood an IP with so much information it collapses under the strain.
This attack is frequently used by the “hacker” group Anonymous, which doesn’t help anyone’s reputation.
5. Green Hat Hacker
These types of Hackers are the hacker “n00bz,” but unlike Script Kiddies, They care about hacking and strive to become full-blown hackers.
They are inspired by hackers and ask them a few questions about it. While they are answering their question they will listen to its novelty.
6. Blue Hat Hacker
These types of hackers are another form of novice hackers much like script kiddies whose main agenda is to take revenge on anyone who makes them angry.
They have no desire for learning and may use simple cyberattacks like flooding your IP with overloaded packets which will result in DoS attacks.
A script kiddie with a vengeful agenda can be considered a blue hat hacker.
7. Red Hat Hacker
This type of Hacker is also known as an eagle-eyed hacker. Like a white hat and red hat hacker also aims to halt the black hat hackers. There is a major difference in the way they operate.
They become ruthless while dealing with malware actions of the black hat hackers. Red hat hackers will keep on attacking the hacker aggressively that the hacker may know it as well have to replace the whole system.
8. State/Nation Sponsored Hacker
State or Nation sponsored hackers are those who are appointed by the government to provide them cybersecurity and to gain confidential information from other countries to stay at the top or to avoid any kind of danger to the country. They are highly paid government workers.
9. Hacktivist
These are also called the online versions of the activists. Hacktivist is a hacker or a group of anonymous hackers who gain unauthorized access to the government’s computer files and networks for further social or political ends.
10. Malicious Insider or Whistleblower
A malicious insider or a whistleblower could be an employee of a company or a government agency with a grudge or a strategic employee who becomes aware of any illegal activities happening within the organization and can blackmail the organization for his/her personal gain.
