Whenever we think of the word hacking, we almost always think of some malicious and devious computer activities. However, this is completely inaccurate. There is a huge difference between unethical and ethical hackers. Unethical hackers are the bad hackers who are generally perceived as skilled people with bad intentions, steal data and damage our systems. Ethical hackers, however, are the opposite of that. They are ‘good’ hackers that can safeguard our information from the ‘bad’ ones. In this blog, I will dive deep into the difference between unethical and ethical hacking to better comprehend them.
So What is Hacking?
Hacking is the unauthorized use of computers, cellphones, tablets, and networks to harm or destroy systems, obtain information on individuals, steal files and records, or hamper data-related operations. Hackers are becoming more and more advanced at luring people into opening malware programs or click on dangerous websites that can reveal sensitive and personal information.
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What is Unethical Hacking?
Unethical hacking is performed by cybercriminals with the false intention of stealing sensitive information, money, and to access restricted networks and systems. This type of hacking is usually practiced to disrupt official website networks and disrupt communications between parties. An unethical hacker is looking to make money by unlawfully obtaining confidential material and marketing it or simply using your credit card information. Unethical hacking is a serious crime that can have severe consequences ranging all the way from fines to even jail.
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What is Ethical Hacking?
As we read earlier that unethical hacking is illegal, either hacking is the opposite of that. Ethical hacking is completely legal and it is simply a method of breaching a security system to detect potential security threats. Ethical hackers do not want to harm others with their actions; they instead prefer to safeguard their networks. Ethical hackers are also full-time employees that are guaranteed pay and all incentives. An example of ethical hacking can be when a person is authorized by an organization to try and hack their web application. Another example is when a white hat hacker is hired by an organization to test its staff with simulated social engineering attacks like phishing emails.
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Types of Hackers
There are many different types of hackers, but the main 4 are black hat hackers, white hat hackers, gray hat hackers, and red hat hackers. All of these hackers have different roles and responsibilities. The colors just represent if the hacker is ethical or unethical.
Black Hat Hackers: Bad hackers who use cyber attacks to gain money or to achieve another agenda. These hackers penetrate systems without permission with the intent to cause harm.
White Hat Hackers: Ethical hackers who protect your system from black hat hackers. Penetrate the system with the owner’s permission to find and fix security vulnerabilities and mitigate cyberattacks.
Gray Hat Hackers: Hackers who cruise the line between being good and being bad. Penetrate systems without permission but usually don’t cause harm.
Red Hat Hackers: Hackers who use cyber attacks to attack black hat hackers. These types of hackers are usually very clever. They take unethical or illegal routes to take down bad hackers aka black hat hackers.
