When you hear the term hacker, you might instantly think of someone in a black hoodie, sitting in a dark room before a glimmering screen filled with indecipherable code, methodically hacking their way through a network. Sure, there’s a bit of truth to the stereotype sometimes, but the world of hacking is way more layered and complex than people think.
This blog breaks down what hackers do, the different types of hackers, and how to protect yourself from potential hacking threats.
A hacker is someone who uses their technical know-how of computers, programming, or networking for unauthorized access to systems or networks. They’re greedy cyber-bandits looking to exploit weaknesses for illegal or unethical purposes.
But here’s an unexpected twist: not all hackers are out to cause trouble. Many hackers are using their skills for good. They use their technical know-how to help organizations improve security controls instead of taking advantage of them.
Hackers' activities are different depending on their intent and skillset. These can include, but are not limited to:
Vulnerability exploitation: taking advantage of outdated or unpatched software, hardware, or networking components
Data theft: getting unauthorized access to sensitive information like Personally Identifiable Information (PII), financial records, or proprietary business data
Malware development: creating viruses, trojans, ransomware, infostealers, or spyware to compromise systems and sell to other hackers on the dark web
Disrupt services: launching Denial of Service (DoS) or Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks to overwhelm and shut down websites or networks
Optimizing security controls: ethical hackers safely hack organizations to spot exploitable vulnerabilities before malicious hackers find them
Responsible disclosure: share vulnerabilities directly with vendors before putting out publicly to avoid unnecessary hacking risks
Ethical hacking safely tests an organization’s security systems, networks, and defenses to find vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Ethical hackers look at an organization's security controls through an attacker’s lens: the who, what, where, and how of a potential cyberattack. They simulate cyberattacks, giving organizations a glimpse into the potential real-world impacts of a cyberattack.
Here are a few examples:
A company is worried its website has vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) or SQL injection, and uses application penetration testers to confirm exploitability
A security team needs to assess for potential unauthorized access to a “crown jewel” target, like a database with proprietary source code, and uses a red team to safely hack their network
These offensive security professionals keep it legal and use their skills to help organizations level up their security game plans.
Hackers are often categorized by their hacking motivations. Here’s a look at the three main types:
These are the bad guys of the hacking world. Black hat hackers exploit digital vulnerabilities for malicious purposes. They’re involved in activities like social engineering, data theft, business email compromise, ransomware, and extortion, all for personal gain.
An example of a black hat hacker is someone who breaches a company’s database to sell sensitive customer data on the dark web. Or a ransomware group that uses social engineering and Remote Monitoring Management (RMM) software to infiltrate a target, move laterally, and exfiltrate sensitive data from victims for extortion.
On the flip side, white hat hackers or ethical hackers work on the right side of the law. Their contributions to cybersecurity are major: responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities and helping businesses avoid data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.
Common types of white hat hacking are focused on:
Applications: finding vulnerable points in applications that hackers can exploit
Cloud environments: testing for high-risk entry points, overprivileged access, and vulnerable internal pathways commonly targeted by attackers
External networks: looking for weaknesses in internet-facing services and systems
Internal networks: simulating attacks inside the network after initial compromise with things like privilege escalation, defense evasion, and credential theft
Think of them as the digital equivalent of a locksmith hired to secure your home.
Gray hat hackers operate in a morally ambiguous space. They find vulnerabilities in systems without permission and report them to the organization, sometimes demanding a finder’s fee or threatening to share their findings publicly before a patch is ready, which is dangerous when black hat hackers get their hands on them. Their strategies may not always come from a malicious place, but they often operate outside legal boundaries with personal gain in mind.
Businesses use teams of highly skilled, professional, ethical hackers to simulate real-world cyberattacks on their systems and networks. This is about as real as it gets without experiencing the downfall of an actual attack.
Here’s a breakdown of these ethical hacking teams:
Red team: They act like malicious hackers, simulating real-world cyberattacks by exploiting vulnerabilities in your environment during designated exercises
Blue team: These defenders monitor systems, detect breaches, and stop potential attacks
Purple team: A collaborative group combining the strengths of both offensive red teams and defensive blue teams during exercises. The goal is to share insights and improve overall security strategies.
Hacking emulation exercises are becoming increasingly popular in enterprises to proactively step up their security game.
Unauthorized access comes in all shapes and sizes. Here are some (but not all) of the most common ways hackers break in:
Phishing: sending fake emails that trick victims into sharing personal information or downloading malware
Exploiting software vulnerabilities: taking advantage of outdated or unpatched software for easy access
Brute force attacks: systematically guessing combinations of login credentials
Social engineering: manipulating people into giving away credentials through trust or intimidation
Trojan horses: embedding malicious code in seemingly legit software or files
Adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM): strategically getting in between the sender and the receiver of data to steal session tokens
VPN compromise: stolen credentials, appliance brute force, and disabled MFA give attackers unauthorized VPN access
Hackers are always amping up their defense evasion strategies to get around your security guardrails, but there are proactive ways to lock down your systems, data, and identities:
Regularly update your operating systems, applications, and antivirus software. Security patches fix vulnerabilities that hackers target.
Don’t use simple passwords like “123456” or “password.” Instead, create unique, complex passwords or use a password manager to do it for you.
MFA adds an extra layer of security with a second type of user identification, like a unique code via SMS or biometric fingerprint, to authenticate. It’s an extra step attackers have to successfully exploit to get access to your information.
Think twice before clicking links or downloading attachments from weird sources. Attackers are sneaky: their phishing scams are often copycats of legitimate organizations to easily dupe victims.
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making it harder for hackers to hack your data. But make sure you have MFA running on all VPN appliances as an extra security barrier!
Regularly backing up your data gives you a shot at recovering your files in the event of a ransomware attack or hardware failure
Investing in employees with Managed Security Awareness Training can massively reduce the likelihood of successful cyberattacks
Understanding hackers’ motives and methods is the first step toward safeguarding your organization’s digital presence. Remember, prevention is far easier than recovery. Thinking like a hacker is the first step towards better defense.
