v Let’s see the categories of
Hackers on the basis on their knowledge.
Coders
ü The Real Hackers are the
Coders, the ones who revise the methods and create tools that are available in
the market. Coders can find security holes and weaknesses in software to create
their own exploits. These Hackers can use those exploits to develop fully
patched and secure systems.
ü Coders are the programmers
who have the ability to find the unique vulnerability in existing software and
to create working exploit codes. These
are the individuals with a deep understanding of the OSI Layer Model and TCP/IP
Stacks.
Admins
ü Admins are the computer guys
who use the tools and exploits prepared by the coders. They do not develop
their own techniques, however they uses the tricks which are already prepared
by the coders. They are generally System Administration, or Computer Network
Controller. Most of the Hackers and security person in this digital world come
under this category.
ü Admins have experience with
several operating systems, and know how to exploit several existing
vulnerabilities. A majority of Security Consultants fall in this group and work
as a part of Security Team.
Script Kiddies
ü Next and the most dangerous
class of Hackers is Script kiddies, They are the new generation of users of
computer who take advantage of the Hacker tools and documentation available for
free on the Internet but don’t have any knowledge of what’s going on behind the
scenes. They know just enough to cause you headaches but typically are very
sloppy in their actions, leaving all sorts of digital fingerprints behind. Even
though these guys are the teenage Hackers that you hear about in the news
media, they need minimum skills to carry out their attacks.
ü Script Kiddies are the
bunnies who use script and programs developed by others to attack computer
systems and Networks. They get the least respect but are most annoying and
dangerous and can cause big problems without actually knowing what they are
doing.
v Types of Hackers on the basis
of activities performed by them.
White Hat Hacker
ü A White Hat Hacker is
computer guy who perform Ethical Hacking. These are usually security
professionals with knowledge of hacking and the Hacker toolset and who use this
knowledge to locate security weaknesses and
implement counter measures in the resources.
ü They are also known as an
Ethical Hacker or a Penetration Tester. They focus on Securing and Protecting
IT Systems.
Black Hat Hacker
ü A Black Hat Hacker is
computer guy who performs Unethical Hacking. These are the Criminal Hackers or
Crackers who use their skills and
knowledge for illegal or malicious purposes. They break into or otherwise
violate the system integrity of remote
machines, with malicious intent.
ü These are also known as an
Unethical Hacker or a Security Cracker. They focus on Security Cracking and
Data stealing.
Grey Hat Hacker
ü A Grey Hat Hacker is a
Computer guy who sometimes acts legally, sometimes in good will, and sometimes
not. They usually do not hack for personal gain or have malicious intentions,
but may or may not occasionally commit
crimes during the course of their technological exploits.
ü They are hybrid between White
Hat and Black Hat Hackers.
