Are all hackers out to get you?

May 21, 2020

What do you think of when you hear the word “hacker”?

Loner. Out to get you. Criminal. Bad guy.

The term “hacker” is thrown around often in cyber security communities and the general meaning of the word has negative connotations. However, there are a few different types of hackers, and they are not all out to get you! Learning about the different types of hackers that abound in cyberspace can help you when you’re learning about threats and how to fight them.

White Hat Hacker

A white hat hacker is a good guy (or girl) who is hired by a company to test their system to find potential vulnerabilities. A penetration tester is a white hat hacker. These hackers want to help company’s protect themselves from nefarious hackers.

These types of hackers are often employed by cyber security firms like Gray Analytics or are individual consultants.

Gray Hat Hacker

A gray hat hacker isn’t a black hat hacker or a white hat hacker, although they could be either if they wanted to. These types of hackers don’t steal money or information, but they also don’t help people for good. They are really just disturbing the cyber world for their own fun.

Red Hat Hacker

A red hat hacker is the vigilante of the hacker world. They halt black hat hackers but instead of reporting the malicious hacker, they leverage aggressive methods to shut the black hat hacker down themselves.

Black Hat Hacker

A black hat hacker is what you typically associate with the general term “hacker.” This type of hacker is unethical and causes damage to computer systems, steals data or money, and generally conducts illegal cyber activities.

We can help keep you safe from these dangerous hackers.

If you want someone to test your system for potential vulnerabilities, give us a call to schedule a consultation. We have professionals who can help you find the weak spots in your cyber environment and can then tell you how to fix them.