Hacking is the process of locating and then using flaws in a computer system or network to obtain unauthorized access to private or business data. Although hacking is not always harmful, the phrase has a bad reputation because of its connection to online crime.
How Does Hacking Work?
How do hackers hack? To accomplish their goals, hackers employ a range of strategies. Among the most popular techniques are:
Social Engineering
Social engineering is a deception method used to get private information by taking advantage of human error. Hackers can fool you into exposing personal or financial information by posing as someone else and using various psychological techniques. To do this, they could rely on phishing schemes, spam emails, instant messaging, or even phony websites.
Password Hacking
Hackers obtain passwords in a variety of ways. A brute force attack is a trial-and-error technique when hackers attempt to guess every potential combination to get access. To identify password combinations, hackers may also utilize straightforward algorithms to produce various combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols.
Malware Infection of Devices
Malware may be installed on a user’s device by hackers. It is more likely that they will use peer-to-peer networks, downloadable material websites, instant messaging, and email to target potential victims.
Attacking Wireless Networks that Insecure
Hackers may just exploit open wireless networks as opposed to employing malicious code to access a victim’s computer. Hackers searching for open, unprotected Wi-Fi connections while driving about can take advantage of anyone who fails to encrypt their router. Wardriving is the term for what we are doing.
Obtaining a Backdoor
Programs that look for unsecured entry points into computers and network systems may be written by hackers. By infecting a computer or system with a Trojan horse, which was developed by hackers to obtain and steal crucial data without the victim realizing it, hackers can gain backdoor access.
Spying on Email
Hackers can write code that lets them intercept and read emails. Today’s email programs use encryption formulae, which prevent hackers from reading messages even if they intercept them.
Making Computer Zombies
A zombie computer, often known as a bot, is a device that a hacker can use to launch Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks or distribute spam. A connection between the victim’s computer and the hacker’s system is established when the victim runs a code that appears to be harmless. Once under the hidden control of the victim’s computer, the hacker can use it to conduct crimes or disseminate spam.
Why Would Someone Hack?
The motivations behind hacking are a complex and diverse realm that delves into the question of why hackers choose to engage in such activities. Unveiling the identities and motivations of hackers adds another layer of intrigue to this phenomenon.
Understanding why people hack reveals a broad spectrum of reasons that drive their actions, ranging from curiosity and personal challenge to political activism or criminal intent. The motivations behind hacking are as varied as the individuals themselves, making it a fascinating and intricate subject to explore. Some main motivations behind hacking are:
Money
The primary driver is frequent financial gain. Password theft, gaining access to your bank or credit card information, keeping your data hostage, or selling your data to other hackers or on the dark web are all ways that hackers might profit.
Security Upgrades
Malicious hacking is not the norm. Some hacking, such as white hat hacking or penetration testing, is carried out to identify security flaws to make all users’ systems more secure. Thus, ethical hacking is referred to as white hat hacking.
Espionage in Politics
Nation-states can use hackers for political ends. This could entail stealing sensitive information, meddling in elections, gaining access to official or military papers, or attempting to stir up trouble on the political or social scene.
Corporate Espionage
Hackers may occasionally be inspired to act by the desire to steal trade secrets from rival businesses. Corporate espionage is a type of hacking intended to acquire access to confidential information or intellectual property to outperform competitor corporations.
Notoriety
A sense of accomplishment, or “breaking the system,” might encourage hackers. Hackers can be aggressive, competing against one another and obtaining notoriety for their vulnerabilities. They have a platform to brag about their accomplishments thanks to social media.
Revenge
Hackers may occasionally act out of rage, wanting to exact retribution on people or companies they believe have mistreated them.
Hacktivism
As an act of civil disobedience, hacking is possible. Some hackers employ their talents to advance a specific political cause or social movement.
Hacking Prevention
By using good cybersecurity practices, you can defend yourself against hackers. Here is some crucial preventative advice for hacking:
Create Secure Passwords
Obtaining user passwords is a key component of hacking. Therefore, it is crucial to create strong, one-of-a-kind passwords for each online account. A mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters make up a strong password, which should be at least 12 characters long and ideally more. Keeping track of numerous passwords can be challenging, so utilizing a password manager might be helpful.
Utilize MFA (Multi-factor Authentication)
Make as many of your online accounts as feasible two-factor or multi-factor authenticated. MFA adds an extra degree of security to your accounts by using a second piece of information often a code produced by an app or given through SMS in addition to a password.
Take Control of your Digital Footprint
The information you transmit over the internet leaves a digital trace. It’s a good idea to maintain your digital footprint proactively. There are the following steps:
- Eliminating unused apps and obsolete accounts.
- Check your social media privacy settings to make sure they are at a level you are comfortable with.
- Making use of privacy tools like private search engines, anonymous browsers, or anti-tracking software.
- Being cautious about what you share and refraining from making public disclosures of your personal or financial information.
Keep an Eye Out for Phishing
Phishing emails or messages are a common starting point for effective hacking. Be cautious because our first inclination is frequently to tap or click on a link or attachment when we receive a new email or text message that contains one.
Avoid giving in to this temptation by not opening emails from unknown senders, never clicking on links in emails, and never opening attachments in emails. You should also delete any emails you think may be spam.
Stay Away from Dangerous Websites
Download software only from trusted websites. Examine any free software and file-sharing programs carefully before downloading. Only conduct transactions on websites with current security certificates; these websites will begin with HTTPS rather than HTTP and display a padlock icon in the address bar. Choose whom you share your data with wisely.
Disable Any Features You Don’t Use
Certain phone functions can be used by hackers to track down your information, location, or connection. Turn off your GPS, wireless connection, and geo-tracking whenever you are not using them to avoid this.
Update Your Hardware and Software
The most recent security patches that is, fixes for the security flaws that hackers love to exploit are frequently included in updates. You may increase your security against hackers by making sure that your operating system, software, and gadgets are always up to date.
Keep Gadgets Safe
Store electronics safely. Always lock your devices with a unique gesture, a secure PIN (not something obvious like your birthdate), or fingerprint recognition. In case your phone disappears, install Find My iPhone (Apple) or set up Find My Device (Android).
Avoid Using Public WiFi to Obtain Personal or Financial Information
You have no direct control over the security of a public Wi-Fi connection when you use it to surf online in a public setting. When using a public Wi-Fi network, refrain from carrying out private activities such as online banking or shopping.
Use a VPN, or a virtual private network, if you do need to do this. Any data you send over an unsafe network will be protected by a VPN. If you don’t have access to a VPN, wait to conduct any private transactions online until you have access to a reliable internet connection.
Use a Reliable Antivirus
Make sure your gadget is running the best security software available. A decent antivirus program should be available around the clock to protect your devices and data by thwarting simple and sophisticated dangers including viruses, spyware, ransomware, spy apps, and all current hacker ploys.
Types of Hacking
White-Hat Hacking
Black-hat and White-Hat Hackers both possess the same talents; the key distinction is in the motivations of the hackers. White-hat hackers hack into systems to find security holes that can help organizations, governments, and regular people prevent cyberattacks.
For instance, a company can be dealing with annoying network issues, including system crashes or slower performance. Companies may engage a white hat hacker to find potential security holes that could allow hackers to cause these problems rather than upgrading the entire network.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: Identify security holes that malicious hackers could exploit.
Potential Targets: Black-Hat Hackers
Red-Hat Hackers
White-hat hackers and red-hat hackers are similar. But instead of engaging professional hackers to identify and thwart Black-Hat Hackers, regular businesses or governments decide to handle the task themselves. These masters of the dark web, frequently referred to as “Robin Hoods of hacking,” recover stolen goods and distribute them to the poor.
A liquidity pool created by a group of Bitcoin investors was recently the target of a $50 million theft by a red hat hacker. This was done to support charitable organizations that required financial support. The hacker did leave a letter stating that anyone with less than $100,000 to their name would receive their money back.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: Work fluidly to thwart cyberattacks by Black-Hat Hackers
Potential Targets: Black-hat hackers
Grey-Hat Hackers
Grey-Hat Hackers also referred to as “just for fun” hackers, only consider hacking to be a pastime. They enjoy spotting holes in security networks, and they might even alert the network to these holes. Even so, some people still find this kind of hacker annoying since they violate private network security.
According to reports from 2018, a Grey-Hat hacker who spoke Russian gained access to more than 100,000 residential routers. Although many people thought the hacker was up to no good, they discovered they were patching security flaws to keep them safe from other sorts of hackers and cyber threats such as Black-Hat Hackers and crypto hackers.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: To find security holes and/or to guard against other cyber threats, and Hack private networks.
Potential Targets: Everyday people and businesses
Green-Hat Hackers
Emerging cybercriminals are known as Green-Hat Hackers. They are committed to enhancing their skills with the aspiration of eventually supplanting Black-Hat Hackers, even though their proficiency in online scamming is not as extensive. These aspiring hackers are willing to dedicate the time required to evolve into adept practitioners of their craft, provided they can find a mentor from whom to learn.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: To one day become a black hat hacker, find a hacker they can learn from.
Potential Targets: Regular consumers and companies
Blue-Hat Hackers
Blue-Hat Hackers are very similar to White-Hat Hackers, however rather than infiltrating systems or software that a company is already using, a company will grant the Blue-Hat Hacker hacker access beforehand to test it for vulnerabilities. By doing this, the company can reduce the risk before deciding to update its systems.
Still perplexed? Let’s imagine a business wishes to deploy a new file-sharing system. The last thing they want is for hackers to have a simple way to access their system and compromise their private information. So, before making the decision, they will hire a hacker to test the system.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: Before companies commit, they should examine software for security issues.
Potential Targets: White-hat hackers
Malicious Insiders
Whistleblowers care about honesty and justice, whereas malicious insiders don’t. They deliberately breach their corporate networks to access sensitive information that could endanger the business and its clients, but they are not acting in a way that will help the less fortunate. If they can locate the properly interested party, the knowledge they reveal might just make them some money.
This could happen if an employee is tempted by a tempting offer to steal confidential company information in exchange for modest or substantial rewards. Employees become malevolent insiders the moment they get into the network to steal personal information.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: Expose and/or use private company information for personal gain
Potential target: Business
Cyberterrorists
Cybercriminals with political motivations are cyberterrorists. By interfering with information systems, they employ their ability to hack to draw attention to their cause. The physical safety of people could then be endangered, possibly even resulting in fatalities.
In actual life, this happened in 2010 when email accounts of human rights advocates in China and Tibet were compromised. Those opposed to their causes did everything in their power to thwart their goals. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that good always wins out.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: to draw attention to a political cause, utilize hostile cyberattacks
Potentially target: Individuals and entire nations
Whistleblowers
Whistleblowers expose corporate crime, especially for the organizations they work for. Despite having limited expertise, these hackers use what they do know to reveal white-collar corruption that directly affects innocent people.
Two employees exposed Glaxo, a pharmaceutical corporation that engaged in deceptive schemes to promote medications for unapproved applications, in one of the most well-known whistleblower cases. One of the highest settlements to date, the two whistleblowers will receive nearly $3 billion in total.
Hacker Motivation and Goals: to reveal or use private information connected to a business crime
Potential target: Dishonest companies or people.
