What is a hacker? Are all hackers bad?

To many people, hackers bring to mind prejudice about a group doing unsavory things like “breaking into networks without permission”. Numerous illegal cyberattacks on the computer systems of large organizations, banks, companies and even governments to steal data have unintentionally painted hackers as thorny and somewhat ugly. The article below Mona Media will help you understand what a hacker is and what their purposes are, so you get a fuller picture of this group of people.

What is a hacker?

First, to understand what a hacker is, you need to know the concept of hacking. Hacking refers to actions that exploit security holes in the networks, hardware or software of individuals or organizations to break in without permission and cause illegal effects for personal gain.

Many of us wrongly assume a hacker must be a great programmer, but that is not necessarily so. A hacker only needs to know advanced IT tricks, find and exploit security flaws in a computer network or software, and make changes for various purposes.

How many types of hackers are there?

In fact, not every hacker does bad things. Depending on the school a hacker follows, each one's work is directed in different ways.

Hacker types by school of activity

• White hat hacker: This term refers to ethical hackers. Even though they find security holes in networks, software and so on, they don't break in or try to cause harm. On the contrary, they notify the system administrator so the security flaws can be fixed in time.
• Black hat hacker: This group of hackers works to sabotage network security, steal data and extort victims with illegally obtained information. Black hat hackers are always a danger and an enemy to any website or network.
• Blue hat hacker: Blue hat hacker is a term for beginner hackers who are trying to become professionals. Because they lack experience, the damage blue hat hackers cause is usually not large.
• Gray hat hacker: These hackers attack and break into security systems without permission. But instead of helping upgrade system security like white hat hackers, or sabotaging and stealing information like black hat hackers, gray hats attack systems without any specific purpose. They simply do it because they find it fun.
• Red hat hacker: Red hat hackers are the opponents of black hat groups. They attack black hat hackers' systems head-on, and are even ready to use black hat tricks such as installing viruses and malware or launching DDoS attacks on the systems of the bad actors who attack and break into others.
• Script Kiddie: This type of hacker lacks skill but likes to show off by trying to copy black hat sabotage. Because of their limited ability, they are not a big threat.

Hacker types by field of activity

• Hackers who are skilled IT engineers: Skilled programmers with deep knowledge of network security. They take part directly in software development and in upgrading security systems. Sometimes, though, they get bored with daily work and want to try something new, like breaking into other security systems.
• Hackers who are reverse engineering experts: They have a solid foundation in reverse engineering. They know exactly how to find software vulnerabilities and how to crack software.
• Hackers who specialize in attacking networks: This group knows network systems well. They can help improve and strengthen a system's security, or break in without permission and sabotage the network.
• Hardware hackers: With deep knowledge of hardware, this group can modify hardware to create a new system with more special functions, or simply to expand its scale.

Are all hackers bad?

It is fair to say that not every hacker is bad. White hat hackers, for example, use their technical understanding to help patch security holes and cooperate in upgrading network security. Many tech companies offer bounties to hackers who find security holes in their systems or software.

Whether a hacker is good or bad is also a matter of personal choice. With IT knowledge, you can become a hacker, and whether you go the good way or the bad way is up to you.

What does a hacker do?

A hacker's main work usually includes programming and security system administration. A hacker can be an individual or an organization, able to disable protective layers to access data without permission. To do this without leaving a trace, hackers have to be highly skilled programmers. Hackers can also be design and software experts who can find and exploit security holes and use them to break into networks.

In addition, hackers can be hired by individuals or organizations to break into a certain system and steal information on request.

How do you prevent hackers from breaking in?

Update your software

Update to the latest software version regularly to fix the limitations of earlier versions and strengthen security, so hackers can't attack.

Don't open strange files or links

Don't open or install files or software whose licenses haven't been verified, to avoid files that contain viruses, keyloggers, trojan or other tools used by hackers.

Hackers also often spread unknown links through social networks, websites, fake emails and so on. When you click a link with malicious code planted in it, hackers can easily break into your computer.

Install security software

Install strong security software to raise the security of your computer. Good security software also blocks unwanted visits from hackers.

Don't enter personal information carelessly

Don't enter your personal information carelessly on unfamiliar websites, especially those without an SSL certificate that don't have an “s” after HTTP. These sites are unsafe and have very weak information security.

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What does it take to become a hacker?

Learn programming languages

You need to know the most basic programming languages such as Java, Perl and Python. Learn other languages too if needed.

Java is widely used because it is flexible and has good security. Perl is a general-purpose language close to C, and if you want to learn and apply quickly without much advanced knowledge, choose Python.

In particular, you should hone your C skills. It is the most popular programming language today, so to become a professional hacker you need a solid foundation in it.

Study operating systems

Study the Windows operating system too. It is the most popular OS today but still has many security holes, and identifying security holes is a basic skill every hacker must have.

You can also study Unix, a multitasking OS with a large user base and strong security. It was developed by AT&T Bell Labs.

Study computer networking

Basic networking knowledge to study includes the OSI model, TCP/IP and common protocols such as TCP, Telnet and HTTP. Once you have the networking foundation, you can move on to network monitoring tools.

Study cryptography

Cryptography is a foundation for hackers. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each type of cipher is essential. It is basic knowledge for both black hat and white hat hackers, and it underpins every hacker's career.

Practice hacking

Besides theory, try practicing by hacking something. But do not risk hacking systems protected by law; choose a small system instead.

Hacking always sparks curiosity in outsiders and draws those who understand programming. This article from Mona Media has helped you understand the nature of what a hacker is, and you probably now see that hackers are not always bad, and that being a good or bad hacker is your own choice.