A hacker is an individual who uses computer, networking or other skills to overcome a technical problem. The term hacker may refer to anyone with technical skills, but it often refers to a person who uses his or her abilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or networks in order to commit crimes. A hacker may, for example, steal information to hurt people via identity theft, damage or bring down systems and, often, hold those systems hostage to collect ransom.
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The term hacker has historically been a divisive one, sometimes being used as a term of admiration for an individual who exhibits a high degree of skill, as well as creativity in his or her approach to technical problems. However, the term is more commonly applied to an individual who uses this skill for illegal or unethical purposes.
- White hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, strive to operate in the public's best interest, rather than to create turmoil. Many white hat hackers work doing penetration testing, hired to attempt to break into the company's networks to find and report on security vulnerabilit. The security firms then help their customers mitigate security issues before criminal hackers can exploit them.
- Black hat hackers intentionally gain unauthorized access to networks and systems with malicious intent, whether to steal data, spread malware or profit from ransomware, vandalize or otherwise damage systems or for any other reason -- including gaining notoriety. Black hat hackers are criminals by definition because they violate laws against accessing systems without authorization, but they may also engage in other illegal activity, including identity theft and disturbed denial-of service attacks.
- Gray hat hackers fall somewhere between white hat hackers and black hat hackers. While their motives may be similar to those of white hat hackers, gray hats are more likely than white hat hackers to access systems without authorisation; at the same time, they are more likely than black hat hackers to avoid doing unnecessary damage to the systems they hack. Although they aren't typically -- or only -- motivated by money, gray hat hackers may offer to fix vulnerabilities they have discovered through their own, unauthorized, activities rather than using their knowledge to exploit vulnerabilities for illegal profit.
