Three Types of Hackers

Hackers are computer experts that use advanced programming skills to

neutralize security protocols and gain access to devices or networks. But not
all hacking is unauthorized, and not all hackers break into systems with
nefarious aims. Let’s examine different types of hackers and learn why some
hacking is actually helpful. Then, secure your device with anti-hacking
software like Avast One.

What are the three main types of hackers?

Hackers fall into three general categories: black hat hackers, white hat
hackers, and gray hat hackers. Although hackers are often associated with
exploiting vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to computers, systems,
or networks, not all hacking is malicious or illegal.
In its purest sense, hacking is simply the application of computer skills to solve
a particular problem. There are many different types of hackers, and a lot of
hacking activities are beneficial, because they uncover programming
weaknesses that help developers improve software products.

Black hat hackers

Black hat hackers are cybercriminals that illegally crack systems with
malicious intent. Seeking to gain unauthorized access to computer systems is
the definition of black hat hacking. Once a black hat hacker finds a security
vulnerability, they try to exploit it, often by implanting a virus or other type of
malware such as a Trojan. Ransomware attacks are another favored ploy that
black hat hackers use to extort financial gains or breach data systems.

White hat hackers

White hat hackers are ethical security hackers who identify and fix
vulnerabilities. Hacking into systems with the permission of the organizations
they hack into, white hat hackers try to uncover system weaknesses in order to
fix them and help strengthen a system’s overall security. Many cybersecurity
leaders started out as white hat hackers, but the vital role played by ethical
hacking is still widely misunderstood, as made clear by a recent ethical
hacking case in Germany.
Gray hat hackers
Gray hat hackers may not have the criminal or malicious intent of a black hat
hacker, but they also don’t have the prior knowledge or consent of those whose
systems they hack into. Nevertheless, when gray hat hackers uncover
weaknesses such as zero-day vulnerabilities, they report them rather than fully
exploiting them. But gray hat hackers may demand payment in exchange for
providing full details of what they uncovered.

Other types of hackers

Although nearly all hackers fall into one of the three categories (black hat,
white hat, or gray hat), there are other types and sub-types of hackers.

Green hat hackers

Green hat hackers are “green” in the sense that they’re inexperienced and may
lack the technical skills of more experienced hackers. Green hats may rely
on phishing and other social engineering techniques to bypass security
systems.

Blue hat hackers

 Blue hat hackers are white hat hackers who are actually employed by an
organization to help improve their security systems by conducting penetration
tests.

Red hat hackers

 Also known as vigilante hackers, red hat hackers are motivated by a desire to
fight back against black hat hackers, but they do this by infiltrating black hat
communities on the dark web and launching hacking attacks against their
networks and devices.

What’s the difference between white, black,

and gray hat hackers?
The main difference between white, black, and gray hat hackers is the
motivation or intent that each type of hacker has when they break into
computer systems. White hat hackers probe cybersecurity weaknesses to help
organizations develop stronger security; black hat hackers are motivated by
malicious intent; and Gray hat hackers operate in the nebulous area in
between they’re not malicious, but they’re not always ethical either.

Source: https://www.avast.com/c-hacker-types#:~:text=Hackers%20fall%20into%20three
%20general,hacking%20is%20malicious%20or%20illegal.

Ten Computer Viruses

1. Mydoom
Mydoom is a computer virus that’s considered by many to be the worst virus in history
thus far. In 2004, it cost around $38 billion worth of damage. If you think in terms of
today’s economy, given inflation, that would amount to about $52 billion.

It worked by scraping email addresses from infected machines. Then it sent copies of
the virus to those addresses. The Mydoom virus is still around today and accounts for
around 1% of all phishing emails. Devices without solid antivirus protection still get
infected and send more than 1 billion copies of the virus each year.

2. Sobig
The Sobig virus is a computer worm. That means it looks for security software
vulnerabilities. Before some users knew they got infected by a virus, the worm had
spread through their emails.

The Sobig computer virus cost approximately $30 billion in 2003. It affected multiple
countries, including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. The virus was named Sobig
because it released several variations of itself, named Sobig.A through Sobig.F, in
quick succession. Sobig.F was considered the worst.

3. Conficker
Also known as Downadup, the Conficker virus has infected millions of Windows
computers since its creation in 2008. Its most recent version, Conficker C, uses peer-
to-peer networking to spread.

Once it contaminated a computer, Conficker added the device to a botnet, or a group

of computers infected with malware and remotely controlled by a hacker. Security
experts were on edge waiting for Conficker to use its massive botnet to unleash a
destructive attack — but it never came. Instead, Conficker was used to spread
“scareware,” or fake alerts that try to scare victims into downloading malware
disguised as an antivirus program.

4. Klez
The Klez virus cost almost $20 billion in damages. Created in 2001, it infected around
7 million computers.

It worked by creating fake emails pretending to be from legitimate senders. The

recipient would open the email and click an attachment only to be infected by the
virus. Klez infected computer files, spread throughout the victim’s network, and
emailed itself to people in the victim’s address book. Klez was re-released over several
years, and each version was more deadly than the previous one.

5. ILOVEYOU
While this virus may have a cute name, it was far from harmless. The ILOVEYOU virus
worked like the Mydoom virus, sending copies of itself to every email contact in the
infected machine.

In 2000, this was one of the most dangerous computer viruses the world had seen. It
sent a text file that appeared harmless and quickly spread to more than 10 million
PCs. A college student in the Philippines created the virus to steal passwords to use
online services he couldn’t afford for free. All totaled, the damage amounted to about
$15 billion. It was also called the LoveLetter virus.

6. WannaCry
The WannaCry computer virus was one of the first examples of ransomware. It worked
by taking over your computer files and then holding them hostage until the victim paid
a ransom demand.

Created in 2017, this ransomware virus spread through 150 countries. It infected
more than 200,000 computers and cost around $4 billion. A 22-year-old security
researcher was able to turn it off. He reportedly could have saved companies billions of
dollars by stopping the spread at the time.

The WannaCry virus may have been contained, but it’s still around today. An
interesting point is that the creator of the WannaCry virus only demanded a $300
ransom, which means the viral infection was more about disruption than monetary
gain.

7. Sasser
Technically a computer worm, Sasser was uncovered in 2004 and targeted computers
running unsecure versions of Windows XP and Windows 2000.

Sasser attacked PCs through a vulnerable port, and days after the original worm was
released, three new variants appeared: Sasser.B, Sasser.C, and Sasser.D.

Created by a German computer science student named Sven Jaschan, Sasser dealt
damage worldwide. The worm caused the University of Missouri to disconnect from the
internet, Delta Air Lines canceled multiple international flights, and the British Coast
Guard had to disable its electronic mapping system.

8. Zeus
Zeus is considered one of the most dangerous computer viruses because it breached
about 88% of all Fortune 500 companies. It also cost $3 billion in total damages and
was responsible for about 44% of all banking malware attacks in 2007, the year it was
created.

The virus was a group of programs that took over machines remotely. It sent out
phishing emails and used malicious downloads to infect new hosts. Once the user
clicked on the attachments or links, the virus installed the Zeus malware package.

The Zeus virus is particularly nasty because it can steal your sensitive data, such as
banking information. (It’s also known as a banking Trojan horse.) The other way it
works is by remotely contacting the hacker so they can hijack your computer and
install more malware.

9. Code Red
The Code Red worm was discovered in 2001. The virus infected 975,000 computers
and displayed the words, “Hacked by Chinese” on affected web pages. The Code Red
virus left no trace of its existence in hard drives or other computer storage.

Code Red’s total damages amounted to about $2.4 billion. Before it finished spreading,
it even attacked the White House’s website, forcing it to change the IP address to
defend against the virus.

10. Cryptolocker
Yet another notorious virus that targets the Windows operating system, Cryptolocker
is a Trojan horse that encrypts files on your device and any connected media. Once it
strikes, victims see a countdown timer and a warning that their files have been
encrypted.

Although many antivirus programs were able to remove the Trojan, they couldn’t
decrypt data. This forced several victims to reinstall Cryptolocker in order to pay the
ransom for their data. This highlights the importance of maintaining a digital backup
of any critical files you may have on your computer.
Source: https://allaboutcookies.org/most-dangerous-computer-viruses

Technology and Livelihood Education

(TLE)
Information and Communications Technology
(ICT)

Three Types of Hackers & Ten

Computer Viruses

Name: Simon Seth N. Leonardo

Grade & Section: 10-Olympic