Hacking

What is Hacking?
The intention behind the hacking determines
the type of hacker they are. Getting
unauthorized access to systems or networks
is illegal and termed as hacking. So, you
might wonder what do hackers do on getting
access to the system well they can use
vulnerable points in the system to bring the
system down or steal confidential data.
 Types of Hackers
1) Ethical hacker (White hat)
2) Cracker (Black hat)
3) Grey hat
d) Script kiddies
e) Green Hat Hackers
f) Blue Hat Hackers
g) Red Hat Hackers
h) State/Nation Sponsored Hackers
i) Hacktivist
j) Malicious insider or Whistleblower
 White hat (Ethical hacker )
• White hat hackers are computer professionals with expertise in cybersecurity.
• They are authorized or certified to hack the systems.
• These White Hat Hackers work for governments or organizations by getting into
the system.
• They hack the system from the loopholes in the cybersecurity of the
organization. 
• This hacking is done to test the level of cybersecurity in their organization. By
doing so, they identify the weak points and fix them to avoid attacks from
external sources.
• White hat hackers work as per the rules and regulations set by the government.
They are also known as ethical hackers.
 Black hat (Cracker)
• Black hat hackers are also knowledgeable computer experts but
with the wrong intention.
• They attack other systems to get access to systems where they
do not have authorized entry.
• On gaining entry they might steal the data or destroy the
system. 
• As the intentions of the hacker make the hacker a criminal. This
person will steal corporate or organisational data, violate privacy
rights or transfer funds from bank accounts.
 Grey hat
• This hacker is in between white hat and black
hat hackers.
• They break into the system without the
authority of the owner to identify weakness and
reveal them to the owner.
• Therefore the owners can improve their system.
 Script kiddies
• The Script Kiddies are amateurs in the field of
hacking.
• They try to hack the system with scripts from
other fellow hackers.
• The intention behind the hacking is just to get
attention from their peers.
• Script Kiddies are juveniles who do not have
complete knowledge of the hacking process.
 Green Hat Hackers
• Green hat hackers are learning the ropes of
hacking.
• They are slightly different from the Script
Kiddies due to their intention.
• The intent is to strive and learn to become
full-fledged hackers.
• They are looking for opportunities to learn
from experienced hackers.
 Blue Hat Hackers
• Blue Hat Hackers are similar to Script Kiddies. The
intent to learn is missing.
• They use hacking as a weapon to gain popularity
among their fellow beings.
• They use hacking to settle scores with their
adversaries.
• Blue Hat Hackers are dangerous due to the intent
behind the hacking rather than their knowledge.
 Red Hat Hackers
• They are similar to white hackers.
• The red hat hackers intend to stop the attack of black hat
hackers.
• The difference between red hat hackers and white hat hackers is
in the process of hacking though intention remains the same.
• Red hat hackers are quite ruthless while dealing with black hat
hackers or counteracting with malware.
• The red hat hackers continue to attack and may end up having
to replace the entire system set up.
 State/Nation Sponsored Hackers
• Government appoints hackers to gain information about other
countries.
• These hackers are known as State/Nation sponsored hackers.
• They use their knowledge to gain confidential information
from other countries to be well prepared for any upcoming
danger to their country.
• The sensitive information aids to be on top of every situation
but also to avoid up coming danger. 
• They report only to their governments.
 Hacktivist
• The hackers intend to hack government websites.
• They pose themselves as activists, so known as a
hacktivist.
• Hacktivist can be an individual or a bunch of
nameless hackers whose intent is to gain access to
government websites and networks.
• The data gained from government files accessed
are used for personal political or social gain.
 Malicious insider or Whistleblower
• An individual working in an organization can expose
confidential information.
• The intent behind the exposure might be a personal
grudge with the organization or the individual might
have come across the illegal activities within the
organization.
• The reason for expose defines the intent behind the
exposure.
 COMMON HACKING TECHNIQUES
i) Bait and switch
 In this situation a hacker may buy a space to advertise on the
website.
 When an innocent user clicks on the advert they are then directed
to a page that is infected with malware.
 These hackers normally use very attractive adverts.
ii) Cookie theft
 information like the browsing history, username and passwords for
the sites you use can be kept on cookies of a browser. This
technique is the one mainly used by those who access passwords
and banking details on websites.
 COMMON HACKING TECHNIQUES …conti.
iii) Virus or Trojans
 These are malicious software programs which get installed into the
victim's System and keep sending the victim's data to the hacker.
vi) Phishing
 This technique targets the most accessed sites and the victim is
trapped by a link sent to them.
 If the user tries to login or to enter some data, the hacker gets that
private information using the Trojan running on the fake site.
 COMMON HACKING TECHNIQUES …conti
v) Fake Wireless Access Points (WAP)
 A hacker can use software to fake WAP. This WAP connects to the official public
place WAP.
 The moment a user gets connected to this fake WAP the hacker would have Access
to the user's data.
vi) Denial of Service (Dos/DDos)
 This is a technique that takes down a server by flooding that server with a lot of
data.
 The server will be unable to process in expected time which may cause it to crash.
 The result of such action is to restrict the user from accessing services.
vii) Keylogger
 This is a software that is used to record the key sequence and strokes of the user's
keyboard into a file on the machine.
 The log files might contain your personal email IDs and passwords.
 EFFECTS OF HACKING
▪️Identify theft
Hackers gain access to personal information that may be used to steal
the identity of the victim. This stolen identity can be used to commit an
offense.
▪️Accessed e-mail access
Hackers may access personal e-mail accounts. Private files can be
abused.
▪️Website inversion
Many hackers target websites. In some cases, the hackers would simply
destroy data and leave the websites inoperable thereby forcing the
owners to start the creation of the website from the scratch. This is a big
blow to many companies that rely on such websites for the payments of
their products.
 Protection from Hacking
a . Firewalls
This is a software barrier that is designed to protect private resources and prevent
unauthorised network traffic. Firewalls can block off ports of access on the computer. This
means that a user should have administrative rights to access on the computer.
b. Routers
All wireless networks need to be given passwords to avoid easy access to them. It is important
that tough passwords are set.
c. Updates
It is important to constantly update software to ensure there is safety and security of any
application of the software.
d. Two-part authentication
Logging in to too many computers to access your email account may put you at risk of being
hacked. However, many websites now use a system whereby you use more than a password
to log into a new account to protect user's from Hacking.
e. Back up your data
You can use either an external hard drive or an online service. This helps you to recover your
data when you lose.