When you think of hackers, you often think of mysterious criminals who use complex computer knowledge to access and exploit sensitive information. While that is true for a certain subsect of hackers, the reality is that there is a great variety of hackers, who all wear different “hats.” Some hack for financial gain, some for malicious purposes, but there are also hackers out there who attempt to do good for the public at large.
Here, we’ll go over all the different “hacking hats,” covering all of the color categories, and what they mean.
The 3 Main Types of Hackers
There’s a plethora of hackers and categories they fall under, but when people are talking about hackers, there are three main types
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Black Hat Hackers
These are the hackers most people think about when they hear the word “hacker.” They are cybercriminals who typically have advanced knowledge of cybersecurity systems, and use their skills to gain unauthorized access to networks.
When you hear about data breaches, these black hat hackers are usually the perpetrators. Once a black hat hacker finds a security vulnerability, they will generally implant some form of malware. The most common malware-based attack is known as a ransomware attack, where the hackers will hold information or entire device networks hostage until being paid a certain amount. If unpaid, these hackers often threaten to keep them locked, leak all of the information, or even wipe all of the information completely clean.
Black hat hackers can also be referred to as unethical hackers or malicious hackers, on account of their intentions being both malicious and unethical.
White Hat Hackers
White hat hackers are also known as ethical hackers. These hackers are skilled and experienced security professionals who are paid by governments and organizations to break into computer systems in order to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Their goal is to do routine testing of the security of systems and make recommendations to strengthen or upgrade them. This is, of course, to stay one step ahead of cyber attackers and protect organizations against threats.
Since these hackers are professionals hired by organizations to help with cybersecurity, you don’t need to worry about a white hat hacker attempting to gain access to your personal network or information.
Gray Hat Hackers
As their name implies, gray hat hackers fall somewhere between White Hat and Black Hat Hackers. Though they are not legally authorized hackers, they can work with both good and bad intentions.
Gray hat hackers essentially do a white hat hacker’s job, without actually being asked or given permission. Their goal is to gain access to a system, and then offer up how they did it in exchange for payment. So, while they may not intend to implant malware or cause data leaks, they are basically beating black hats to the punch, and then offering their knowledge for payment. If unpaid, they won’t necessarily create any harm, but they also won’t divulge what the security weakness is.
Although gray hat hackers aren’t malicious, they aren’t considered ethical hackers since the work they do is unauthorized, and they demand payment in exchange for what they know.
Other Types of Hackers
While the three hackers above are the most common, there’s no shortage of other categories and niches in the hacking community. Here are some other types of hackers worth knowing about.
Red Hat Hackers
Referred to as vigilante hackers, a red hat hacker’s primary function is to combat black hat hackers directly. While white hat hackers are hired by companies to find security vulnerabilities before black hat hackers, red hat hackers go a step further in their fight by aggressively attacking black hat hacker networks.
Red hat hackers will often infiltrate black hat communities, so they can better attack black hat hackers directly. While white hat hackers play defense by trying to keep black hat hackers out, red hat hackers go on the offensive, attacking black hat hackers until they either back down, or the red hats are able to destroy any nefarious computing resources.
Blue Hat Hackers
Blue hat hackers can be classified as one of two types: 1. Security experts, or 2. Revenge hackers.
Security expert blue hat hackers are essentially just in-house white hat hackers. They work for a specific company to routinely ensure all systems are secure.
Revenge hackers, on the other hand, attack individuals or organizations based on a personal vendetta, with no goal of profit or exposure.
Purple Hat Hackers
Purple hat hackers are basically just at-home practice hackers. They generally set up multiple systems at home and practice hacking into their own computers as an assessment. Because these hackers work in their own private environment, they aren’t a security threat (so long as they keep on the “purple hat”).
Green Hat Hackers
Green hat hackers are individuals who are new or “green” to the world of gaining unauthorized access to computer networks and simply want to learn everything they can. They typically don’t have the knowledge to cause as much intentional harm as more experienced hackers, but that inexperience can occasionally cause major issues, even if only by accident.
While these hackers do still have some level of skill, they are far less developed than many of the other hackers listed above.
Script Kiddies
Script Kiddies are amateur hackers. They differ from green hat hackers in that they don’t even have the prerequisite knowledge to create their own programs, and instead rely on scripts created by others. Although they don’t have intricate knowledge when it comes to creating and executing attacks, they can still do a lot of damage when using programs they’ve found (partially because they might not fully understand what they are doing).
Alternate Types of Hackers
The above sections cover all of the hat-color hackers (plus script kiddies), as they make up the core of the hacking community. Still, they aren’t the only people out there using their skills in the cybersecurity space. This section will briefly go over the more niche/outer layer of “hackers.”
Gaming Hackers
While not as scary on the surface as other hackers, gaming hackers can vary greatly both in intent and ability to do damage. At a base level, many gaming hackers figure out ways to cheat in games, primarily so they can sell those cheats to other people. Some gaming hackers, however, target accounts associated with games that hold some sort of real-world currency value (like Counter-Strike skins), so they can compromise the accounts and steal the items within. With the ever-growing world of eSports, these types of hackers are becoming more prevalent, as the bounties also continue to grow.
State-Sponsored Hackers
A growing problem as the world races forward into the digital age, governments bolster cybersecurity by using hackers. While this would primarily be white hat hackers, some countries likely allow more under-the-table style tactics that aren’t legal, but are purposefully overlooked.
Cyber-terrorists
While state-sponsored hackers work for governments (both officially and unofficially), cyberterrorists work in their own groups, based on personal agendas. They often aim to cause disruptions to critical infrastructure in order to get their message out and push their ideology.
Hacktivists
Hacktivists are similar to cyber-terrorists in that they are not sponsored and work on their own agenda, however, hacktivists try a more “ethical” approach. Rather than causing huge disruptions, they will often leak government or organizational information that they deem relevant to the public. While they believe what they do is for a good cause, it can heavily depend on which side of an opinion you might hold.
Crypto Hackers
Cryptocurrency has boomed over the years, and because it’s a fully digital currency, it’s a prime target for hackers who specialize in cracking cybersecurity systems. Beyond skilled hackers, run-of-the-mill scammers are also in the crypto stealing game, often through the use of phishing scams.
Final Thoughts
Not all hackers are alike. In fact, there’s a pretty broad spectrum when it comes to the skill, knowledge, purpose, and intent of different types of hackers. While some target individuals or organizations for personal gain, others work directly against those unethical hackers.
If you’re curious about whether or not your information has been breached as a result of hackers, you can use a tool like Spokeo to help keep tabs on your personal information.
Cyrus Grant is a writer from Southern California with a background in law and dispute resolution. When he isn’t writing he can be found deep-diving into the latest technology trends or simply spending time at the beach.