Difference Between Black Hat, White Hat, and Grey Hat Hackers

Learn about the different types of hackers from FTMS and become a cybersecurity analyst to avoid these types of theft for your company or yourself.

Know the Difference Between Black Hat, White Hat, and Grey Hat Hackers

Cyber security engineer plays a vital role to prevent misinterpretation of data and private information. Hacking is taken a profound crime around the globe, though it has a different aspect. People believe hackers are hiding from people looking to hack a bank account to steal money and assets.

In childhood, children hear the story of a black-headed man coming in a black cape to rob and steal kids while superheroes come in a white cape to protect the world, hackers also come in different colors viz. black, white, and grey. To keep a check on them, people take cybersecurity certification and profess their career in the same. You can check out our ethical hacking courses to get systematic training for the same.

#1. White Hat Hackers

White hat hackers are researchers who help governments, security organizations, corporations, and individuals with their skills. They are more rules-oriented. Even they have openings and job opportunities in the military and other government sectors.

Key roles performed by White Hat Hackers:

• Introspect for the traffic to prevent hacking of your app.
• They have to hack the apps so that if hacking is possible, they can inform the organization about the problem.
• Developing and testing patches for security.

Although white hat hackers can be turned into black hat hackers, hacking no doubt is an advantage to breach into someone else data and security point of view. There are white hat hackers who indulge in illegal hacking apart from their professional white hacking service. It is to keep in mind to cross-check before you hire a white-hat hacker as the information you were trying to protect may be shared, unprofessionally without your knowledge.

#2. Black Hat Hackers

As many people see hacking as a big crime, it is because of these hackers who are trying to steal private information and giving into the wrong hands or themselves are misusing and manipulating that information. Black hat hackers are skilled, and technically sound persons, who may be extensively good at coding using their skills to hack the password of the bank account, or simply consumer data that can be used to blackmail later or even ask for ransom.

Key roles performed by Black Hat Hackers:

• Given way to crime in the world.
• Blackmailing and seeking ransom
• Identity faking
• Accessing private information

Black hat hackers are competing in this world to perform theft and crime related to data and information by breaching into the private systems. We often come across theft related to banking and money transactions. A person receives a message or a mail telling him/her of the reward received for which he/she is supposed to submit this/that amount. Seriously, for receiving a reward you have to pay something that how could even befool with this trick. But this is pretty common among the people who are not aware of these crimes and these hackers.

#3. Grey Hat Hackers
Grey hat hackers are a mix of both black and white hat hackers. These try to hack the apps and variant sources of data to inform the business of leaks. Since these hackers are a combo of both the other types, it is hard to differentiate grey hat hackers from the other two as if it is about law enforcement grey hat hacker looks into professionalism in case of criminal data breaching, he/she is considered black hat hacker.

Key roles performed by Grey Hat Hackers:-

• Perform the illegal task to improve it, steals intellectual property to improve security.
• White hat hacker during day job while black hat hacker burning the midnight lamp
• Working for a company’s benefit by taking advantage of other company’s data and resources

You will find it hard to verify if a person is a black hat hacker or a white-hat hacker if that person is an intermediary of the two, viz. grey hat hacker. Some companies hire them to beat the competition in the market by staying updated with the competitive world because grey hat hacker is involved in hacking the systems and data of competitors of that company while he/she can leak the secret piece of information of that company too.

Cybersecurity analyst helps in preventing these kinds of thefts by illegal hackers. Before choosing to hire a hacker for your purpose, make sure you know the difference very well.

Originally Published at FTMS News