15 hackers

Black hat hackers

are your stereotypical cybercriminals.

Black hat hackers

They work

seemingly nonstop to hack into personal devices and networks in

search of sensitive data they can steal and use to make a profit

Black hat hackers

are experts in launching malware, such as ransomware and

spyware attacks — anything to get their hands on the information

Black hat hacker motivation + goals

Steal personal information to use

and/or sell to make a profit.

Anyone

Black potential targets

White hat hackers

have the same skills as black hat hackers, but a different

motivation: to break into systems (with permission) to find security flaws.

White hat hackers

They generally do this to help governments and businesses identify

vulnerabilities in internal systems to avoid cyberattacks.

White hat hackers

are employed by the very institutions they aim to help

White hat hacker motivation + goals

Spot security flaws that ill-intentioned

hackers could use to their advantage.

Black hat hackers

Potential targets of white hat

Gray hat hackers

make a hobby of finding gaps in security networks

and usually let the network admins know if they found a vulnerability.

Gray hat hackers

a controversial practice that blurs the line between ethical and malicious hacking. Though the motivation for hacking is often neutral (or even

positive),

Gray hat hackers

this type of hacker can frustrate institutions because they

havenʼt given the hackers explicit permission to go hunting for security

flaws.

Gray hat hacker motivation + goals

Hack private networks to spot

security flaws, often to try to improve system security out of their own

curiosity.

Businesses and other large organizations

Gray hat hackersPotential targets

Red hat hackers

are similar to white hat hackers

Red hat hackers

instead of being

hired by businesses or governments to find and fix vulnerabilities, they

take a vigilante approach to directly stop black hats in their track

Robin Hood hackers

red hat hackers nickname

Red hat hackers

may collectively target large-scale scamming

operations, which use spear phishing, scareware, or other social

engineering hacks to exploit victims.

Red hat hackers

hack into scammer

networks and devices to disrupt their activities, sometimes even using

malware to take them offline for days or weeks at a time.

Red hat hacker motivation + goals

Stop black hat hacker cyberattacks

in (almost) any way possible.

Black hat hackers

red hat hackers potential targets

Green hat hackers

are considered hackers-in-training.

Green hat hackers

They often work

under a mentor, who guides them on their path becoming

independently proficient.

Green hat hackers

Their motivations for joining the hacking world

vary, and they may eventually choose to pursue any number of hacking

types.

Green hat hackers

Unfortunately, their inexperience can sometimes have dangerous

consequences.

Green hat hacker motivation + goals

Find a hacker they can learn

from to one day become a full-fledged hacker.

Everyday people and businesses

Green hat hackers potential targets

Script kiddies

are true

amateurs.

Script kiddies

They rely on pre-existing programs because they donʼt have the

experience or knowledge it takes to create their own.

Script kiddies

They rely on pre-existing programs because they donʼt have the

experience or knowledge it takes to create their own.

Script kiddies

Because they lack

technical knowledge, they often donʼt understand the potentially dangerous

consequences of using pre-written scripts

Script kiddie hacker motivation + goals

Use existing programs to break into

personal devices to wreak havoc and/or make a profit off stolen information.

Everyday people and businesses

Script kiddie Potential targets

Blue hat hackers

closely resemble ethical white hat hackers

Blue hat hackers

instead

of breaking into systems or software that a business is already using, a

business gives the blue hacker access beforehand to test it for security

flaws

Blue hat hackers

the organization can lower the potential risk before

deciding to change or update current systems

Blue hat hackers

a company wants to implement a new file-sharing system. The

last thing they want is for hackers to easily break in and compromise

their confidential data. So, they contract a hacker to test the system

before making a final decision

Blue hat hacker motivation + goals

Test software for security flaws

before businesses commit to changing their systems.

Black hat hackers

Blue hat hacker potential targets

Elite hackers

are the champions of modern-day hacking.

Elite hackers

Their years of

experience put them at the top of their field

Elite hackers

and they can choose to

wear a black or white hacker hat depending on the day. Because they

can do both so easily

Elite hackers

theyʼre often the first to identify and create the

newest cyberattack methods.

Elite hacker motivation + goal

Financial gain or ethically spotting

cybersecurity flaws, depending on the hat theyʼre wearing.

Everyday people and businesses

Potential targets elite hacker

Gaming hackers

target any video game enthusiast in their line of sight.

Gaming hackers

Theyʼre known for using

the latest video game trends to manipulate online players into revealing login credentials,

payment information, and other personal details attached to their accounts.

Gaming hackers

may also use their hacking skills to cheat in games by gaining unfair advantages, such as

unlimited resources, invincibility, or wallhacks to see through obstacles

Gaming hackers

can come in all shapes and sizes. For example, the iconic cheat code from the

original The Sims game, “rosebud;!;!;!;!;!ˮ, which was used to generate endless amounts of

in-game currency

Gaming hacker motivation + goals

Trick gamers into revealing sensitive information to profit

from their stolen data, or purposefully undermine the rules of a game.

Online gamers

Potential targets gaming hacker

Cryptojacker

involves hacking into someoneʼs devices and covertly

taking over their computing power for the sole purpose of mining

cryptocurrency

Cryptojacker motivation + goals

Hijack unsuspecting usersʼ

processing power to mine cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts

Potential targetsCryptojacker 

Whistleblowers

expose or report corporate malfeasance or criminal

activity, especially by the companies they work fo

Whistleblowers

may

not have a ton of hacking experience, but they use what they do know

to expose crime and corporate or governmental malpractice

Whistleblower motivation + goals

Expose or report corporate

malfeasance or criminal activity using insider access.

Untrustworthy businesses or individuals

Potential targets whistleblowers

State-sponsored hackers

are the James Bonds of the hacking community.

State-sponsored hackers

Government agencies hire these individuals to gain confidential data on

other foreign countries to help them manage potential and existing threats.

State-sponsored hacker motivation + goals

Hack into private international

networks under the order of government organizations.

International government agencies and other high-profile institutions

State-sponsored hackers potential targets

Malicious insiders

aren't concerned with honesty and justice like

whistleblowers.

Malicious insiders

They intentionally break into their own company networks

to exploit confidential data that could put the company and its customers at

risk

Malicious insiders

The information they expose could just put a pretty penny in

their pocket if they find the right interested party.

This might occur when an employee receives a tempting offer to steal

private corporate files in exchange for small or large payments.

Malicious insiders

The second

employees access the network for the purpose of siphoning private data,

they become

Malicious insider motivation + goals

Expose and/or exploit sensitive company data

to make a personal profit.

Businesses, particularly the hackerʼs employer

potential targets Malicious insiders