Black Hat vs. White Hat Hackers: Key Differences Explained

Hackers. Are they good or bad?  

The first thing that comes to our mind, with the word ‘hacker’, is a malicious person sitting in the dark, behind a computer screen, plotting to harm or attack a system. With what we’ve heard recently, like the ransomware attack on Tietoevry’s datacenters in Sweden, the Norfund attack, the DDoS attack against the Danish Defence etc. it is reasonable for us to think so.

But this is not entirely true. What if I were to say that the word ‘hacker’ can be associated with something good and beneficial? A group of vigilantes with powers similar to the villains has risen to save us from the criminals. Let’s look in detail at ‘white hat hackers vs black hat hackers.’ 

Introduction 

A hacker is a person who is capable of gaining access to a computer system using his technical skills and knowledge. Just because a person can access a system, can he be called a criminal? This action alone cannot be considered malicious. It is the next step that determines whether the person is a good or bad actor. 

The hacker’s intention can be either ethical or unethical. He can have gained access to the computer system for stealing data, disrupting a service, planting malware, or else locating vulnerabilities in the system so that they can be remedied before being exploited by a malicious hacker. Gaining unauthorized access to a system is deemed a criminal offense and can lead to severe legal consequences, including fines, imprisonment, and other penalties. 

The six different colored hats 

Depending on the intention, motivation, or skill level of the hacker, 6 different types of hackers are identified, denoted by 6 different colored hats. The idea behind the assignment of these colors has been derived from old American movies where good guys wore white hats, and bad guys wore black hats. 

• Black hat hackers: The most dangerous type – the ones with both skill and malicious intent. These are the ones with the vilest motive – the cyber criminals we’ve heard of. These are the stereotypical hackers that come to our mind with the word ‘hacker’.  They are the villains in the dark attempting to illegally access cyber systems and steal data or disrupt systems. 

• Blue hat hackers: The ones with malicious intent but not much skill. They normally direct their attack on a single person or a company with the motive of seeking revenge. Most of the time, they are new to hacking and the whole purpose of learning is to get back at the enemy. Although they are known to be ‘script kiddies’, blue hats are more precarious than script kiddies as they act with no regard for consequence.    

• Gray hat hackers: The ones with skill but whose intent is rather vague. They come in between black and white hats. They access computer systems without the user’s consent and look for vulnerabilities in them. But unlike black hat hackers, they don’t exploit the vulnerability right away. Instead, they inform the user that they found a vulnerability and most of the time request compensation for it.  So, are gray hats good or bad? Well, it depends! They enter systems without permission disregarding all ethical laws, which is bad. They do not exploit vulnerabilities to steal or disrupt information systems, which is good. But after informing the relevant parties, if they fail to compensate or if they disregard them, they will go on and make the vulnerability public which can destroy the image of the company. And this is bad. 

• Red hat hackers: The vigilantes of the cyber world. They are equipped with proper skills and their motive is wholesome. Their sole purpose is to rise against black hat hackers. They play by their own rules and are not constrained by ethics or conventional rules. They are relentless in inhibiting black hats and would take extreme measures to succeed. 

• Green hat hackers: The ones with no skill and with the motive of learning. They are the beginners in the hacking community and work on improving their skills. Although they may seem harmless, as they are unaware of the consequences of their actions, they can be dangerous. 

• White hat hackers: The ones with skills and good intentions. They are the good guys in the hacking community. They work on protecting cyber systems from black hats and are similar to black hats in terms of skills. The difference is that they do have permission to access cyber systems and look for vulnerabilities. 

Who is a black hat hacker? 

A black hat hacker is a malicious attacker who uses their hacking skills to spot vulnerabilities to illicitly access computer networks. They are the criminals in the cyber world. Most frequently the intention of a black hat hacker is financial gain, data theft, disruption of systems, or even simply because they can. They carry out their criminal activities in many forms like releasing malware, social engineering, phishing attacks, etc. 

Most black hat hackers often start as ‘Script Kiddies’ or Blue Hat Hackers and work their way up to being black hat hackers. They can be working either individually or as a part of a larger organization. Black hat hacking is a widespread and well-organized business now and some of them are even state-sponsored. These attackers are constantly on the lookout for vulnerabilities in computer systems and utilize a number of sophisticated technologies to sabotage systems and fulfill their malicious intentions. 

Who is a white hat hacker?  

Similar to a black hat hacker, white hat hackers also use their hacking skills to spot vulnerabilities. However, their intentions are completely different. They carry out these actions with the intention of patching the discovered vulnerability and protecting the system from black hat hackers.   

White hat hackers or ethical hackers abide by the laws governing hacking or entering into a network or system. They always get the system owner’s permission before trying to hack a system and most often do so as requested by the system owner.   

Once white hat hackers identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses within a system or network, they disclose all those details to the IT team or any other team of the organization responsible for rectifying these vulnerabilities. White hat hackers might even be involved in supporting the teams with remediations on certain occasions. 

White hat hackers use a number of techniques like Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Scanning, Simulated Phishing Attacks, Network Traffic Analysis, etc. to uncover vulnerabilities before a black hat hacker gets to them.  

White hat hacking or ethical hacking is imperative in ensuring the cybersecurity of organizations and plays a vital role in securing the organization’s cyber assets, and thereby the reputation and even the existence of the organization.  

How do black hat hackers differ from white hat hackers? 

To protect from black hats 

As constantly prone to attacks, organizations are required to be familiar with both black hat hackers and white hat hackers. All organizations and employees must seek white-hat support to safeguard systems, assets, and networks from black-hat hackers. Although large-scale organizations have the capacity to hire dedicated white hat hackers to protect their organizational assets, small and medium scale organizations are unable to do so. However, this is not a problem anymore. There is a wide variety of security solutions available that are suitable for small and medium scale organizations. Some of these solutions do not require the organization to have an IT team or IT personnel for support and setup, as they are fully managed by the service provider. Penetration testing and managed detection and response are examples of such solutions that protect you from cyber threats. 

Your strongest asset can also be your biggest security risk. Employees can be the weakest link in cybersecurity. A black hat hacker need not go to the extent of using sophisticated technologies to sneak into a system if she or he can simply manipulate one of your employees to voluntarily expose sensitive information. Therefore, enhancing cybersecurity awareness among employees is of utmost importance. By investing in a comprehensive and fully managed security awareness training solution you can make sure that your employees are your first line of defense while not having to worry about the hassle of managing and administrating. 

To learn more about expert-led 24/7 Managed Detection and Response, proactive penetration testing service, and comprehensive Security Awareness Training, visit https://ebuildersecurity.com/  

Conclusion 

The word ‘hacker’ does not necessarily mean something immoral. It can also be associated with something noble and beneficial. White hat hackers play a crucial role in securing systems, networks, and organizations from black hat hackers. 

Black hat hackers are always on the lookout for vulnerabilities in your systems. Organizations must be responsible enough to employ cybersecurity solutions before a black hat hacker attacks your systems.  

Even those who have engaged in criminal behavior can change. A black hat hacker, for instance, is not condemned to a life of unethical actions. With their advanced technical skills already in place, transitioning to a white hat hacker is more achievable—provided they fully commit to a change in attitude, mindset, and purpose. There are, in fact, real-world examples of black hat hackers who later became white hats. Kevin Mitnick who started as a black hat hacker is one such example. He currently serves as a consultant, writer, and renowned image in the cybersecurity world, after undergoing major reformation.