A black hat hacker is a person who uses their technical skills to gain unauthorised access to computer systems, networks or sensitive information for illegal or malicious purposes. They are also referred to as 'crackers' or 'criminals'. Their motivation is often financial gain, personal revenge or the thrill of the challenge.
Black Hat hackers use a variety of methods to gain unauthorised access to systems:
- Exploitation of vulnerabilities in software and hardwareThey look for known vulnerabilities in software and hardware and use them to gain access to systems.
- Social engineering: They use tactics such as phishing, baiting and subterfuge to get people to divulge sensitive information or access to systems.
- Password cracking: Using programs or automated scripts, they try to guess or crack passwords to gain access to systems.
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacksThey use networks of compromised computers, often called botnets, to flood a website or service with traffic, making it inaccessible to users.
- Malware: They use malware such as viruses, worms or Trojans to gain control of compromised systems or steal information.
Black Hat Hacker often target large organisations or government agencies, but they can also target individuals or small businesses. They can damage computer systems, steal sensitive information and disrupt online services. They can also be very difficult to track down and prosecute. Many of them operate in organised groups or syndicates and often use sophisticated tools and techniques to cover their tracks.
It is important to know that hacking activities with illegal or malicious intent is a criminal offence and that if caught, they face severe penalties such as imprisonment and fines.
