A hacker is a person who uses their technical skills to gain unauthorised access to computer systems, networks or sensitive information. The term "hacker" is often used to refer to someone who uses their skills for malicious or illegal purposes, but the term can also be used to refer to people who use their skills for good purposes, often referred to as "ethical hackers" or "white hat hackers".
There are different types of hackers, each with their own skills and motivations. Some examples are:
- Black Hat Hackers: These are people who use their skills for illegal or malicious purposes, e.g. to steal personal data, disrupt computer systems or spread malware.
- White hat hackers: These are people who use their skills for ethical purposes, e.g. penetration testing to find security holes in computer systems, or to improve the security of networks and systems.
- Script kiddies: These are people who use pre-written scripts or tools to exploit known vulnerabilities, but do not have the skill or knowledge to write their own malicious code.
- Grey hat hackers: They break into a system or network without malicious intent, but can cause damage in the process and inform the target of the vulnerability found and how to fix it.
Hacking can be done in many ways, such as exploiting vulnerabilities in software and hardware, using default credentials, social engineering, phishing and so on.
It is important to know that hacking can have serious consequences and that it is illegal to hack into computer systems or networks without authorisation. People found guilty of hacking may be subject to fines, imprisonment or other sanctions.
