When you think about “ White hat hackers vs black hat hackers”, do you feel like they aren’t both pretty much the same? Well if you did then this article will clear all the confusion for you. If you emphasize the color then it is pretty much obvious that white represents good and black represents the bad.

The white hat hackers are the good hackers that are the important asset of cyber security. They protect our data, website, systems, etc, and prevent major cyber threats. By trial and error, they take the firewall of the security system to perfection.

Data is the most important asset in the digital world. The major companies hire the best white hat hackers who protect them as guardian angels.

Then there come the black hat hackers who specialize in bringing threats to any cyber security. Sometimes their cyberattack is so severe that it brings down the whole company to the ground.

They are much involved in bringing chaos and disturbance to both the digital and physical world.

To make you understand how both types of hackers work, we will be discussing both parts step by step systematically.

What Does Black Hat Hacker Mean?

Like you see in the movie when a hacker is blackmailing an innocent man for extorting money. The situation is pretty much similar except for the part where they click some buttons and the hack is done. In real-world hacking takes hours of work coding and creating malware that can perfectly infiltrate the cyber security mainframe.

Black hat hackers are the infamous people who have the technical skills to defraud and cause harm to others. They like to take challenges and infiltrate any cyber security system they seem fit. Using their expertise, they conduct various cyber attacks, write untraceable malware, bypass security protocols and break into computer networks. They get access to the operating system of the victim’s device and have the intention to harm them.

What Are The Motives of Black Hat Hackers?

The motive of the black hat hackers is not subjected to one reason only. They have several reasons for justifying why they do what they do. Here are some of the motives for being a black hat hacker-

  • They make a lot of money in a short time by blackmailing and extorting money from innocent victims.
  • Some black hat hackers are egomaniacs and they will do anything to ruin someone’s reputation for their revenge.
  • Some being anti-semitic provides extremist views on religion and society to bring chaos and hatred in the community.
  • Some work on political agenda and make sure the favored group always has the head start feeding confidential information.
  • Some are very hungry for fame and thrive when people start giving attention that they have always craved for.

1. What is Malicious Software And How It Is Made by Black Hat Hackers And They Do With It?

Malicious software is malware that solely works on exploiting the loophole and vulnerabilities of the operating system. The main purpose of malware is to harm your operating system and steal all the sensitive data from your hard drive.

Black hat hackers use their coding skills to make malware for stealing all the information from the victim’s device. The malware program is refined and encrypted in such a way it breaches any operating system without setting off any alarm. Here are some examples of common malware-

2. Phishing Attack Used By Black Hat Hackers

Phishing attacks are a common method that has been successfully going on for more than a decade. This type of attack involves sending messages or phishing mail by acting as a safe and trusted link source. The game is pretty much over for the victim when he/she clicks the link.

The link is disguised as a fake charity donation or money transfer due to an emergency. It also traps people by advertising fake products and services.

The malware that is programmed with the link enters the operating system of the victim’s device. Then it starts to collect and destroy the file inside the hard drive which makes the victim impossible to get access to.

3. Breaching Security Loophole By Black Hat hackers

Loopholes mean bugs in the operating system. When there is a loophole in the security system, it allows the black hat hackers to hack easily.  The vulnerabilities work as an entry point for the deviant hackers, These loopholes are so common that they are found in many public domains.

Black hat hackers always hunt for bugs and loopholes to enter and exploit the whole operating system. That is why it is advised not to use public Wi-Fi as they are more vulnerable to a security breach. Black hat hackers thrive for the victims who still use backdated software, theme, app, or software, etc.

4. Social Engineering Scams By Black Hat hackers

This type of hacking is done through manipulation. The hackers make a fake social profile account of someone trustable by the victim. After the trust is gained, the hacker tries to extort personal, confidential information and take advantage of them.

The second procedure is more heinous where the hacker hacks the targeted social media profile. The link is then shared with all the contacts from the victim’s device.

5. Using Ransomware and Spyware By Black Hat Hackers

Black Hat hackers at first target the mobile device they want to attack and then insert ransomware. The next thing the malware does is more horrifying. It automatically encrypts all the files and data that are stored inside the hard drive.

The victim is unable to do anything where all this sensitive data is inaccessible to him. The malware demands to give bank access or all the important data will be deleted.

The black hat hackers also use spyware that can monitor the victim in live time. This gives the hacker viewing and accessing options for remote control of the device.

They try to blackmail the victim and demand bank account access or else the personal data like documents, pictures, photos, videos, intellectual properties are threatened to be exposed online.

6. Sell Data Form Database By Black Hat Hackers

Many times, black hat hackers gain access to confidential data in a database or server by breaching cyber security. Some hackers sell this data in bulk amounts with good pay on the dark web. Some black hat hackers keep the sensitive data to themselves and use it for financial fraud and identity theft.

What Does White Hat Hacker Mean?

The procedure of white hacker hacking is kind of similar to black hat hackers. But the main difference is that after breaching the system, white hat hackers don’t do any harm to the system. Rather they protect the security from future threats and patch the loopholes and vulnerabilities.

They have similar respect as talented IT professionals who possess certification and degrees in cybersecurity. All the hacking procedures are done through legal means and no harm is done to the system. White hat hacker works as independent consultant or freelancer. At the same time, have a similar role as a security specialist, pentester, information security analyst, etc.

What Are The Motives of White Hat Hackers?

White hat hackers do hacking with good intentions and to make the world a better place. Their main motives are as follows-

  • Figure out the loopholes and vulnerabilities and provide a systematic solution to fix them.
  • Fix the vulnerabilities of the system and educate other security teams on ways to prevent them.
  • Help the security companies and organizations to develop their security firewall.
  • Develop powerful software that can detect untraceable viruses and prevent them from breaching.
  • Make systematic plans and procedures for the prevention of possible future cyber attacks.

Role Of White Hacker In Cyber Security 

For being white hat hackers, they have roles in various aspects of cyber security. These are as follows-

  • Penetration Testing

The penetration system is mainly used to find out the bugs and loopholes by testing the computer system, software, network, etc.

  • Developing Security Products 

White hat hackers are also involved in developing security products like antimalware, antispyware, firewalls, antivirus, honeypots, data filters, and security extensions for browsers.

  • Assist Companies and Cyber Security Firms To Be Compliant

Most of the companies handle the sensitive data of the users so it is necessary to align with security guidelines like PCI DSS, HIPAA. GDPR, etc. White hat hackers ensure that the companies are compliant with security protocols and revised laws.

  • Educate Users About Data Protection

White hackers have complete knowledge about cyber security and data protection. Therefore, they provide educational knowledge to the common user so that they are more aware. They also develop an effective place for the organization if there is any possible crisis.