What Do Hackers Do?

You may have heard about the famous Russian hackers, Pavel Aleksandrovich Akulov, Mihkail Mikhailovich Gavrilov, and Marat Valeryevich Tyukov.  Earlier in 2022, these Russian hackers were being tracked down by the US for being involved in campaigns to target critical infrastructure and energy companies worldwide. South Africa had also been mentioned to be on the list of these hackers.

We hear about hackers being tracked down ever so often. In fact, hacking has become rifer with the advent of technology.  Hearing about hacking is one thing but imagine trying to explain what hacking is and what it is that hackers do. Call it cyber revenge or just gaining access to what doesn't belong to you, but that is the easiest way to describe what it is that hackers do.

When we describe hacking in that way, the definition doesn't at all encompass how ill-intentioned and malevolent hacking can be.

Hackers hack because there is a fair amount of challenge involved in hacking. Alongside challenges, hackers hack as they are rewarded financially when they do hack. Furthermore, hackers hack as they gain a sense of power when they do. Hackers hack to prove a point and sometimes even to cause harm.

It is easy to deduce why hackers resort to hacking, but what is a hacker exactly?

What is a Hacker?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a hacker is a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system.

Usually, when the word hacker is thrown around, it tends to be associated with illegal activity.

Then again, Merriam-Webster also defines a hacker as an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer. So, while we do tend to take the stance that hackers indulge in a fair amount of illegal work, they too are highly skilled computer experts. That is why we know that hackers embrace the chance to hack so as to take up a new challenge.

With advanced computer and programming skills, hackers hack so as to gain something out of the deal. 

What Does a Hacker Do?

Ransomware hacks are what we can say that hackers do as these earn hackers somewhat of a hefty payday.  Hackers are aware that their targets have enough resources to meet their demands. Imagine looking forward to a payday that takes your breath away.

Ultimately, it becomes clear that even though hacking is deemed illegal activity, hackers hack for financial gain.

Ransomware can be delivered either via an email phishing scam or a vulnerable server message block (SMB) port, but ransomware delivery is not limited to just this. To ensure financial gain from their work, some hackers earn their pay by writing damaging or infectious code that they profit from when they sell this code to other hacking groups. There are other hackers who are skilled enough to hack databases so as to gain access to client data that they can then sell on the dark web or use this information for blackmail purposes.

While we could assume that hacking is limited to ransomware delivery and harnessing client information, hackers also get involved in identity theft. Identity theft is another way to ensure that hackers benefit financially from their hacking activities. Taking on someone else's identity is the easiest possible way to:

• open bank accounts, or apply for loans in others' names
• gain access to and use others' credit card information
• get access to vital documents such as passports and birth certificates

The type of hacker defined here is known as the black hat hacker that may also impersonate you.

However, is the word, "hacker," as clear-cut as it seems?

What Does Hacker Mean?

While we think of a hacker as someone who is thinking about corporate espionage, the word, "hacker," has more than one meaning.

If you look up the word hacker in the Cambridge Dictionary, the meanings that pop up include someone who gets into people's computer systems without permission in order to find information, or someone who uses another person's phone system without permission, especially to listen to their spoken messages.

Whichever way you choose to see it, having a hacker on your trail is never considered to be a good thing.

Why Do Hackers Hack?

Hacking to Cause Harm

While we have looked at hackers who hack for financial gain, hackers sometimes hack to make a huge impact. For these hackers, the purpose is to cause panic and interrupt an important service. The hackers that have the intention to cause harm are also called black hat hackers.

Perhaps personal revenge or a personal vendetta is the reason hackers hack. Of late, you may have heard of many people's social media accounts being hacked only so that inappropriate content can be posted to these accounts. Instagram hackers are surely on the rise. You could say that hackers choose to hack because there is a sense of accomplishment associated with hacking.

Speaking of a sense of accomplishment, sometimes hackers may hack to make a point.

Hacking to Make a Point

Perhaps we have misunderstood certain hackers and they are not hacking for malicious reasons at all. There is in fact a red hat hacking group who works to improve society, but these hackers may do so by means that are not deemed legal at all. These red hat hackers are called the vigilantes that enforce cyber security. These red hat hackers are not at all malicious and they use aggressive steps to overpower their black hat opposition.

Hackers could hack for a variety of religious, political, environmental or social reasons. Hackers who hack to make a point but are legally allowed to do so are termed white hat hackers.

Is there a better way to make a point than to show you are in control of information that should not even belong to you?  Black hat hackers are still known to make the strongest possible point by proving to you that they are really in charge.

Hacking Related to Security Reasons

So, the black hat hacker, white hat hacker and red hat hacker have already been discussed and the point in terms of the roles they play have been identified, there is, however, also a green hat hacker and a blue hat hacker.

• Green hat hackers are considered to be novice hackers who are still learning how to code and analysing what they can do. These novice hackers are still attending hackathons where they come to converse with and interact with other hackers while taking on fictional hacking challenges.
• Alongside green hat hackers, you also get blue hat hackers who are often employed by companies. These hackers are legally allowed to hack as they are employed solely for the purpose of probing systems to check for vulnerabilities. Blue hat hackers are considered to be knowledgeable programmers who get contracts at software companies for the purpose of testing new programs ahead of release or for the relaunch of a program.

If you thought that dreaming about becoming a hacker was entirely bad, you are wrong!

If you are interested in becoming a blue hat hacker, then the idea of advancing your hacking skills may be a great idea.  If so, you can start off by playing a game like Mass Effect so that you can advance your game-specific hacking skills.

Of course, we are not in any way encouraging you to learn how to hack with malicious intent. However, you could consider making a legal living by white hat or blue hat hacking and possibly even undoing the wrongs of the black hat hacker.

Be the hacker that creates a stir just by being able to undo the work done by the malicious black hat hacker.

Ready to dive into the exciting world of coding? Our programming lessons for beginners provide the perfect opportunity to gain essential skills and knowledge that will empower you to thrive in today's digital age. From mastering the basics to tackling advanced concepts, our expert instructors are here to guide you every step of the way. Join us and unlock the door to endless possibilities—whether you're pursuing a career in tech or simply looking to expand your horizons, our coding lessons offer a pathway to success.