Black hat? White hat? Can we still tell the good guys and bad guys apart by the
ID: 2247029 • Letter: B
Question
Black hat? White hat? Can we still tell the good guys and bad guys apart by the color of their hats? What is a hacker, a cracker, a phreaker, a script kiddie, a bot master, or a skimmer? Have you heard any of these terms? What makes them different from each other, in their positive and negative forms? Where did all this technology-based 'hacking' (to use the generic idea) come from, and do we consider hacking a crime, now? Is hacking always bad, or just a part of the technological landscape, and a pain of doing business with those pesky humans?
Explanation / Answer
Black hat and White hat is just terminology to describe the types of hackers. Hacker or the word "hacking" in general doesn't mean "bad' or "evil" but someone who compromises computer security. The definiton is still controversial, that is why people use terms like "black hat' and "white hat" to differentiate on theor behaviour. Black hat hackers voilate the security of computer for personal gain whereas White hats are opposite to that. They are sometimes also referred as "ethical hackers" i.e. using their abilities for good purpose. Some of the terms related to the field of hacking are:
Hacker - Anyone who enjoys exploring the details of computers and interested in stretching their capabilites.
Cracker - Person who breaks security of a computer system with the intent of stealing information.
Phreaker - Person interested in telecommunication system, and breaks into it illegally inorder to tap phone lines.
Script Kiddie - Person who uses existing scripts to hack into computers.
Bot master - Person who operates the command and control of botnets for remote process execution.
Skimmer - Basically, Identidy thieves.
The difference between the above stated terms are quite clear. However, hacking is term which has evolved itself. Earlier, it was used to describe just the bad guys but now there are terms to differentiate. Illegal hacking is always bad.
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