Computer Hacking

It is a practice of modifying computer hardware and software to accomplish a goal outside the creator’s original purpose. The purpose of hacking a computer system may vary from simply demonstrations of the technical ability, to stealing, modifying or destroying information for social, economic or political reasons. Now corporations are hiring hackers, people who are engaged in hacking computers with the purpose to hack the computer of an organization and to find and fix security vulnerabilities. The hackers may be classified as:

White Hat

White Hat hackers are the people who hack the system to find the security vulnerabilities of it and notify the organizations so that a preventive action can be taken to protect the system from outside hackers. White hat hackers may be paid as employee of an organization to find the security loopholes or to be a freelancer who just wants to prove his mantle in this field. They are popular known as ethical hackers.

Black Hat

In contrast to the white hat, the black hat hacks the system with ill intentions. They may hack the system for social, political, or economically motivated intentions. They find the security loopholes in the system and keep the information themselves and exploit the system for personal or organizational benefits till organization whose system is compromised is aware of this and apply security patches. They are popularly known as crackers.

Grey Hat

Grey hat hackers find out the security vulnerabilities, report to the site administrators, and offer the fix of the security bug for a consultancy fee.

Blue Hat

A blue hat hacker is someone outside computer security consulting firms who tests a system prior to its launch, looking for bugs so they can be fixed.