Types of Computer Hackers

A computer hacker is much more than somebody who spends all day in a dark room looking at code on a monitor. Computer hackers are part of a larger computing brotherhood; like minded individuals who share a passion for computers and Internet programming. There are many different kinds of hackers and while some are out to do harm, many are simply curious individuals who want to learn the ins and outs of internet security.

White Hat

White Hat hackers are individuals who hack into computer systems solely to see how the computer's security systems work.

Black Hat

Black Hat hackers are the complete opposite of "White Hats." Black Hats break into security systems in order to steal credit card numbers, vandalize websites or otherwise do harm.

Grey Hats

Grey Hat hackers are morally ambiguous. They act in their own self-interests and do not think about the legal reprocussions of their actions. They do not actively seek to break the law, but are not concerned if such is the outcome.

Hacktivist

Hacktivists are individuals who hack websites to further some form of political or social agenda.

Script Kiddie

Script Kiddies are faux-hackers. They use pre-packaged, pre-written software to slip past Internet security protocols and are generally looked down upon in the various hacking communities.

Cyberterrorists

As the name implies, cyberterrorists use computers to engage in acts of terrorism, often times using DoS (Denial of Service) attacks to crash government websites.

Resources

• Hackers Homepage