What comes to mind when you hear the word hacker? This guy sitting alone in front of a computer, wearing a hoodie, in a calm and gloomy space, is the most stereotyped image made by the movie business.
This is far from the truth.
Who is a Hacker?
Anyone with the ability to search out and breach digital equipment is referred to as a hacker (computers, networks, smartphones, Wi-Fi, etc.).
While it is a popular misconception that hackers are always acting maliciously, the truth is that there is white hat hacking. While the former is used by cybersecurity specialists or software engineers to test and find vulnerabilities in their systems and software, cybercrime is predicted to cost $6 trillion by the end of the year.
There are insufficient cybersecurity personnel to fill open positions and combat cybercrime.
A Hackers Motivating Factor
There are several causes for this. The primary, and most usual, reason is monetary gain (Watch: How Do Hackers Make Money). They make money either by stealing credit card or bank information or by selling the confidential information they have obtained.
Then there’s the hacker culture, where they gain credibility by performing various attacks. This may be compared to a gang culture, in which members leave marks so that others can know who was guilty.
Corporate espionage is the third most common reason. Companies attempt to profit from this unethical behavior by learning what their competitors are doing or planning in the near future.
There is a fourth motive, as the world today demonstrates: states seeking to destabilize their opponents. Aside from the thousands of deaths and destruction, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is also being fought on a different front: computers.
The 4 Most Famous Hackers
Kevin Mitnik
If you wish to work in the cybersecurity field, you need become acquainted with this name. He is regarded as the best hacker on the planet.
He began his “career” while still a teenager. In 1981, he was charged with stealing computer manuals from Pacific Bell, a California-based telephone business.
His following acts brought him to the notice of the public, as he hacked into the North American Defense Command (NORAD) and copied the software of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), a renowned computer manufacturer.
He was later apprehended, and while incarcerated, he continued to hack Pacific Bell. He only used the data he was given to prove he could accomplish it. Mitnik has now shifted his focus to white hat hacking and even started his own security firm.
Adrian Lamo
Lamo rose to prominence after modifying a Reuters story with a bogus comment ascribed to former Attorney General John Ashcroft using an unprotected content management tool at Yahoo.
He’s also notorious for hacking systems and then leaking the information to the press and victims. He even assisted them in improving their security controls on occasion.
Lamo was used to living on the streets with nothing but a backpack, but in 2002, he went too far when he hacked into the New York Times and forged fictitious user identities, racking up $300,000 in database research fees.
Albert Gonzalez
Gonzalez was notorious for leading a gang of troublesome computer youths at his Miami high school. He was arrested at the age of 22 for stealing information from millions of credit and debit cards. This regrettable incident provided an opportunity to work with the US government and the Secret Service. They had no idea that Gonzalez was still active as a black hat hacker at the time, having stolen over 180 million payment card accounts from companies like Dave and Buster’s, Boston Market, and OfficeMax.
His biggest hit was on TJX, when he made an estimated $256 million using a SQL injection. In 2015, he was charged with a crime.
Jeanson James Acheta
We discussed the key reason why hackers hack earlier in this essay. The exception is Jeanson James Acheta. He didn’t hack for credit card information or any other reason; he just wanted to learn more about how bots work.
Acheta was able to infiltrate approximately 400K PCs during his botnet tests, which he then rented out to advertising companies. People began to pay him to set up bots on specific systems.
The first hacker to be sentenced to prison for using botnet technology was Jeanson James Acheta. He was given a 57-month sentence.
Although there maybe the evil hackers however it still takes a hacker to stop a hacker and that is why you should learn ethical hacking today. Follow us on Youtube to learn Ethical Hacking Tutorials.