What is hacking? Who are hackers?
This article will give you a quick overview of the topic without a lot of technical jargon.
Let’s get started!
Hacking Definition
The word hacking has two meanings in Germany:
Definition from everyday language:
Hacking is the illegal intrusion into computers and the associated deletion, suppression and retrieval of data.
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Original definition:
Hacking is an activity in which the hacker attempts to use technology to create something creative and original in an experimental way (on a voluntary basis).
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Myth-Definition of Hacking
In everyday language, hacking refers to the activity carried out to gain access to encrypted computer systems (illegally).
With hacking you want to …
- … gain access to your partner’s Instagram account.
- … generate 10,000 more friends on Facebook.
- … transfer €1,000,000 to your own bank account.
- … influence the share price of the purchased company.
- … obtain secret information that would normally remain hidden from the public.
- … switch off the power grid.
- … etc.
Firstly: Yes, all of the above scenarios are possible with hacking. Some hackers have successfully performed such hacks. If you want to learn how to become a hacker, read my learn hacking tutorial.
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Original Definition of Hacking
The Chaos Computer Club unites hackers and computer enthusiasts in Germany who are committed to net neutrality and security on the Internet.
It brings together hackers who work creatively and experimentally with technology (not only on computers). The founder of the CCC, Wau Holland, defines hackers as follows: “A hacker is someone who tries to find a way to make toast with a coffee machine”.
Hacking originally meant …
- … building an alarm system from an alarm clock and a single-board computer
- … building a display wall with Mate bottles and lights
- … think up sci-fi utopias
- … programme an app for an environmental purpose
- … tinker with small robots made from electronic waste
- … make cool figures out of wood with a CNC milling machine
Hacking is not limited to code and keyboard typing.
Some hackers build with real hardware, others with software and still others build a coffee cup warmer from a hotplate. The possibilities are endless.
Is Hacking illegal?
According to the everyday language definition, hackers can work for or against the will of other people.
Hacking tools are comparable to a sharp kitchen knife:
Either a gourmet chef cooks an exquisite dish with the use of the knife.
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… or ….
The chef lies in wait for his guests, uses the sharp knife as a weapon and stabs them.
The sharp knife is the hacking tool for a hacker. It can help companies to develop secure and stable software (positive effect, goodwill).
… or ...
The hacker uses the hacking tool against a company and carries out a “digital murder”, a real criminal offence:
He publishes stolen customer data, puts patents online, destroys hardware, software and data of the company so that the company has to go bankrupt (negative effect, bad will).
Common 4 Types of Hackers
Black-hat Hacker – The Stereotype from the Movice
In Hollywood films, black-hat hackers appear as computer science students sitting in a darkened room with 5 monitors, 3 keyboards and dozens of pizza boxes on the floor.
In reality, you will find such stereotypes, but they are the minority. The successful black hats have captured a lot of digital money: with their Bitcoin millions and a yacht, they sail around the Caribbean and live under the radar.
The black hats blackmail companies such as Amazon, PayPal and Google, steal money and cause damage to software and hardware. Black-hat hackers operate illegally and risk a prison sentence.
White-hat Hackers – Top Performers with Top Salaries
White-hat hackers take pleasure in hacking websites, apps and programmes. They help companies and individuals to find all possible software errors in their software.
The IT professionals receive a good salary for this service, so much so that bug bounty programmes have LEGALLY made hackers millionaires. White-hat hackers work for IT security consultancies, in cybersecurity emergency response teams in large companies or as freelancers who are paid several hundred euros per hour.
Grey Hat Hackers – So-so
Grey hat hackers (un)intentionally publicise the vulnerabilities they find in well-known operating systems and popular software on social media.
A malicious black-hat hacker can exploit the vulnerabilities and use this tip to cause a lot of damage. The affected company must close the vulnerability quickly to reduce the risk of a black hat hack.
Script Kiddies – Children out of Control
Script kiddies are underage children who find a hacking tool on the Internet at home. The children (un)consciously attack companies or private individuals. They deliberately provoke their victims (relatives, friends, parents) to white heat and commit REAL criminal offences, for which the parents have to serve a prison sentence.
The children only use the tools with half-knowledge, so that the police and cyber professionals can trace the script kiddies.
The Most Common Types of Hacking
- Software: Malware such as Trojans and viruses
- Server / websites: Compromising company databases or paralysing servers
- Social hacking: using persuasion to obtain passwords [non-technical hacking]
Attack Vectors for Computer Hacking
- Hardware / microcontrollers: When hackers paralyse microcontrollers, malware can cause physical damage with the risk of fire in addition to data loss. For this form of hacking, the hacker needs physical access to the computer.
- Basic Input-Out System (BIOS): The BIOS manages the boot process of the operating system (or several) on a hard drive. Malware here could B. Cause your computer to overheat. As with hardware hacking, access to the BIOS is not so easy.
- RAM / virtual memory: Main memory (RAM) attacks are more common. Hackers read the main memory to obtain cached passwords. Very dangerous!
- Boot section: Malware can destroy the part of the hard drive where the computer normally starts reading at startup. If the computer only finds nonsense bits, you will not be able to boot your computer. Hackers manage to penetrate this area time and again.
- The operating system is roughly divided into three layers:
- Kernel: Hackers can spy or delete data.
- Middleware and user interface: A non-kernel hacker enables criminals to read, influence or manipulate all programmes
- Software: Criminals distribute user software via websites, emails, post and USB sticks, which can cause damage to computers and files. This form of hacking is the most popular
