What is Hacking?
In recent years, the word Hacking has become one of the most commonly used words in the world. Hacking literally means finding the ways and various means in order to gain access to a system or a network. Someone who does this all is simply called a hacker. Some of the common classifications of a hacker based on their intentions are as follows:
Black Hat Hacker. This type of hacker usually performs hacking with malicious intention for personal gain. People need to be cautious of these people. When they gain access they can do harm to the network, computers and the user by Deleting or modifying existing data, stealing proprietary data, stealing sensitive information(credit card information, user personal information, etc to be used for identity theft), Denial-of-Service(DoS) Attack to cause a network to be unable to work properly and installing malicious program for further attack.
White Hat Hacker / Ethical hacker. This type of hacker performs the act of hacking with the intention of finding vulnerabilities in a system in order to improve the security. Usually they perform the attack after they receive an authorization from the owners of the systems themselves. By hacking into their target they can identify weaknesses inside the system and find some ways to improve the system and fix those weaknesses.
Grey Hat Hacker. Grey hat hacker works using similar skills to both Black and White hat hacker, however they are doing it without authorization from the owner of the system and usually without malicious intention. Once they managed to get inside a system they usually contact their owner to demand reward for identifying the system weaknesses.
Hacktivist. Simply put a hacktivist is an activist who can perform hacking and utilize this skill in order to further his goals to influence political and social surroundings. Another big difference between hacktivists and other types of hackers is that the hacktivists have the tendency to work in a group, that makes it harder to defend their attacks.
Script Kiddies. Script Kiddies are often less skilled than other types of hackers because they employ the already made softwares or scripts to perform hacking. Due to their skills limitation, in many cases script kiddies intention is less serious and causes less damages compared to other type hackers. When someone is hacking to gain fame among friends or hacking for fun, it becomes a classic example of a script kiddie.
How can a network be hacked?
The term hacker has been around for some time and their definition changes over time and so does how they perform hacking, however the main idea is to search and exploit vulnerabilities inside a device or network. Once a hacker managed to gain access to a device or the network itself, they can gain access other devices connected in to the network and escalate their actions. With access to network, a hacker can steal, modify or erase data, install a back door for easier access in the future, disable the network or utilize the network resources to gain access to other network. Some of the most commonly used method on their disposal includes brute force, Mal-advertising, exploiting known vulnerabilities, and social engineering.
- Known vulnerabilities. One of the simplest tools many hackers use is known vulnerabilities, which is also known as security exploit or security vulnerability. This method uses a long list of known security weaknesses in order to gain access to a device or network. Some of the most well known weaknesses include easily guessed passwords, and un-updated software version.
- Brute Force. This is one of the oldest attacking method, where the hacker attempts to gain access through repeated attempts at guessing password. With the advancement of technology this type of attack has become more refined by utilizing automated tools and some guessing work.
- Social Engineering. This type of attack is slightly different from other types of attacks because the attack is mainly focused on the user. Due to the fact that the security software providers and security experts such as Benchmark IT Services have continuously improved the standards to provide better security, some hackers decide to shift their focus to the users which are usually less experienced or less cautious. Some of the known cases involve the hacker contacting their target pretending to be the trusted party and slowly collecting information that can be used to hack into their devices and networks.
- Mal-advertising. In this method, hackers utilize advertisements on the internet as their main tools. By compromising some of the advertisements in legitimate websites, it is possible to insert some malware into the viewer device. The malware can force the browser to open malicious sites that causes more problems to the user system and network.
In conclusion, there are various ways a hacker can gain access to both devices and networks. Once they gain access there are also many ways they can harm the user and their system, which is why it is important to learn how to prevent this type of situation.
How to prevent Hacking
With the passing of time, hackers will learn and invent new ways to get inside someone’s devices or network. Similarly many people will not sit idly when learning of this situation and find ways to help user improve their security, which includes:
The first thing to do is choosing a reputable products from antivirus service software(such as AVAST) and browser(such Google Chrome). These reputable brands have a team of dedicated security experts that works tirelessly to provide better security.
The second thing to do is to acquire the product from a reputable source (such as X-Tech Buy). This is an important step to avoid getting fake products that could be exploited by hackers.
The third step is to make it a habit to regularly update security software, browser, operating systems and other application. This habit will allow the devices and network to become more secure over time and provide better safety. Not updating items means allowing more ways that hacker to succeed in their efforts.
The next thing to keep in mind is to use strong password in each account and avoid using same password for everything. It is important because once an account is compromised, every other account could be easily compromised as well.
It is also a good habit to back up data regularly and secure it in secure location. It could be important data or all data inside the system. This method is the best way to preserve data incase hacker get inside the system and modify or delete data.
Lastly it is crucial to practice responsible and cautious online behavior. Some of the this to keep includes avoiding suspicious links and email. Additionally, some research into recent news, consulting an experienced consultant. and educational articles online to improve user awareness is a good way to improve safety.
In conclusion, Hackers will always do their best to find more ways to get into a system and many people are also doing their best to improve security. That is why it is best if the user contribute with these small efforts to improve their security.
