There are basically two types of Hackers. One is the “Criminal Hacker” whose activities are unsanctioned. These hackers have malicious motives, they may hack into your programs and change some formats, they can read your emails and even retrieve credit card numbers.
The other one is called the” Ethical Hacker”. They are the ones who help owners fight off threat, by looking through programs and making sure that there are no chances for security breach.
A “Hacker” is widely known as an individual who has extensive knowledge about computer programs and the internet and uses this knowledge to gain access and modify a computer program. This negative view of the Hacker can be attributed to the influences of the mass media. They have portrayed Hackers as “villains” who hack computer programs and gain access to private files. It was due to this portrayal that the term “Hacker” gained a negative reputation.
Criminal Hackers
The origin of Hacking can be traced when computers started to become a constant fixture in Universities. They were used to help students with their school activities. But soon, the demand for computers exceeded their availability. In response, locks were set up and passwords were required before anyone can gain access into a computer program. When they were not given permission, some individuals tried to find a way to gain access despite the restrictions. They would steal passwords, and find ways to gain some control over the computer programs. At first, these intrusions resulted in minimal damage but later on, when a less experienced hacker tried to get access to a program, they would commit errors that would bring down the system. A person who hacks the system to intentionally cause damage can be considered as a “Criminal Hacker”.
Ethical Hackers
With the growth of the internet, Web Security has been a major concern for companies. They are afraid of hackers getting into their system and causing damage to their programs. Similarly, the consumers are also concerned about the security of their personal information. In order to combat these concerns, companies have set up various security programs.
The best way to know the integrity of their system is to get somebody who can try to hack into their system. Enter, the Ethical Hackers, ethical hackers will try to break in to a computer system. They implement methods the same way as a criminal Hacker would. The only difference is that they do not inflict any harm to the system. They will process and submit a report, informing the client of the most vulnerable part for a security breach, thus giving the companies a chance to fortify their defenses against “Criminal Hackers.”
It is important to remember that, even though “Criminal Hackers” and “Ethical Hacker” share a lot of traits, there is always one thing that distinguishes one from the other. The Criminal Hacker hacks into a computer system without the consent of the proper authority. Criminal Hackers also approach a program with a malicious intent may it be theft or to cause the system to go haywire.
Ethical hackers on the other hand are commissioned by companies to seek out the weak points in their system, and as a result, arming the companies with a chance to fortify their security setting. GP
