The term hacker may make you think of someone who does bad things with computers, but not every hacker is up to no good. Have you ever heard or read this expression?
One Man's terrorist, is another Man's freedom fighter.
This is as true for hackers as it is for people who use weapons. Also, not every Linux (and I happen to be one) user is a hacker. Although, if they're using Kali...
Although I hope to give you a little more insight into the different kinds of hackers, it's quite possible that the above quote will continue to ring true.
Hackers can be distinguished by the color of their hats, and I'm not talking about physical hats. It's just an expression. Let me explain.
I see a hacker as someone who looks for ways to circumvent security measures. What makes them good or bad is what they do with the information. Confused. Let me see what I can do about that.
Let's say that I manage to get into a server of a company and that I manage to find something that the company might not want to be public.
I could send that company an e-mail containing a sample of the information I found and a demand that the company pay me to keep the information a secret. I think we can agree that this would make me a bad hacker; someone who's only after money. I would be what's called a black hat hacker.
On the other hand, I could also offer that company the chance to hire me to improve their security. In so doing, I would be a white hat hacker.
So, next time you hear about hackers, please don't immediately think that they're up to no good. Although, if they're in the news... Anyway, I do hope you understand what I'm saying.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. If you have any questions or comments, then please let me know in the form down below.
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