Black Hat Hackers
– Description:
– Criminals who intentionally enter computer networks with malicious intent are known as black hat hackers.
– They distribute malware that steals data, financial information, or personal information.
– Black hat hackers can work alone or with organized crime groups.
– They can be novices or experienced criminals.
– Black hat hackers can be involved in cyber espionage or protest.
– History:
– The term black hat originates from Western movies where villains wore black hats.
– WannaCry ransomware attack infected 400,000 computers in 150 countries.
– The United States experienced a record number of 1,862 data breaches in 2021.
– Yahoo’s data breach in 2013-2014 involved the theft of 3 billion customer records.
– Equifax experienced a data breach in 2017, exposing over 145 million customer records.
– Strategies:
– Concealing: Black hat hackers use hidden entryway pages to deceive search engines and users.
– Keyword stuffing: Repeatedly using irrelevant keywords to trick search engines.
– Link farming: Multiple websites linking to a website to increase traffic and popularity.
– Shrouding: Showing different content to clients and search engines to boost visibility.
– Spamdexing: Using software to inject backlinks into search engine results to raise ranking.
– Examples of famous black hats:
– Kevin Mitnick hacked into over forty major corporations and became a cybersecurity consultant.
– Vladimir Leonidovich Levin stole $10.7 million from Citibank and spent three years in jail.
– Famous black hat hackers demonstrate the extent of their skills and the potential consequences of their actions.
Types of Hackers
– White hat:
– Ethical hackers who aim to discover flaws and enhance network security.
– White hat hackers are hired by organizations to improve their network security.
– Grey hat:
– Hackers who violate laws or ethical standards but may not have malicious intent.
– Grey hat hackers may trade vulnerability information for personal gain.
– Hacktivists are a special group of grey hats who hack to promote social change.
Data Breaches and Attacks
– WannaCry ransomware:
– Infected 400,000 computers in 150 countries.
– Yahoo’s data breach (2013-2014):
– Theft of 3 billion customer records.
– Equifax data breach (2017):
– Exposed over 145 million customer records.
– Record number of data breaches in the United States in 2021:
– 1,862 data breaches reported.
Black Hat SEO
– Strategies used by black hat hackers in search engine optimization:
– Concealing, keyword stuffing, link farming, shrouding, spamdexing.
Resources and References
– Resources:
– BlueHat, Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare, HackTrophy, Black hat, White hat, and Gray hat hackers.
– References:
– Various sources providing information on black hat hackers, white hat hackers, and gray hat hackers.
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (December 2023) |
A black hat (black hat hacker or blackhat) is a computer hacker who violates laws or typical ethical standards for nefarious purposes, such as cybercrime, cyberwarfare or malice.
The term originates from 1950s westerns, with "bad guys", (i.e. criminals) typically depicted as having worn black hats, and "good guys" (heroes) wearing white ones. In the same way, black hat hacking is contrasted with the more ethical white hat hacking. Additionally, there exists a third category, called grey hat hacking, characterized by individuals who hack, usually with good intentions but by illegal means.
