Black hat (computer security)

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.