Beware of these 4 types of 黑客

Hackers come in all shapes and sizes. From kids wanting to gain notoriety on the internet to political groups trying to send a message, the 动机 for a cyber攻击 vary widely. So how can you protect yourself? It all starts with getting to know your enemy a little better. Here’s a profile of four different types of 黑客.

Script Kiddies

Skill-wise, 脚本kiddys (or skids, for short) are at the bottom of the hacker totem pole. Their name comes from the fact that they use scripts or other automated tools written by others. Most of the time, 脚本kiddys are young people on a quest for internet notoriety. Or, more often than not, they’re simply bored and in search of a thrill. Many never become full-time 黑客; in fact, many 脚本kiddys end up using their skills for the greater good, working in the 安全 industry.

Though lacking in hacking know-how, 脚本kiddys shouldn’t be dismissed so easily, as they can cause businesses much damage. 2000年5月, 例如, a couple of skids sent out an email with the subject line “ILOVEYOU” and ended up causing a reported $10 billion in lost productivity and digital damage.

黑客行为主义者

黑客行为主义者 are primarily politically motivated, and they often hack into businesses and government systems to promote a particular political agenda or to effect social change. These so-called “黑客 with a cause” steal confidential information to expose or simply disrupt their target’s operations.

If you’re a small- or medium-sized (SMB) owner, don’t think for a second that you’re immune to 黑客 攻击s. This is especially true if your company is associated or partnered with organizations that are prime 黑客 targets. Or, if your business provides services that can be seen as unethical, you may targeted by 黑客s as well.

Cybercriminals

When a hacker breaks into digital systems or networks with malicious intent, they are considered a cybercriminal. Cybercriminals target everyone from individuals to SMBs to large enterprises and banks that either have a very valuable resource to steal or 安全 that is easy to exploit, or a combination of both.

They can 攻击 in a number of ways, including using social engineering to trick users into volunteering sensitive personal or company data, which they can then sell in underground markets in the dark web. They can also infect computers with ransomware and other malware, or use digital technology to carry out “conventional crimes” like fraud and illegal gambling.

内部人士

Perhaps the scariest type of hacker is the one that lurks within your own organization. An 内幕 can be anyone from current and former employees to contractors to business associates. Oftentimes their mission is payback: to right a wrong they believe a company has done them, they’ll steal sensitive documents or try to disrupt the organization somehow. Edward Snowden is a prime example of an 内幕 who hacked his own organization — the US government.

Now that you know what motivates your enemy, and you think you might be a target, it’s time to secure your business from the different types of 黑客 out there. Get in touch with our experts today to learn how.