The word “hacker” doesn’t always mean criminal. In fact, many hackers work to protect systems rather than break into them. Learn about the different hats hackers wear and the roles each one plays in modern cybersecurity.
Understanding the history of hackers
The word "hacker" often conjures a mental image of a shadowy figure in a dark room, illegally breaking into computer systems.

In the 1950s, hackers simply referred to individuals with curious minds tinkering with the potential of computers. However, the rise of personal computers in the 1980s led to a shift. Hackers, often teenagers, began exploiting vulnerabilities for the thrill of breaking into systems, particularly those run by governments.

Hackers come in all shapes and sizes, with different motivations for why they do what they do. Unfortunately, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are often the target of these malicious individuals because they are seen as easier targets than large enterprises.

"Know thine enemy" — it means to get to know them and their motives. In this blog, we take a close look at the five types of dangerous hackers, what their motives are, and how they operate.
Script kiddies
In terms of skill, script kiddies (or skids, for short) are at the bottom of the hacker totem pole.

A lot of people get a handful of spam in their email inboxes every day. While spam can be a nuisance, it only takes a few minutes to delete or block spam. But if you receive tens of thousands of spam all at the same time, a huge chunk of your time and energy will be wasted on dealing with them — and they might actually be hiding telltale signs that you're being attacked by cybercriminals.

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 motives for a cyberattack vary widely. So how can you protect yourself? It all starts with getting to know your enemy a little better.

Cellebrite claims that they have devised “undisclosed techniques” to unlock Apple devices running on any iOS operating system. The U.S. government contractor based in Israel recently notified clients of their ability to circumnavigate iOS protections that’s part of their new service for forensic specialists and law enforcement.

Filling out web forms often seems like an unbearably monotonous obstacle that gets in the way of online shopping, booking a plane ticket, and doing other types of online registration. With many of today’s transactions done online, people have become accustomed to relying on their browsers’ autofill function to save time.

The worrisome rise of ransomware doesn’t seem to be slowing as Microsoft recently announced the detection of self-propagating iterations of the malware. With this evolution, it is essential for SMBs to update their understanding of this security threat in order to properly protect themselves.

Hackers come in all shapes and sizes. From kids trying to gain notoriety on the Internet to political groups trying to send a message, the motives for a cyber attack vary widely. So how can you protect yourself? It all starts with getting to know your enemy a little better.