The World of Hackers: Decoding the Shades of Their Hats

Black Hats and White Hats

So, why “hats”? This convention stems from early Western films, where the heroes wore pristine white Stetsons and the villains wore black ones, as dictated by Hollywood directors' storytelling.

Western hero Buffalo Bill in a white cowboy hat Source: Wikipedia

During the Wild West era, there was no such fashion, and certainly, today’s hackers don’t sit at their computers donning wide-brimmed hats. However, the various “shades” of their activities, noble or otherwise, are aptly described by these colorful metaphors.

Black hats (blackhat hackers or blackhats) are hackers who break laws and ethical norms for profit or other malevolent purposes. Their activities range from cybercrime and cyber warfare to stealing personal data, piracy, distributing malware, and other malicious intents. Typically, black hats steal information to sell on the darknet.

From 2013 to 2014, black hat attacks on Yahoo resulted in the theft of 3 billion (!) customer accounts. These incidents are regarded as the largest data breach in the history of the Internet. In recent years, black hats have unfortunately shown a particular interest in cryptocurrency exchanges and users’ crypto wallets.

White hats (white hat hackers) or ethical hackers are the exact opposite of the “black villains.” They are cybersecurity specialists who search for system vulnerabilities on a paid or voluntary basis, and then report their findings to the developers. Their services are utilized by businesses, financial institutions, app and game developers, and government entities, among others. 

Interestingly, the U.S. Air Force was one of the first organizations to engage white hats to assess vulnerabilities in their operating systems. The most famous product developed by white hats is the SATAN program (Security Administrator Tool for Analyzing Networks), which encompasses all the tools used for hacking.

Today, however, hackers can “wear” hats of various colors, thus being categorized into several groups.

Yellow Saboteurs of Social Media Platforms

Yellow hats (yellow hat hackers), also known as social network hackers, specialize in hacking into user accounts.

Because yellow hat hackers typically harbor criminal intentions, they resemble black hats. Yellow hats often hack accounts to compromise a brand, spread malware, or damage the reputation of a real person. The stolen confidential information is frequently used for personal gain, such as being sold for profit.

Grey Hats: Almost White, Slightly Black

Grey hat hackers (or grey hats) operate like black hats but without malicious intent. A grey hat might break laws or ethical norms by hacking a well-known computer system just to feel heroic. Although these actions are illegal, they are not driven by criminal motives.

Most grey hats, however, report vulnerabilities to the system's owners hoping for a reward. On the other hand, many software and app developers proactively offer bounties for discovering vulnerabilities in their products. These bounty programs, known as “bug bounties,” can sometimes offer rewards of several million dollars!

Blue Hats and Red Hats

Blue hat hackers (or blue hats) are specialists hired to scrutinize systems for bugs and vulnerabilities before their official launch. Occasionally, this term includes reputable cybersecurity consulting firms. The role of blue hats involves identifying and addressing security weaknesses to ensure they are rectified before the product's commercial release.

Red hat hackers (or security hackers) explore methods of breaching defenses and exploiting system or network vulnerabilities, often employing techniques traditionally used by black hats. Both red and blue hats are commonly employed by developers for penetration testing, which assesses a system's security. In these tests, one team uses all available tools to attempt a system breach, while the other team implements all possible defenses to thwart the attack.

This scenario is akin to military drills that simulate actual combat conditions, where units engage a real, not hypothetical, “enemy.” The developers, acting as mediators, evaluate the effectiveness of the defense and the attackers' strategies. The result of this virtual confrontation is the enhancement of the system's security. 

Purple Defenders

The next category in the hacker hat spectrum closely relates to both blue hats and red hats. 

Purple hat hackers merge offensive and defensive skills to analyze and improve security strategies. This holistic approach is vital for developing robust defense mechanisms and quickly responding to evolving threats. 

In contrast to red and blue hats, purple hats collaborate directly with developers from the product’s developmental stages, analyzing security from the ground up.

Still Learning: Green Hats

Green hat hackers are novices who are just beginning to explore the nuances of cybersecurity and hacking. While green hats do not possess malicious intentions and aim to contribute to network security, they often operate without the system owner's consent, making their actions potentially illegal.

Moreover, green hats lack the full-fledged skills of seasoned criminals or cybersecurity experts, and they can unintentionally cause significant harm to systems they manage to compromise. Essentially, these “newcomers” are still finding their footing in the hacker world. Over time, as they gain experience, these hackers might choose any role across the spectrum of hacker “hats.”

In conclusion, regardless of the color of their metaphorical hat, hackers are equipped with nearly all the tools needed for system breaches. At any moment, a white hat could turn to darker shades, complicating the work of cybersecurity professionals.