Hacking is the process of gaining unauthorized access into a computer system, or group of computer systems. This is done through cracking of passwords and codes which gives access to the systems. Cracking is the term which specifies the method by which the password or code is obtained. The person who undertakes hacking is known as the hacker. The hacking can be done on single systems, a group of systems, an entire LAN network, a website or a social media site or an email account. The access to a password is obtained by the hacker through password cracking algorithms programs.
It goes without saying that most of the individuals, as well as business associations, use computers and laptops for all their daily needs. Especially for organizations (of any form), it is essential to have a computer network, domain or website, Wide Area Network (WAN) for a seamless flow of information and business applications. Consequently, these networks are under a high-risk exposure to the outside world of hacking and hackers.
Hacking is an attempt to exploit a computer system or a private network inside a computer. Simply put, it is the unauthorised access to or control over computer network security systems for some illicit purpose. ... They can destroy, steal or even prevent authorized users from accessing the system.
Who are the hackers
Black Hat Hackers
Black hat hackers are the "bad guys" of the hacking scene. They go out of their way to discover vulnerabilities in computer systems and software to exploit them for financial gain or for more malicious purposes, such as to gain reputation, carry out corporate espionage, or as part of a nation-state hacking campaign.
These individuals’ actions can inflict serious damage on both computer users and the organizations they work for. They can steal sensitive personal information, compromise computer and financial systems, and alter or take down the functionality of websites and critical networks.
White Hat Hackers
White hat hackers can be seen as the “good guys” who attempt to prevent the success of black hat hackers through proactive hacking. They use their technical skills to break into systems to assess and test the level of network security, also known as ethical hacking. This helps expose vulnerabilities in systems before black hat hackers can detect and exploit them.
The techniques white hat hackers use are similar to or even identical to those of black hat hackers, but these individuals are hired by organizations to test and discover potential holes in their security defenses.
Grey Hat Hackers
Grey hat hackers sit somewhere between the good and the bad guys. Unlike black hat hackers, they attempt to violate standards and principles but without intending to do harm or gain financially. Their actions are typically carried out for the common good. For example, they may exploit a vulnerability to raise awareness that it exists, but unlike white hat hackers, they do so publicly. This alerts malicious actors to the existence of the vulnerability.
So you can surely choose where you fit to be.
Origination of hacking??
Hacking first appeared as a term in the 1970s but became more popular through the next decade. An article in a 1980 edition of Psychology Today ran the headline “The Hacker Papers” in an exploration of computer usage's addictive nature. Two years later, two movies, Tron and WarGames, were released, in which the lead characters set about hacking into computer systems, which introduced the concept of hacking to a wide audience and as a potential national security risk.
Sure enough, later that year, a group of teenagers cracked the computer systems of major organizations like Los Alamos National Laboratory, Security Pacific Bank, and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A Newsweek article covering the event became the first to use the word “hacker” in the negative light it now holds.
This event also led Congress to pass several bills around computer crimes, but that did not stop the number of high-profile attacks on corporate and government systems. Of course, the concept of hacking has spiraled with the release of the public internet, which has led to far more opportunities and more lucrative rewards for hacking activity. This saw techniques evolve and increase in sophistication and gave birth to a wide range of types of hacking and hackers.
Top ten world hackers??
10. Aaron Swartz
Aaron Swartz famously helped start the popular online social network Reddit and created a cascade of attention throughout his time as a hacktivist. In 2011, the government arrested and charged Swartz with hacking into MIT’s network to download a massive cache of JSTOR academic data. These charges eventually evolved into two federal counts of wire fraud and nearly a dozen violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act with a maximum penalty of a million dollars and 35 years in prison.
Through the plea bargain process, which Swartz declined to participate in, he tragically committed suicide. A couple of years after his death the Internet Hall of Fame inducted Swartz for his work founding online groups such as Demand Progress and their campaign against the Online Privacy Act.
9. Kevin Poulsen
Starting as a teenager, Kevin hacked into ARPANET, the Pentagon’s computer network. The attack was quickly discovered, leading to Mr. Poulsen’s arrest. Despite being caught, the government let the young Mr. Poulsen off with a warning. By the end of the decade, in 1988, another hack executed by Mr. Poulsen landed him in hot water with the government. To avoid being arrested, he went underground and continued to hack government secrets.
By 1990, he famously <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-12-tm-34163-story.html "broke into a radio station"" target="_blank">broke into a radio stationto secure a contest for a brand new Porsche, a vacation, and $20,000. Since then, he has been arrested and restricted from using a computer for three years as a form of punishment. Today, Poulsen works as a white-hat hacker and journalist, writing for popular publications such as Wired and The Daily Beast.
8. Michael Calce
Michael became famous for a series of distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on a variety of corporate networks. First, Mr. Calce leveraged a network of university computers to take down the leading search engine at the time, Yahoo. Shortly after, he attacked Dell, eBay, CNN, and Amazon using his now infamous DDoS attack. This attack brought a surprise notice to corporate America, shocked to see billion-dollar businesses shut down so easily. The concern for corporate interest led to a series of legislation changes focused on cybercrime.
Today Miachael works as a white hat hacker promoting cybersecurity pentesting and awareness trainings to keep companies safe from online threats.
7. Jeanson James Ancheta
Jeanson took a unique approach to hacking compared to others on the list with his curiosity about “botnets.” These botnets consisted of software-based attacks that breached control of a computer system. Scaling this type of attack, by stringing together hundreds of different computer systems into a network, can have a devastating impact.
By 2005, Jeanson successfully compromised nearly half a million machines. As outlined by Ars Technica, Mr. Ancheta used this network to profit by selling access to advertising companies and other hackers. Through these antics and specifically for breaking the Computer Fraud Abuse Act, the government charged him with a crime. His punishment would be a 57-month prison term and a $75,000 fine, marking the first time a hacker saw jail time for use of a botnet.
6. Matthew Bevan & Richard Pryce
As a team of British hackers, Bevan and Pryce became famous for hacking into military networks during the late 1990s. The two almost started a global conflict when they leaked The Korean Atomic Research Institute information about the American military system. Though Bevan claimed to have been looking for information about UFOs, the attacks on advanced military networks showed the vulnerability of these highly classified networks.
5. Albert Gonzalez
According to NY Daily News, Mr. Gonzalez showed early signs of leadership during high school where he led a pack of troubled computer nerds. At age 22, the government arrested Mr. Gonzalez for fraud-related charges in relation to his activity stealing debit card information. This led to his cooperation with the government and eventually his collaboration with the Secret Service. Although during his time working with the government to catch hackers, he continued to do black hat hacker work. By 2005, he helped organize an attack on TJX with a basic SQL injection, leading to an estimated $256 million being taken. In 2015, during his sentencing for the hack on TJX, prosecutors called his cyber attacks and the damage caused by them “unparalleled.”
4. Adrian Lamo
Adrian came into the public spotlight for his hacking activities by breaching a content management system and adding in a fake quote from Attorney General John Ashcroft. Lamo became infamous for his notices to both the media and the victims of his hacks. To this point, Lamo took his hacking antics too far in 2002 when he broke into The New York Times’ network. This led to a sentence of two years probation and a fine of nearly $65,000.
3. Gary McKinnon
In 2002, Gary gained notoriety in the world of computer hacking by perpetrating the “biggest military computer hack of all time.” Mr. McKinnon expressed honest intent for breaching these military networks to look for information regarding UFOs and other technologies useful for the public good. Despite all this, he was never convicted of a crime as the United Kingdom blocked his extradition to the United States to face criminal charges of up to 70 years in jail.
2. Julian Assange
Perhaps the most famous hacker in the world due to his international presence in media, Julian Assange offers a modern-day example of how much of an impact on the world an individual can have through hacking. Many in the world would readily identify Assange as one of the biggest hackers in the world when taking into account the impact revelations his organization, Wikileaks, has released to the world. Through all this, Assange has been pending extraditionto the United States to face charges for his involvement in the Wikileaks organization.
As of January 2021, the UK officially blocked the extradition of Julian Assnage to face charged in the United States
1. Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick likely holds the title as the world’s best hacker ever. Kevin Mitnick started hacking at an early age. He broke into the realm of public attention in the 1980s after he hacked into the North American Defense Command (NORAD). These events would inspire the movie War Games. Two other hacking instances propelled Mitnick to be the number one hacker of all time. First, in 1989, he hacked into Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) to make copies of their software. The DEC hacks led to his arrest and conviction but while on release he famously hacked into Pacific Bell’s voicemail system, just to prove that he could.
In recent years, Mitnick toed the line between a white and black hat hacker with his cybersecurity consulting firm and services such as “Mitnick’s Absolute Zero Day Exploit Exchange.” Through his years of experience, he became known as one of the most renowned and best hackers in the world.
Listen below to hear Kevin discuss how he earned the title as the world's most famous hacker.
All and all, the above hackers have had a profound impact on cybersecurity through their hacking antics. That said, the actual best hackers in the world could remain unknown simply due to the nature of the business.
As we move further into a digital era, where more governments, businesses, and individuals rely heavily on the internet and computer technology, we will surely see more hackers become famous and increased demand for proper cybersecurity practices as a result.
Keep yourself updated and current not to miss the next article "Hacking tools".