Hackers And Crackers

by 00:27 0 comments Cracking HACKING Hacking and Cracking

By: Arushi Aggarwal, 4th Sem, 2nd Shift

Most people these days generally think that hackers are those who break into computer systems and websites to misuse the information. And this is a very common misconception, because hackers are not that sort of people. They are in fact the most talented programmers. So instead of using hacker, the term 'CRACKER' should be used.

There is a very thin line that separates crackers and hackers. They are like the two sides of a coin.

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The HACKERS also known as 'WHITE HAT HACKERS' are people interested in working of any computer systems. They are basically programmers as they write code in one or more languages such as C++, Java, etc. They are cyber security professionals who are hired by companies, organizations, cyber crime departments, etc to protect confidential records and they are paid for it. They are legal hackers. They improve the security by proactively attacking a network as a cracker would do. And then they take steps to secure and improve that network. This technique is also known as ethical hacking technique. They use their techniques and expertise to help common people whose bank accounts were hacked, photos were leaked, etc. They share freely what they have discovered and never intentionally damage the data.

Whereas, CRACKERS also known as 'BLACK HAT HACKERS' are illegal hackers. They have extensive knowledge as hackers but they misuse it for personal gains, vandalism, etc. They violate the system integrity of machines with malicious intent. Since they have unauthorized access, they can simply destroy vital information, steal data and use it in wrong ways causing problems for their targets. They are basically criminals. Since crackers know they are breaking laws and can be caught, they cover their tracks. Some hackers rely on automated programs which can be downloaded from websites.

So to wrap it up in a sentence "hackers are builders and crackers are destructors".

Some of the famous crackers are: Albert Gonzalez, who is accused of information and credit card theft; Robert Tappan Morris, who released the first worm, crippling 6000 computers; Kevin Mitnick, who was the most wanted criminal in US as he broke into DEC's computer network and breached national defense warning system and stealing corporate secrets;  Adrian Lamo, who broke into multiple high profile networks like Yahoo! , Microsoft, etc; Jonathan James, who at the age of 15 hacked into NASA, Bell South, US Department of Defense, etc.

Some of the famous hackers are: Tsutomu Shimoura, who helped FBI in tracking down Kevin Mitnick; Dr Charlie Miller, who demonstrated exploits of Apple products by hacking iPhone, Mac Book in 2 minutes; Sherri Sparks, who hacked into networks of Military Services and then used his skills to build strong Firewalls; Kevin Mitnick, who turned from black hat to white hat hacker and is now writer of books and leader of Mitnick Securities, etc.

People can become hackers by doing Ethical Hacking courses and giving exams.

Therefore, we can say that, “With great power comes great responsibility. With it comes a choice to put your skills, talents to good for betterment of people. Or for your own sick pleasures."