-The psychology behind hacking and the social networking of hackers will always be a mystery. The research behind this study comes from several websites and personal experience.
Looking in a hacker's mind, you have to be open to the social aspects behind the way they think. Often portrayed as loners, hackers can be socially involved and fit into what is considered 'normal' everyday lives.
There appears to be a commonality of 'power' for hackers. The solving of 'puzzles' and the 'see what I can do' attitude is most apparent. By talking to 'wantabees' and individuals who have hacked, the 'power' of finding exploits and 'showing' the 'bigger' entity how they are not secure is the most outstanding trait you will find in these people. There doesn't appear to be a criminological theory or 'true' understanding 'why' they hack. The motivation of hackers will always be a mystery.
Hackers usually use social engineering to gain most of their knowledge. Social Engineering is the act of getting someone to tell you about sensitive information through trust. This unadulterated trust becomes a weakness for most companies.
Brute Force, Exploit and dictionary attacks are usually started through the use of software on the hacker's computer. To avoid detection, the hacker's may use proxies or zombie machines so that their location cannot be determined. This is just a small list of the different attacks hackers can use.
Who are the Hackers?
Hackers can be a disgruntled employee, help desk technician, network technician, an individual, a group or organization.
The disgruntled employee may destroy files or read confidential documents. The help desk or network technician may use their power to read, modify or destroy information. An individual may be motivated by 'power'. A group or organization may see how far they can go They may modify websites or commit industrial espionage.
Enterprise security relies on everyone in any organization. Looking at trends, reading magazines, obtaining certifications is sometimes not enough. The security director and the security team in any organization should study the social details behind hacking and hackers.
With knowledge being power in the hacker culture, an Elite hacker is someone who has great technical skills. Hackers may and may not have ethics. This separates black hats, white hats, grey hats and script kiddies.
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