Black, White, and Gray Hats in Cybersecurity

What’s the Difference, and Why Does It Matter?

Think of a hacker in your head. Picture what they look like, what they’re wearing, and what their day-to-day life is like. The truth is — especially if you aren’t a security practitioner in the industry — your hacker stereotype is probably wrong.

Hackers, much like many of the most common occupations in the world, are misunderstood. Hackers can wear many different types of “hats.” Using the term “hat” to describe individuals in the industry helps all of us differentiate who’s good and who’s bad. Sometimes individuals wear multiple hats, and sometimes a hat describes an individual’s behaviors instead of someone’s official role. 

White hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, use their skills legally and ethically to identify and fix system vulnerabilities, often working with the system owners’ permission. Black hat hackers, on the other hand, use their skills for malicious purposes or illegal activities, such as stealing data or causing disruptions. Gray hat hackers operate in a moral gray area, finding and sometimes exploiting vulnerabilities without authorization. Although their intentions might be to improve system security, their lack of permission makes their actions technically illegal.

These hats, while stereotypical in their own right, are a solid indicator of who that hacker is and what their job title really means.

So what are the similarities and differences between hackers wearing these different hats in cybersecurity and why these roles even matter at all? 

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Black Hat Hackers

In information security, hackers are typically split into three different groups: black hat, white hat, and gray hat hackers. 

First, we’ll touch on black hat hackers. Black hat hackers are the closest thing you’ll get to the nefarious hackers from movies. They represent the “dark side of the Force” in information security, with individuals like Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine as their mascots.

Black hat hackers break into systems, steal precious data, and break through security programs. These black hat hackers are typically doing this for financial gain (payment information and securing data for ransoms), for personal gain (promoting political beliefs, sabotaging companies they dislike, etc.), or for collective gain (think hacker groups like Anonymous).

While black hat hackers are often the most stereotypical of the hacker types, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some black hats are amateurs looking to gain experience or just wreak havoc. However, many of them are also experienced security professionals who use their powers to make money, gain notoriety, or assist a larger power (like a hacker group, a nation-state, or a terrorist group).

White Hat Hackers

White hat hackers are those who choose to use their hacking powers purely for good instead of evil. To make it simple, white hat hackers are noble Jedi like Luke Skywalker. Also known as “ethical hackers,” these white hat hackers make a living as employees and contractors who work to uncover vulnerabilities for the sole purpose of protecting that corporation’s system.

White hat “Jedi” use many of the same tactics and techniques as black hat hackers. The key differentiator between the two is that they have permission from the owner of the system first, which makes all of their actions legal. Many of these white hat hackers do penetration testing, perform in-place security assessments, and complete vulnerability assessments for one or several companies. Additionally, many of those company-sponsored bug bounty programs now fit into the white hat umbrella (see Playstation’s bug bounty program).

Many of the vulnerabilities and gaps in security discovered by white hat hackers are passed off to other cybersecurity practitioners to be remediated, boosting the company’s overall security posture.

Gray Hat Hackers

If we’re continuing the Star Wars theme, gray hats are the bounty hunters of the information security landscape. Think of gray hat hackers as the Mandalorian, a man making his way through life while walking the line between ethical and illegal hacking. While the behavior of the Mandalorian may be good or bad depending on the situation (mainly, who’s trying to hurt Baby Yoda), he doesn’t fit into either of the main two teams.

Gray hat hackers are typically security researchers, corporations, hobbyists, or bug bounty experts who make a living by identifying vulnerabilities in a system without the express permission of the system owner. However, this information isn’t used to compromise the system or extract data, but is instead passed on to the system’s owner. Once reported, gray hats often request a fee for the discoveries. If the fee is not paid, gray hats sometimes publish their findings online — thus their moral ambiguity.

While many of the activities gray hats perform end up being illegal or unethical in nature, more and more corporations are opening up to the idea of paying outside personnel for the discoveries they make.

Additional Types of Hackers 

Apart from white, black, and gray hat hackers, which are the most commonly known types of hackers, there are a few more categories that describe individuals based on their activities and motivations:

Red Hat Hackers 

They are similar to white hat hackers in that their actions are ethical and legal. However, they are more aggressive in their approaches. When a red hat hacker finds a black hat hacker attempting to exploit a system, they launch aggressive measures, aiming to crash the attacker’s system or network.

Blue Hat Hackers 

These individuals are outside computer security consulting firms that are used to bug test a system prior to its launch. They look for exploits so they can be closed before the product goes live, hence the term “blue,” which stands for vigilance.

Green Hat Hackers

These are the novice individuals in the hacking community. They are seen as learners, who are eager to glean knowledge from more experienced peers.

Script Kiddies

This term is often used in a derogatory way to refer to less skilled hackers who use scripts and tools developed by others to conduct hacking, often without fully understanding the underlying principles.

Hacktivist

A hacktivist is a hacker who uses hacking to send a social, religious, or political message. They often use their skills to promote or advance a particular cause or agenda.

State/Nation Sponsored Hackers

These are individuals employed by the government or military to conduct cyber warfare and espionage activities. They are highly skilled and have access to significant resources.

Cyber Terrorists

These hackers use cyber technology to conduct terrorist activities. Their main aim is to cause fear and chaos, often for political or ideological reasons.

It’s important to note that the lines between these categories can be blurry, and a hacker might fall into more than one category depending on their actions and motivations.

How to Protect Against Malicious Hackers 

To protect against malicious hackers, a company needs to implement a combination of technical, physical, and administrative security measures. Here are some key strategies that organizations can employ:

1. Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems

Firewalls are the first line of defense for most network systems, blocking unauthorized access. Intrusion detection systems monitor network traffic and alert administrators to suspicious activities.

2. Regular Updates and Patches 

Keeping all systems, software, and applications up to date is crucial, as updates often include fixes for known security vulnerabilities.

3. Use of Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software 

These programs can help detect and remove malicious software before it can cause harm.

4. Secure Configurations 

All systems, servers, and applications should be securely configured to minimize potential vulnerabilities. This can include things like disabling unnecessary services, limiting permissions, or configuring user access controls.

5. Regular Backups

Regular data backups help ensure that even if an attack does occur, the company can restore its data and resume operations as quickly as possible.

6. Employee Training 

Many cyber attacks rely on exploiting human error, so training employees in cyber security best practices is crucial. This can include teaching them to recognize phishing emails, use strong passwords, and follow secure procedures when handling sensitive data.

7. Physical Security Measures

Physical access to servers and network equipment should be strictly controlled to prevent unauthorized access.

8. Regular Security Audits and Penetration Testing

Regular audits of security measures and penetration testing can help identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers.

9. Incident Response Plan

Having a plan in place for responding to security incidents can help minimize damage and recovery time when an attack does occur.

10. Use of Secure Network Protocols

Protocols such as SSL/TLS for websites, SFTP for file transfers, or VPN for remote access help encrypt data in transit, protecting it from interception.

11. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This adds an additional layer of security by requiring two forms of verification to access sensitive systems or data.

Remember that security is an ongoing process, not a one-time effort. Regular monitoring, updates, and adjustments are necessary to keep up with evolving threats and to ensure effective protection against malicious hackers.

Why Do These Roles Matter?

While the word “hacker” can have a negative connotation — especially outside the cybersecurity community — it is important to remember that all hackers are different, and not all hackers are bad. Some hackers use their powers for good, some for evil, and some… well, for their own personal definition of “good,” whether that’s good for themselves or the world as a whole. 

The big takeaway here is that there ARE good hackers out there, and those good hackers make up the vast majority of the formal cybersecurity industry.

Nevertheless, each of these roles do exist in our ecosystem. Without black hat hackers, there would be less need for white hat hackers. And without white hat hackers, there would undoubtedly be more cybercrime activity and data breaches from black hat hackers.

If you are wearing your white hat and looking for a way to make your job easier, click here to book a demo of PlexTrac.