Types of Hackers
(Source: https://www.guru99.com/what-is-hacking-an-introduction.html)
Types of Hacks
(Courtesy of Malwarebytes)
- Social Engineering– Tricking a user into giving up sensitive information.
- Malvertising- Malware embedding in an advertisement.
- Botnets– Networks of computers infected by a botnet agent that are under hidden control of a third party
- Browser hijacks– Like Botnets, except it’s your browser that is controlled by the 3rd party.
- Denial of service (DDoS) attacks– Numerous infected computers requesting information from a sever, overloading it in it the process.
- Ransomware– A third party locking your computer down until you pay them a ransom. (More towns are falling victim to this…and pay it.)
- Rootkits– A third party gaining admin access to your computer without your knowledge.
- Trojans– Code hidden in an innocent looking file, which is then activated through social engineering.
- Viruses– A type of malware that self-replicates
- Worms– A type of virus that can move to other computers.
Catfishing and Aimbots
Here’s a good article on Catfishing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/01/09/what-is-catfishing-a-brief-and-sordid-history/
Here’s the article about the kid banned from Fortnite for life for using an Aimbot: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/10278488/brit-fortnite-gamer-faze-jarvis-banned-life-cheating/
Food for Thought
One of the earliest hackers, making use of Phreaking, was Steve Wozniak. He, along with Steve Jobs, founded Apple computers.
Here are some other famous hackers: https://gizmodo.com/10-hackers-who-made-history-5839299
