What Is Hacking?
Hacking is the act of exploiting vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, or software to gain unauthorized
access, manipulate, or disrupt their normal functioning. Hackers can be either malicious (black-hat) or ethical
(white-hat). Malicious hackers cause harm, steal data, or disrupt operations, while ethical hackers help organizations
improve security by identifying and reporting the vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited by malicious hackers.
Hacking represents both a great challenge and an important opportunity for organizations. On the one hand, malicious
hacking techniques can lead to devastating attacks that can cause massive damage to businesses, their reputation, and
their customers. On the other hand, knowledge of the same techniques, when wielded by ethical hackers, can help
organizations assess their vulnerabilities, improve their security posture, and successfully defend against
cybercrime.
In this article:
Hackers are individuals or groups with advanced technical skills. While the term “hacker” often has negative
connotations, not all hackers have malicious intentions. In fact, there is a broad spectrum of hacker types, each with
its own motivations, ethical considerations, and objectives.
Understanding the differences between these types of hackers is crucial for organizations and individuals alike to
effectively navigate the complex world of cybersecurity and protect their digital assets. Some of the main types of
hackers include:
Threat Actors (Black Hat Hackers)
These are individuals or groups who engage in hacking for malicious purposes, such as stealing sensitive
information, impersonating others, disrupting systems, or causing harm to others. They exploit vulnerabilities
without permission and often have criminal intentions.
Gray Hat Hackers
These hackers fall in between white and black hat hackers. They may identify and exploit vulnerabilities in
systems without authorization but do so without malicious intent, often to inform the system owner of the security
issue. Their actions can be seen as both helpful and harmful, depending on the context.
Hacktivists
Hacktivists are hackers who engage in cyber activities to promote a political or social cause. They use hacking
techniques to raise awareness, protest, or advocate for their beliefs. Their actions can range from leaking
sensitive information to defacing websites, and their methods may be legal or illegal, depending on the
circumstances.
Ethical Hackers (White Hat Hackers)
These are cybersecurity professionals who use their hacking skills to identify and fix vulnerabilities in
computer systems, networks, or software. They are usually outside the organization and have legal authorization to
perform security assessments. They follow ethical guidelines, with the goal of improving an organization’s
security.
Blue Hat Hackers (Blue Teams)
These hackers typically have a background in cybersecurity and are invited by organizations to test their systems
for vulnerabilities before a product launch or major update. They are similar to white hat hackers and are also
usually external to the organization, providing an unbiased assessment of the system’s security.
Red Hat Hackers
Red hat hackers focus on taking down or stopping black hat hackers using aggressive tactics. While their
intentions may be noble, their methods can be controversial, as they might employ the same techniques used by
black hat hackers, potentially crossing ethical lines.
Ethical hackers and threat actors operate with distinct motivations, objectives, and methodologies. Here is a
brief overview of how they typically differ:
Ethical Hackers
- Authorization: Ethical hackers have permission from the organization to conduct security assessments
and
penetration tests. They follow legal and ethical guidelines to ensure that they do not cause any harm.
- Objective: Their primary goal is to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in systems, networks, or
software, and to recommend appropriate remediation measures to prevent potential cyberattacks.
- Reporting: Ethical hackers document their findings and share them with the organization, providing
detailed
information about the discovered vulnerabilities, potential risks, and suggested remediation steps.
- Collaboration: They work closely with organizations, helping them improve their security posture and
often
engaging in ongoing relationships for regular security assessments and consultations.
Threat Actors
- Authorization: Threat actors operate without permission, exploiting vulnerabilities in computer
systems,
networks, or software to gain unauthorized access or cause harm.
- Objective: Their motivations can vary, ranging from financial gain, data theft, espionage, or causing
disruption and damage to targeted systems or organizations.
- Concealment: Threat actors typically use various techniques to hide their identity, such as using proxy
servers, VPNs, or anonymous networks like Tor to mask their IP addresses and location.
- Malware and exploits: They often employ malware, such as viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, or
exploit
kits to compromise systems and achieve their objectives.
- Persistence: Threat actors may establish a foothold within a compromised system or network, allowing
them
to maintain access and control over an extended period, making detection and removal more difficult.
There are thousands of known cyber attack techniques. Security frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK map out and document tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), to help
organizations understand and defend against them. Below we list only a handful of important attack techniques that
every organization should be aware of.
Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering technique where malicious hackers attempt to trick
individuals into revealing sensitive information or credentials by posing as a trustworthy entity. Typically, phishing attacks
involve emails containing malicious links or attachments, which, when clicked or opened, may install malware or
direct
the victim to a fake website designed to steal their information.
DDoS
Distributed
Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks aim to overwhelm a target system, network, or website with an excessive
volume
of traffic, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users. Malicious hackers often use botnets, networks of
compromised devices, to launch coordinated DDoS attacks, which can be difficult to mitigate.
Malware
Malware is malicious software designed to infiltrate, damage, or compromise computer systems
or
networks. It includes various types, such as viruses, worms, Trojans, adware, and spyware. Malicious hackers use
malware to steal data, disrupt operations, or gain unauthorized access to the target system.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim's files or locks their system,
rendering it unusable. The hacker then demands a ransom payment, usually in cryptocurrency, in exchange for the decryption
key or unlocking the system. Ransomware attacks can cause significant financial and operational losses for
organizations and individuals.
Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)
An APT (advanced
persistent
threat) is a long-term, targeted cyberattack in which malicious hackers gain unauthorized access to a
network
and maintain a stealthy presence, often with the intent of stealing sensitive information or conducting espionage.
APT
groups are typically well-funded and highly skilled, using sophisticated techniques and tools to remain
undetected.
Related product offering: Cynet | Cybersecurity Solutions
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
BEC is a type of targeted phishing attack where malicious hackers impersonate high-level executives or other
trusted individuals
within an organization, often to request fraudulent wire transfers or manipulate employees into revealing
sensitive data.
BEC attacks exploit the trust relationship between employees and can cause significant financial losses.
A variety of cybersecurity solutions and tools can help prevent malicious hacking by addressing different aspects of
security. Some of these solutions include:
Endpoint Security
Endpoint security refers to protecting devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, and other IoT devices that
connect to a network. Endpoint security solutions typically include antivirus and anti-malware software, firewalls,
intrusion prevention systems, and device management tools to monitor and protect devices from threats and unauthorized
access.
Cloud Security
Cloud security safeguards data
and
applications stored in the cloud from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other threats. It enforces strict
access
control, data encryption, and continuous monitoring, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected even if
a
malicious hacker gains access to the cloud infrastructure.
Browser Security
Browsers can be a common attack vector for malicious hackers. Browser
security tools and measures include using privacy-focused browsers, enabling automatic updates, installing
browser extensions for ad-blocking and anti-tracking, and configuring security settings to protect against
malicious
websites, cookies, and scripts. Some browsers also offer built-in sandboxing features to isolate potential
threats.
Application Security
Application security focuses on protecting software applications from vulnerabilities and exploits. This involves
implementing secure coding practices, regular vulnerability assessments, and using tools like web application
firewalls (WAF), static and dynamic application security testing (SAST and DAST), and runtime application self-protection (RASP). These tools can help identify and remediate vulnerabilities in applications,
reducing the attack surface for malicious hackers.
Email Security
Email is often targeted by malicious hackers using phishing and other social engineering techniques. Email
security solutions involve filtering and scanning incoming and outgoing emails for
malicious content, implementing strong authentication methods (e.g., multi-factor authentication), and using email
encryption to protect sensitive information. Employee training and awareness programs can also play a critical
role in
reducing the risk of email-based attacks.
Implementing best practices can significantly reduce the risk of malicious hacking in your organization. Here are
some key strategies to consider:
Cybersecurity Awareness Training
This training involves educating employees about the various cyber threats they may face, how to recognize them,
and how to respond effectively. Topics covered in cybersecurity awareness training may include:
- Recognizing phishing emails and other social engineering attacks.
- Creating and managing strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication.
- Safe browsing habits and avoiding malicious websites.
- Identifying and reporting suspicious activities or incidents.
- Proper handling and protection of sensitive data.
- Understanding the organization’s security policies and procedures.
Regularly updating and reinforcing the training helps ensure that employees remain vigilant and knowledgeable
about evolving threats. By educating employees on the various cyber threats and providing guidance on safe online
practices, organizations can create a security-aware culture that helps prevent malicious hacking.
Since human error is often the cause of security breaches, employees who are knowledgeable about common cyber
threats and best practices are less likely to fall for phishing attacks or other social engineering techniques.
Additionally, well-trained employees can act as an extra line of defense, identifying and reporting suspicious
activities or incidents, which can prevent malicious hackers from further infiltrating the organization.
DevSecOps
DevSecOps
is the integration of security practices within the DevOps process, promoting collaboration between
development,
security, and operations teams. This approach aims to embed security considerations throughout the entire
software
development lifecycle (SDLC), resulting in more secure applications and systems. Key elements of DevSecOps
include:
- Shifting security left: By incorporating security early in the SDLC, potential vulnerabilities can
be
identified and addressed before they become critical issues.
- Continuous security: Integrating security into the continuous integration and continuous delivery
(CI/CD) pipeline, ensuring that security checks and tests are performed at every stage of the development
process.
- Collaboration and communication: Encouraging open communication between development, security, and
operations teams to share insights, address concerns, and resolve issues quickly.
- Automated security testing: Using tools like SAST, DAST, and interactive application security
testing
(IAST) to automate vulnerability detection and remediation.
- Security monitoring and incident response: Implementing real-time security monitoring and
integrating
it with the incident response process to quickly detect and respond to security threats.
By focusing on these key aspects, DevSecOps enables organizations to build more secure applications and
systems
while maintaining the agility and speed of the DevOps process. This approach helps identify and address
potential
vulnerabilities in applications and systems before they can be exploited by malicious hackers.
Incident Response
An incident
response plan is a structured approach for managing and mitigating security incidents, such as data
breaches
or cyberattacks. The incident response lifecycle typically includes the following phases:
- Preparation: Establish a dedicated incident response team, develop an incident response plan, and
ensure that all employees are familiar with their roles and responsibilities in case of a security incident.
- Detection and analysis: Implement monitoring and detection tools to identify potential security
incidents, and establish processes for analyzing and validating incidents.
- Containment and eradication: Once an incident is confirmed, take appropriate steps to contain the
threat, such as isolating affected systems, revoking compromised credentials, or deploying security patches.
- Recovery: Restore affected systems and data, ensuring that they are free from vulnerabilities and
that
normal operations can resume.
- Lessons learned: Conduct a post-incident analysis to identify areas for improvement, adjust the
incident response plan, and implement necessary changes to prevent similar incidents in the future.
By having a well-prepared and coordinated response team, organizations can limit the impact of a cyberattack
and
reduce the likelihood of malicious hackers gaining a foothold in their systems. A robust incident response
plan
also aids in learning from past incidents, allowing organizations to improve their security measures and
prevent
similar attacks in the future.
Secure Coding
Secure coding involves the implementation of best practices and guidelines in the development process to create
software that is resistant to vulnerabilities and exploits. By adhering to secure coding principles, developers
can write code that is less prone to common security flaws, reducing the risk of malicious hacking. Some key
secure coding practices include:
- Input validation and sanitation: Ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly validated and
sanitized to prevent injection attacks, such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS).
- Principle of least privilege: Granting the minimum necessary permissions for software components and
users, which limits the potential damage in case of a security breach.
- Error handling and logging: Securely handling errors and maintaining detailed logs for monitoring and
auditing purposes, without revealing sensitive information.
- Secure data storage and transmission: Encrypting data at rest and in transit to prevent unauthorized
access and data leaks.
By following secure coding practices, organizations can develop software with fewer vulnerabilities, making it
more difficult for malicious hackers to exploit their systems and applications.
Application Security Testing
Regular application security testing helps identify and remediate vulnerabilities in software applications,
reducing the risk of malicious hacking. The main types of application security testing include:
- SAST: Analyzing source code for potential vulnerabilities during the development process, allowing
developers to fix issues before deployment.
- DAST: Scanning running applications for security vulnerabilities, typically from an external
perspective, to identify potential issues that could be exploited by malicious hackers.
- IAST: Combining aspects of both SAST and DAST to analyze applications during runtime, providing
real-time feedback and greater accuracy in identifying vulnerabilities.
By incorporating regular application security testing into their development processes, organizations can
discover and address security issues early on, ultimately preventing malicious hackers from exploiting
vulnerabilities in their applications.
Attack Surface Management
Managing an organization’s attack surface involves the continuous identification, monitoring, and de-risking of
potential entry points and weaknesses that malicious hackers might exploit. By reducing the attack surface,
organizations can limit the vectors for exploitation of their digital asset landscape.
Key aspects of attack surface management include:
- Discovery and inventory of digital assets: Maintaining an up-to-date inventory of all digital assets,
along with their associated vulnerabilities and security configurations.
- Network segmentation: For internal attack surfaces, separating critical systems and data from less
sensitive areas of the network to limit attackers’ lateral movement in case of a breach.
- Risk-ranking digital asset vulnerabilities: Implementing robust prioritization of found flaws to
ensure
that the most critical vulnerabilities are remediated.
Using Vulnerability Databases
Using vulnerability databases is an effective strategy to prevent malicious hacking by staying informed about
the
latest security flaws and potential attack vectors. Such databases collect, organize, and disseminate
information
about known security vulnerabilities in software, hardware, and other systems. By regularly consulting these
databases, organizations and individuals can take proactive measures to protect their systems from being
exploited
by malicious hackers.
Keep track of well-known and reliable vulnerability databases, such as the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures
(CVE) database, the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), and databases maintained by security companies or
open-source projects. These databases provide detailed information about known vulnerabilities, including
descriptions, severity scores, and potential impact.
System Hardening
System hardening is the process of enhancing the security of systems by reducing their
attack surface and implementing additional security measures. By hardening systems, organizations can make it
more
challenging for malicious hackers to exploit vulnerabilities or gain unauthorized access. Some common system
hardening techniques include:
- Disabling unnecessary services and features: Reducing the potential attack surface by disabling
services, features, or applications that are not required for the system's intended purpose.
- Configuring security settings: Adjusting system settings to enforce security best practices, such as
password policies, access controls, and encryption.
- Patching and updating: Regularly applying security patches and updates to ensure that systems are
protected against known vulnerabilities.
- Implementing security controls: Deploying security tools and measures such as firewalls, intrusion
prevention systems, and antivirus software to protect systems against threats.
Vulnerability Assessment
A vulnerability assessment is a systematic process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing vulnerabilities
in an organization's systems, networks, and applications. By conducting regular vulnerability assessments,
organizations can proactively address weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious hackers. Key
components
of vulnerability assessments include:
- Scanning: Using automated tools to scan systems and applications for known vulnerabilities,
misconfigurations, and security weaknesses.
- Analysis: Analyzing the results of the scans to determine the severity and potential impact of
identified vulnerabilities, taking into account the organization's specific context and risk tolerance.
- Prioritization: Prioritizing the remediation of vulnerabilities based on their severity, potential
impact, and the organization’s resources and objectives.
- Remediation: Implementing patches, updates, or other security measures to address identified
vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of exploitation.
Sandboxing
Sandboxing is a security technique that involves isolating potentially malicious software
or processes in a separate, restricted environment, preventing them from interacting with the rest of the
system. This containment strategy helps protect systems against threats like malware and ransomware by limiting
their ability to spread or cause damage.
Key aspects of sandboxing include:
- Isolation: Creating a confined execution environment, separate from the main system, where untrusted
or potentially harmful applications or processes can run without directly accessing system resources or
sensitive data.
- Resource control: Restricting access to system resources, such as memory, storage, and network
connections, to limit the potential impact of malicious software running in the sandbox.
- Monitoring: Observing the behavior of applications or processes running in the sandbox to detect
potentially malicious activities, such as attempts to access sensitive data, modify system settings, or
communicate with external servers.
- Analysis and decision-making: Analyzing the behavior of sandboxed applications or processes to
determine if they pose a threat to the system, and taking appropriate actions, such as allowing the software
to run outside the sandbox, blocking its execution, or alerting security teams for further investigation.
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing is a process in which skilled security professionals simulate real-world attacks on an
organization’s systems, networks, and applications to identify and verify security coverage. By conducting
penetration testing, organizations can gain a better understanding of their security posture and how effective
their existing security measures are at preventing malicious hacking attempts. Key aspects of penetration
testing
include:
- Planning and scoping: Defining the objectives, scope, and approach of the penetration test, taking
into
account the organization's specific context and requirements.
- Reconnaissance and information gathering: Collecting information about the target systems, networks,
or
applications to identify potential attack vectors and weaknesses.
- Exploitation: Attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or
compromise the target systems, using the same techniques and tools that malicious hackers might employ.
- Reporting and remediation: Documenting the findings of the penetration test, including detailed
information about identified vulnerabilities and recommendations for remediation.
Alteon Integrated WAF
Radware’s Alteon Integrated WAF (see CyberPedia: Web Application Firewall) ensures fast,
reliable and secure delivery of mission-critical Web applications and APIs for corporate networks and in the cloud.
Recommended by the NSS, certified by ICSA Labs, and PCI compliant, this WAF solution combines positive and negative
security models to provide complete protection against web application attacks, access violations, attacks disguised
behind CDNs, API manipulations, advanced HTTP attacks (such as slowloris and dynamic floods), brute force attacks
on log-in pages and more.
Cloud WAF
Radware’s Cloud WAF service is part of our Cloud Application Protection Service which includes WAF, API
protection, Bot management, Layer-7 DDoS protection and Client-Side Protection. The service analyzes web apps to
identify potential threats, then automatically generates granular protection rules to mitigate those threats. It also
offers device fingerprinting to help identify bot attacks, AI-powered API discovery and protection to prevent API
abuse, full coverage of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, and data leak prevention, which prevents the transmission of
sensitive data. Radware Cloud WAF is NSS recommended, ICSE Labs certified, and PCI-DSS compliant.
Bot Manager
Radware Bot Manager is a multiple award-winning security solution designed to
protect web applications, mobile apps, and APIs from the latest AI-powered automated threats. By using behavioral
modeling, collective bot intelligence, and fingerprinting, Bot Manager provides AI-based real-time detection and
protection against risks such as ATO (account takeover), DDoS, ad and payment fraud, and web scraping. With a range of
mitigation options (like Crypto Challenge), Radware ensures seamless website browsing for legitimate users, without
relying on CAPTCHAs, while effectively thwarting bot attacks. Its AI-powered correlation engine automatically analyzes
threat behavior, shares data throughout security modules and blocks bad source IPs, providing complete visibility into
each attack.
API Protection
Radware’s API Protection solution is designed to safeguard APIs from a wide
range of cyber threats, including data theft, data manipulation, and account takeover attacks. This AI-driven solution
automatically discovers all API endpoints, including rogue and shadow APIs, and learns their structure and business
logic. It then generates tailored security policies to provide real-time detection and mitigation of API attacks. Key
benefits include comprehensive coverage against OWASP API Top 10 risks, real-time embedded threat defense, and lower
false positives, ensuring accurate protection without disrupting legitimate operations.
Client-Side Protection
Radware’s Client-Side Protection solution is designed to secure end
users from attacks embedded in the application supply chain, such as Magecart, formjacking, and DOM XSS. It provides
continuous visibility into third-party scripts and services running on the browser side of applications, ensuring
real-time activity tracking and threat-level assessments. This solution complies with PCI-DSS 4.0 requirements,
helping to protect sensitive customer data and maintain organizational reputation. Key features include blocking
untrusted destinations and malicious scripts without disrupting legitimate JavaScript services, monitoring HTTP
headers and payment pages for manipulation attempts, and providing end-to-end protection against supply chain
exploits.
Cloud DDoS Protection Service
Radware’s Cloud DDoS Protection Service offers advanced, multi-layered
defense against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. It uses sophisticated behavioral algorithms to detect
and mitigate threats at both the network (L3/4) and application (L7) layers. This service provides comprehensive
protection for infrastructure, including on-premises data centers and public or private clouds. Key features include
real-time detection and mitigation of volumetric floods, DNS DDoS attacks, and sophisticated application-layer attacks
like HTTP/S floods. Additionally, Radware’s solution offers flexible deployment options, such as on-demand, always-on,
or hybrid models, and includes a unified management system for detailed attack analysis and mitigation.
See Additional Guides on Hacking Topics
Browser Security
Authored by Perception Point
System Hardening
Authored by Perception Point
Advanced Persistent Threat
Authored by Cynet
Cloud Security
Authored by Tigera
Additional Ethical Hacking Resources
See additional guides on hacking topics authored by our partner websites.