We already know what we think when our digital technology has been compromised by some &^%#$* hacker and her (yes, her!) virus, malware, ransomware, or phishing expedition. We get frustrated and downright angry. Have you ever wondered, what the hacker was thinking or what motivated her? We thought it might help to understand.
A recent report published by Government CIO indicated that,
“Most cyber criminals are motivated by the commission of a crime. It is a psychological issue that defines them as people with some super traits that cause antisocial behavior. Possibly, these people suffer from one or more forms of psychological disorders that seek to gain recognition or personal gain from illegal activities.
Other personality traits exhibited by the cyber criminals include “self-centeredness, grandiosity, callousness, and lack of remorse or empathy for others coupled with a charismatic, charming, and manipulative superficiality.”
Does that give you a warm, fuzzy feeling? We didn’t think so. Perhaps this will help. In late 2016 Digital Endpoint described eight common types of hackers along with some insights into what motives them.
| TYPE | PERSONA | MOTIVATION |
| White Hat | Good guys | Companies employ them to test software, websites, and systems from criminal hackers. |
| Black Hat | Guns for hire | They get paid for stealing information by the people who want that information. They don’t care about the information per se. |
| Grey Hat | Wolves in sheep’s clothing | They test systems, but without permission. When they find a weakness, they try to sell their findings to their victims for a price. |
| Script Kiddies | Trainees | They use packaged software to disrupt systems and establish a reputation in the hacking community. |
| Hactivists | Protesters | They are employed by governments to gain information and/or attack foreign entities. |
| State Sponsored | Warriors | They hack to harass, expose, and exact revenge on entities to which they are opposed. |
| Corporate Spies | Corporate Spies | Corporate spies have existed for years. The internet and digital technology are just new tools. |
| Cyber Terrorists | Terrorists | They want to “spread fear and create chaos … by causing unrest.” |
Did we mention that some hackers are women? Watch this video. It will give you even more insight in what in the world hackers are thinking.
Guarding your technology takes an awareness of potential dangers and a few, common-sense steps to ensure the safety of your data and devices, not the least of which is having regularly-scheduled system and software audits by digital security professionals.
Tech Sentries is as concerned about your computer system security as you are. Your computer system security is our business. That’s why Tech Sentries is always on duty. Contact us today to learn how we can help you “GUARD YOUR TECHNOLOGY” (843-282-2222).