Black Hat
A hacker who breaks into systems with malicious intent, typically for personal or financial gain.
·1 min read
Black hat↗ is a term for a hacker who breaks into computer systems with malicious intent, for financial theft, data destruction, espionage, or personal gain, without authorization↗. The label distinguishes them from ethical \"white hat↗\" hackers who test systems with permission.
Black hat activity ranges from lone individuals to organized criminal groups and state-sponsored operations, and it's the behavior most people picture when they hear the word \"hacker.\" Understanding black hat tactics is exactly what defensive security and penetration testing↗ are built around.