The Rise of the Patriotic Hacker

If I were to ask you what you thought a hacker is, your response would most likely revolve around negative terms such as identity theft, data fraud, and maybe even cyber terrorism. However, it is important to know that not all hacking is necessarily the criminal, illegal act that we see so often reported in our media. For example, the U.S. government hires “ethical hackers” to test vulnerabilities in their systems from perspective criminal hackers. Additionally, The National Security Agency (NSA) allegedly uses ultra-secret hacking units to gain access to computers on a global scale. The information gathered is incredibly important intelligence for national security, including data on cyber attacks and counter-terrorism.

As technology changes, so do the people using and developing it. Although some hackers continue to hack for personal gain, others use their skills to benefit others. The folks at WhoIsHostingThis created this visual infographic showcasing the different types of people behind cyber hacking and some interesting stats to go with it.

 

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