Are All Hackers Really the Bad Guys?
Weekly Wheaties #2606
In this newsletter:
📝 Post: Are All Hackers Really the Bad Guys?
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: xAI and SpaceX
🗞️ In Case You Missed It: Tech Going Away
😎 Pick of the Week: House Picks
📦 Featured Product: Infrared Thermometer
📝 Are All Hackers Really the Bad Guys?
What does it actually mean when you are hacked? And why would someone even hack you? Are there really people who do this for a living? As in a legitimate profession? How does one even end up in this space? For starters, hackers can be sorted into three different colored hats: White, Gray, and Black. Before you ask. No, the hats are not doing the sorting. Hackers self-select their color, as you’ll see.
Let’s break them down…
White Hat hackers may also be referred to as pentesters. They are trying to test the possible penetration of computer and network systems in order to help protect them from bad actors. These ‘hackers’ practice the same methods as the others, but are always given permission to act. This may be part of their daily role and routine within the company they work for, or they may be a hired consultant. Either way, they are given carte blanche access and permission to conduct this penetration test. So, what exactly is a penetration test?
You have probably even been subject to one within your organization without even realizing it. Multiple times. Phishing emails, people asking you to let them in the building, random texts, phone calls, and more. These tests are, in fact, testing the system (both software and hardware) to find any and all vulnerabilities. Many times, the easiest way to hack a system comes by way of human error. And sometimes, the most simple and basic error allows the bigger hacks.
On the other end of this spectrum are the Black Hat hackers. These are the bad actors. They are trying to gain access to a system to cause harm, steal something, or simply disrupt service in order to benefit from it somehow. They use the same methods as mentioned above, but also a few others that white hat hackers may not be able to use. That’s because some of the things done in this space are illegal, and if caught, there can and will be legal steps taken against them from the company in question. If not the company, potentially even law enforcement.
Gray Hat hackers live in the middle somewhere. They may do illegal things (or at least, toe the line), but it may be for something good. This gray area can also be influenced by money. Some refer to these by the well-known adage, “there is honor among thieves”, as depending on who you ask, they may be hacking the good or bad guys. Obviously, the bad side of this mirrors the Black Hat hacker's thought process. But the White Hat side can come from open invitations.
As mentioned in Weekly Wheaties #2605, both Apple and Microsoft have bug bounty programs. In some cases, bugs in the code don’t just cause typical errors, they can open up huge security flaws. In these instances, Apple or Microsoft will pay these hackers (or developers) for errors they find in the code in order to patch it before others may find it. This is another reason softwares update so much, too!
If you don’t think this ever affects you, either, there have been some major hacks in recent history that your personal and private data has probably been leaked from. For example, Equifax Announced a Cybersecurity Incident that could have been prevented. An unpatched Apache Struts flaw was behind this massive security breach. This isn’t completely fair to their cybersecurity team, but essentially, an update wasn’t installed that should have been. At least, it wasn’t installed in a more timely manner and allowed bad actors to take advantage of it.
In some other newsletters, I covered the topics of Unmasking the Mystery of VPNs, What Should You Do After You’ve Been Hacked?, and Don’t be the Biggest Threat to Your Own Network that fits this topic well. But to close out, I’d also like to share two other links that dive a bit deeper into this world that I find fascinating.
First, Wired’s YouTube video on a Cybersecurity Expert Answers Hacking History Questions has some great insight for historical hacking up to current processes.
Next, the book 12 Last Steps by a fictitious author (to potentially protect the original author) walks through what could happen should AI decide to take over. Which could be argued by force, but the author also makes a good case for how the people (at least as a whole) will beg for it to happen - at least in the way drawn out. It’s very thought-provoking and worth the short read.
What other major hacks have you witnessed or have been affected by?
🗞️ ICYMI: xAI and SpaceX
In their own words, “xAI joins SpaceX to Accelerate Humanity’s Future.” Now, understanding what a rocket company and an AI company have in common may be a stretch, but there are two schools of thought here. For one, it’s possible SpaceX acquired xAI (including X.com) to help float it monetarily. xAI has been shown to burn through roughly $1 billion a month. This could be an even bigger play as there is talk of going public. And if so, to the tune of $1.25 trillion.
But, as Starlink (a division of SpaceX) and xAI continue to grow, the next chapter includes harnessing power from the sun from space. In a very lengthy interview posted to YouTube, Elon Musk notes that “In 36 months, the cheapest place to put AI will be space.” He also noted it’s easier to scale and 10x less expensive to put solar panels in space.
🗞️ ICYMI: Tech Going Away
Out of nowhere, Los Angeles aims to ban single-use printer cartridges. I think this is something we can all get behind, if for no other reason - no one likes their ink drying out on them!
Over the pond, France is ditching Zoom and Microsoft Teams for a homegrown video platform called Visio. Not to be confused with Microsoft Visio.
In case you didn’t know 8K TVs exist, apparently the TV industry (or at least LG) finally concedes that the future may not be in 8K. No worries here, either. This image shows you probably don’t need anything above 4K, anyway.
As data centers move away from China and into the US, TikTok faces app deletions, censorship claims and glitches in days after its ownership change. However, they still note “daily average users are still increasing …and people spend more time on the platform than its rivals.”
😎 POTW: House Picks
Planning a move or some updates to your home? Here are some random picks that have some insight into random things around your home. Maybe you could even get a head start on some spring cleaning to dos?
8 Things To Always Unplug When You Go On Vacation–And 3 Things To Keep Plugged In
A Home Maintenance Checklist: An Incredibly Handy Tool to Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape
📦 Featured Product
Perhaps you have a Digital Thermometer to check the temperature when you or a family member becomes ill. These are very quick and handy, but you should also consider this Infrared Thermometer Laser. It can check the temperature for tons of things around the house. Food, walls/ceilings, A/C or heat vents, the pool or tub, among many other things. This model allows a continuous scanning mode, too, to constantly check while moving the targeted area.
