black-hat hacker
Criminal computer infiltrator
A black-hat hacker is someone who breaks into computer systems or networks for malicious purposes—stealing data, spreading malware, or causing damage for personal gain or mischief.
The term borrows from old Western films where villains wore black hats.
Black-hat hackers operate illegally, in contrast to white-hat hackers who use the same skills ethically to test and improve security.
The breach was traced to a black-hat hacker operating out of Eastern Europe.
- honeypotDecoy system catching attackers
- malwareHarmful computer programs
- credential stuffingAutomated stolen login testing
- stolen credentialsIllegally acquired authentication information
- phishingFraudulent credential harvesting
brute force attack · script kiddie · intrusion · man in the middle · botnet · denial of service · social engineering · ransomware · dark web · unethical · dark side · exploit · rootkits · spyware · data breach · security breach · worm · cybercrime