However, it’s easy to dismiss this as a license for fiction and creativity. That said, it makes you wonder if there really are genuine hackers to hire.
Is it legal to hack?
In most people’s minds, hacking is an illegal activity. The hacking incidents reported often involve criminal behavior harmful or illegal results.
Despite this common impression, hacking covers a wide range of technical skills, only some of which are illegal. Before hiring a hacker online, it is important to note the difference between a hacker’s white hat, gray hat, and black hat.
While many of the techniques are the same, the intention and expected results differ between the three groups. When most people talk about hacking, they are generally referring to black hat hackers. This group is traditionally classified as cybercriminals, as their main objective is usually personal or financial gain.
However, they could also be working on behalf of government agencies involved in nation-state cyberattacks.
White hat hackers use similar methods, but their goals are different. Instead of personal gain, white hat hackers help organizations and individuals improve their security. This by conducting penetration tests. These tests are pre-agreed and the goal is to highlight security weaknesses.
Given the positive result, this is also known as ethical hacking. Since you have permission to compromise the systems, ethical hacking is also legal. Gray hat hackers sit somewhere in between the other two categories. They often compromise systems without permission, but to strengthen security rather than profit from the lack of it.
Can you hire black hat hackers?
Given how lucrative illegal hacking can be, there are black hat hackers for hire available online. However, you won’t find them advertising their services on a professional website or listing their accomplishments on LinkedIn. The most common way to find a black hat hacker is through online forums, chat rooms, and the dark web.
Most will also not accept traditional payment methods like credit or debit cards. Instead, you are expected to pay with something less traceable. In many cases, this will be a pseudonymous cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Even if they receive card payments, it is probably not wise to trust a black hat hacker with your personal information.
However, just because you can find black hat hackers online doesn’t mean you should buy their services. Even if you are not actually hacking, you have started an illegal activity, becoming part of the crime. Unless you already have experience in criminal practices, it will often be easier for the authorities to identify you as well.
Popular sites like Global hacking service, hire hacking, and thorium hacks have prominent positions in search results. However, reviews and comments elsewhere do not describe them as accredited services.
In general, if you want to hire a hacker to break into someone’s account. Also, if you install malware or obtain confidential information, this will not fall into the category of white-hat hackers or ethical hacking.
No guarantees
Also, there is no warranty or legal agreement once you hire a black hat hacker. There is always the possibility that they will take your money, but they will not provide the service. It is also likely that your target is a person or organization that knows or has been violated. In that case, the hacker could find information to blackmail you.
In general, we recommend that you do not hire black hat hackers or get involved in illegal activities.
Can you hire white hat hackers?
Since the goal of a white hat hacker is to identify weaknesses so that he can improve your security, his services are widely available legally online. However, very few organizations add a white hat hacker tag to their business or website. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly research a company before entrusting them with this job.
Also, if you search the Internet for legitimate hackers by contract or similar, you will be presented with a wide set of results. It will not be immediately obvious which services fall under which category and the legal status of what is offered. This makes it even more critical that you do your research before purchasing their services.
Although ethical hacking is a descriptive grouping, you will need to determine the most appropriate type of hacking service you need. Penetration testing, which attempts to break security measures, comes in many forms. For example, one of the most popular segments is network pen-testing.
One of the most critical areas is your internet connection in general. So it makes sense that this is the most common ethical hacking service available. Similarly, physical pen-testing, where hackers try to break into real-world spaces, is equivalent to offline. However, you may also want to test the effectiveness of your software and hardware.
People are often said to be an overlooked security risk. Social engineering is a form of ethical hacking explicitly focused on the human element of your systems. The social engineer will try to deceive, confuse or gain the trust of other people to avoid security measures and extract information.
Beware of scams and set limits
Since hacking is a generic term for a wide range of services, some legal, some not, it can be challenging to find reputable hackers. To exploit those who are aware of the illegality of the work, some hackers and criminals operate scams. They know that victims are unlikely to report the crime to the police or authorities.
As such, you should research your chosen hacker or hacking company before investing in their services. Most of the white hat hacking groups are legitimate companies that offer legal and vital services. However, as you would with any other product or service, you should seek opinions, comments, and complaints before handing over your money.
Although white hat hackers don’t hack for malicious reasons, you should also set limits for their work. If you only want them to test or break into specific systems or software, but without accessing personal or confidential information, make sure you agree to this before they start the job.
Find hackers to hire
Although the terms can be confusing, it is possible to find genuine hackers to hire online. However, it is important to note the difference between illegal black hat hacking and ethical white hat hacking. Before you buy their services, make sure you are comfortable with the service and the terms of the agreement.
