what is hacking ? and who are hackers ?

                 What is hacking ? and who are hackers ? 

Hacking generally refers to unauthorized intrusion into a computer or a network. The person engaged in hacking activities is known as a hacker. This hacker may alter system or security features to accomplish a goal that differs from the original purpose of the system.

Hacking can also refer to non-malicious activities, usually involving unusual or improvised alterations to equipment or processes.

Hacking is identifying weakness in computer systems or networks to exploit its weaknesses to gain access. Example of Hacking: Using password cracking algorithm to gain access to a system

Computers have become mandatory to run a successful businesses. It is not enough to have isolated computers systems; they need to be networked to facilitate communication with external businesses. This exposes them to the outside world and hacking. Hacking means using computers to commit fraudulent acts such as fraud, privacy invasion, stealing corporate/personal data, etc. Cyber crimes cost many organizations millions of dollars every year. Businesses need to protect themselves against such attacks.

Who are hackers ? 

The basic definition of a hacker is someone who uses a computer system to gain unauthorized access to another system for data or who makes another system unavailable. These hackers will use their skills for a specific goal, such as stealing money, gaining fame by bringing down a computer system, or making a network unavailable -- even sometimes destroying them. However, there are three different types of hackers, each with a particular goal, and not all are the bad guys.

Types of Hackers

The three types of hackers are the white hat hacker, the grey hat hacker, and the black hat hacker. Each type of hacker hacks for a different reason, a cause, or both. All have the required skills needed to accomplish their mission. At one end of the spectrum is the black hat, who hacks for evil and malicious intent and without permission. On the other end of the spectrum is the white hat, who hacks against a black hat in order to protect computer and network access and has the company's permission to do so. In the middle is the grey hat, who hacks not for evil and not for good; they are neutral in their cause and usually try to sell their skills for monetary gain, like a mercenary.

Black Hat Hacker - Evil Doer

The black hat hacker is the one who hacks for malicious intent - he is the bad guy. This type of hacker uses his or her skills to steal money or data, knock a computer system offline, or even destroy them. Some of these hackers love to see their work and name in the news, so they would try to target big name organizations and companies. For instance, they might change the front page of a company website.

Black hats also try to break into computer systems to steal credit card information and possibly steal valuable information to sell on the black market. They may even lock out the computer and network system from the owners and then hold them for ransom.

The black hat works outside of the law. This is the hacker that we as a society are most familiar with. Some black hats have cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for credit card and social security information theft. They can work alone, in that case known as a lone wolf, or with a team. They work slowly and methodically, since the black hat knows it takes patience to compromise a computer or a network system in order to a hit a big payoff and not be caught.

White hat hackers

 Also known as ethical hackers, strive to operate in the public's best interest, rather than to create turmoil. Many white hat hackers work doing penetration testing, hired to attempt to break into the company's networks to find and report on security vulnerabilities. The security firms then help their customers mitigate security issues before criminal hackers can exploit them.

Gray hat hackers

They fall somewhere between white hat hackers and black hat hackers. While their motives may be similar to those of white hat hackers, gray hats are more likely than white hat hackers to access systems without authorization; at the same time, they are more likely than black hat hackers to avoid doing unnecessary damage to the systems they hack. Although they aren't typically -- or only -- motivated by money, gray hat hackers may offer to fix vulnerabilities they have discovered through their own, unauthorized, activities rather than using their knowledge to exploit vulnerabilities for illegal profit.

Personally, if I had a company I would not employ an ex black hat hacker or a Gray hat hacker because they can get to know a lot about my systems and probably be damaging to me if they get unemployed. 

I would honestly employ a white hat hacker as he wouldn't hack my systems as the nature of his work makes him unable to do so. 

Resources : 

1- https://www.webroot.com/gb/en/resources/tips-articles/computer-security-threats-hackers

2-https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/hacking

3- https://www.malwarebytes.com/hacker/