Psychologists
who conducted a study at Danube University (Australia) suggest that the
hacker mind is identical to that of a burglar or pickpocket.
Unfortunately, unlike other crimes, cybercrime profiling is hard because
there are many different types of hacker and various motivations behind
their actions. Typically hackers are divided into White Hats (virtual
vigilantes who like to fix things and solve problems for the greater
good of the computing community and its resources), Black Hats
(malicious hackers just out for power and to destroy things) and Grey
Hats (reformed ex-Black Hats now working as security consultants), but
of course there are many hacker types including virus and malware
writers, unhappy ex/current employees and cyber terrorists etc.
Hurtful
and scarring childhood experiences, stressors in work and at home
(e.g., divorce, money worries etc. Depending on the hacker, it can be
about financial gain, covering up an error, damaging a company’s assets
or reputation just because they can, proving a point, whistleblowing
(indeed, ideology plays more of a factor with millennial hackers, such
as Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who exposed the agency’s
surveillance of American citizens)
In reply to Faysal Ahmmed (0242220008131042)
Re: Psychology of cybercriminals
Good