The word “Hacker” He often evokes the image of the classic Nerd boy sitting in front of the computer with the hood, intent on penetrating computer systems, acting undisturbed by the darkness of his bedroom. But the reality is much more complex, given that more and more hackers do not act like lonely wolves, but in a group. In the last 20 years, real collectives have developed, organized and capable of complex operations globally. These Hacker groups have very different goals: Some aim for economic earnings, others aim to sabotage or spying, others still try to highlight vulnerability to push companies and governments to protect themselves better. That’s why they are classified in three main categories:
- Black Hat (black hats): they are computer criminals oriented to theft or authority.
- White Hat (white hats): they are ethical hackers hired by companies and institutions to identify safety flaws to be corrected before they are discovered by the “black hats”.
- Gray Hat (gray hats): they infiltrate computer systems without authorization with the intention of discovering and reporting vulnerabilities, sometimes asking for a compensation, rather than causing illegal damage or earnings.
In this study we will particularly go to know more closely 5 Black Hat Hacker groupswho are among the most feared of recent years.
The 5 most dangerous hacker collectives in the world
Lazarus Group
Lazarus Group born in North Korea In the 1998 as part of the Reconnaissance General Bureaua North -Cup military intelligence agency. The group made itself known by the general public with the attack on Sony Pictures of 2014when internal e-mails were published, sensitive data of employees, copies of films not yet released, future cinematographic plans, and much more, generating estimated damage for $ 15 million for the company. The most famous episode, however, remains that relating to a ransomware (it would be a malware that blocks access to data up to the payment of a redemption), which became known as WannaCry. In the 2017this ransomware managed to infect beyond 200,000 computers all over the world, taking advantage of a vulnerability of Windows and causing damage for about 4 billion dollars.
Tailored Access Operations
In this ranking of Hacker collectives we decided to insert too Tao (Tailored Access Operations). It is not a criminal group: it is a unit of the NSA (National Security Agency) and we have included it in this top 5 as it represents an interesting example of how the same techniques used by the criminal groups can be applied in the government field for strategic and national security reasons. Tao is active from 1998 And he dedicates himself to the collection of information from foreign governments through the infiltration of software and hardware. His existence has been made known by the documents revealed by Edward Snowdenformer NSA consultant. To achieve his purposes, Tao uses vulnerability of routers, firewalls and other network devices to penetrate critical systems.
Dragonfly
Dragonflyalso known by names Crouching Yeti, Iron Liberty or Berserk Bearis attributed to FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation), the Russian Federal Security Service, and is active from 2010. The group aims critical infrastructures, such as power plants and water distribution and companies related to the aviation and defense sector, using techniques of Spear Phishing (a sort of highly personalized phishing and aimed at specific users) and attacks on third party suppliers with lower safety levels. Among the best known cases there are Attacks on Ukrainian electrical companies with malware Blackenergywhich caused Blackouts extended to thousands of citizens. Dragonfly is the clear example of how hacking can be a real geopolitical weapon.
Lockbit
Lockbitborn in Russia In the 2019operates like Radas (Ransomware-AS-A-Service), a model in which a group provides paid ransomware to other IT criminals to allow them to perpetrate attacks. Among the best known cases there is the attack on the Hospital Center Corbeil-Essonnes of Pariswhich paralyzed vital medical systems until the payment of a ransom of $ 10 million. Lockbit shows how modern computer crime uses structured and global business models.
Anonymous
Anonymous It is probably the only collective that you have heard at least once, since it is particularly famous. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is not a group like those already mentioned: it is rather a group of activists hackers (the group itself is called hacktivist) without a leadership. Born in 2004manifested himself for the first time in 2008 with operations against the Scientology Churchcontinued attacks against the Ku Klux KlantheISIS and the infantile pornographyup to the latest actions against the Russia Due to the war in Ukraine. The motto «We are Anonymous. We are legion. United as one, divided from scratch. We do not forgive. We don’t forget. Wait on it!»Reflects the ideological mission of the group, which combines hackers from all over the world in coordinated operations although not guided by a well -defined hierarchy.
