The Hacker Mindset

The mindset of a hacker is a complex amalgamation of curiosity, ingenuity, and determination.

The main reasons why an attacker – or “hacker” – would want to gain access to a computer system are curiosity, fame, and monetary gain.

An online attacker will scan a network for vulnerable hosts or the internet for vulnerable websites. If a single vulnerability is found, no matter how big or small, then this will be an invitation for the attacker to use further and more thorough attacks, chaining vulnerabilities to get deeper into the network.

Once the attacker has gained a foothold in the system, then further attacks and scans are performed in order to elevate their privileges.
If successful, this results in the attacker being able to take over the whole system, possibly allowing them to access to the remainder of the network.

An attacker with these administrative privileges can perform untold damage to the system: A backdoor can be created so that the attacker – and others – are able to stealthily enter and leave the system as and when they please; malware/ransomware can be installed; sensitive data such as intellectual property, trade secrets, staff and client personal data can be downloaded; the list goes on.

These attacks can have a significant detrimental effect on a company. These attacks can lead to legal and financial issues, damage to company morale and market standing, and harm the company’s reputation.

The severity of the impact of an attack can vary depending on the specific circumstances of the attack and the security measures in place.

The goal of GB Security is to help small and new companies by looking for and eliminating these risks of attack by performing professional pentesting at an affordable price.