The main reason that hackers initiate attacks is to be challenged.
This is one of the findings in survey data acquired by Finbold.com, which indicates that about 68% of hackers initiate attacks in order to be challenged.
The survey featured over 3 150 respondents from at least 120 countries and territories.
Making money accounts for the second-highest reason for hacking at 53% while learning tips and techniques accounts for 51%. And about 49% of hackers launch attacks just to have fun.
Additionally, 44% of hackers usually want to advance their careers as the fifth reason for hacking. Showing off accounts for one of the least reasons for hacking at about 8%.
The research also reviewed some of the popular hacking platforms where websites account for the majority 71%. APIs account for about 7% followed by Android mobile at 4%. Technologies with a hacker’s users data account for 4% as well as operating systems with the same figure. Firmware accounts for the least platform at 1%.
The reveals that 30% of respondents have been hacking for between one to two years. On the other hand, 20% of hackers have been hacking for three to five years. Only 5% of hackers have been hacking for more than 15 years.
Hacking continues to be an evolving field. Finbold.com editor-in-chief Oliver Scot comments: “Moving into the future, there will be an increase in the demand for security skills as hackers continue to evolve.
“More organisations are also increasingly insourcing their security needs through internal training and skills. Tailored training programs have emerged to be crucial.”
Some of the popular hacking trends expected to evolve include social engineering and phishing, malware injection, missing security patches, cracking passwords, and distributed denial of service.