What is a Hacker?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “hacker”? A cybercriminal? A tech geek? Someone cool? A genius?

While movies and TV shows often portray hackers as criminals, the reality isn’t as simple as “hacker = bad person.”

At Hackers Guild, we define hackers as “highly skilled security engineers with expertise in cybersecurity.” By this definition, anyone with deep cybersecurity knowledge could be considered a hacker, regardless of their intentions. However, the community typically makes these distinctions:

Those who engage in criminal activities are often called:

Black hat hackersCrackers

While legitimate hackers in the security industry and at Hackers Guild are known as:

White hat hackersHackers

Let’s be honest — the term “hacker” is pretty ambiguous and means different things to different people. But at Hackers Guild, we specifically use it to mean “highly skilled security engineers with cybersecurity expertise.”

While we use “hacker” as an umbrella term for both ethical and malicious actors, we absolutely do not encourage or support becoming a malicious hacker. Hacking skills are powerful — in the wrong hands, they could potentially harm many people. How you use these skills comes down to personal ethics.

Use your abilities to help people and make the world better.

Tips: On a practical note, getting caught for cybercrime means a criminal record, which makes it extremely difficult to get legitimate work. Even if you lack ethical concerns, cybercrime isn’t worth it from a long-term career perspective.

If you’re reading this, you probably have some interest in hacking or cybersecurity. So how do you become a hacker (an ethical one, of course)?

The safest and most reliable path is through legitimate employment. However, companies rarely advertise “Hacker Wanted!” Instead, look for positions like:

Penetration TesterOSINT AnalystReverse Engineer (Malware Analyst)Exploit DeveloperSecurity EngineerDigital Forensics ExpertCISO (Chief Information Security Officer)

If you’re interested in hacking as a career, these are the job titles to look for.

That said, landing these roles can be challenging without experience. Plus, each specialization requires different skills.

This is where bug bounty and OSINT bounty platforms come in — they let you develop skills and earn money without formal employment.

While bug bounty platforms are well-established, they’re quite competitive, making it challenging to find bugs and earn rewards.

Hackers Guild instead of paying for bug discoveries, we reward hackers who find specific information requested by clients using OSINT techniques.
As an OSINT bounty platform, we’re relatively new in the industry, meaning less competition than traditional bug bounty programs.
You can learn and earn simultaneously, while building a portfolio to showcase to future employers.

Pic of our platform under developing.

As of January 3, 2025, Hackers Guild is in pre-release development. We’re launching soon — follow us on Xitter to stay updated.
https://x.com/HackersGui1d

Share your thoughts and questions about Hackers Guild and this article in the comments below!