How Many Hackers Are In The World in 2024?

Introduction

Hey friend! Have you ever wondered how many hackers there really are out there in the world? With hacking and cyberattacks making headlines every day, it‘s normal to be curious about the scale and scope of hacking activities globally.

As an experienced cybersecurity professional, I‘ve dug into the data and research to provide an in-depth look at hacking numbers and trends in 2024. In this guide, I‘ll share expert insights into hacker demographics, motivations, costs, techniques, and key growth trends.

By the end, you‘ll have a strong understanding of just how many hackers are out there, the different types, why they hack, and how much hacking impacts individuals and businesses worldwide. Let‘s dive in!

Measuring Global Hacking Numbers

It‘s impossible to pin down the total number of hackers worldwide, as many operate secretly and never get caught. But by looking at certain statistics, we can estimate the scale of hacking activities globally:

• There are over 166,000 registered ethical hackers worldwide according to the 2018 Hacker Report. These hackers use their skills to help companies find security vulnerabilities.
• India and the United States have the most ethical hackers by far, with 43% combined located in these two countries. Russia, Pakistan, and the UK round out the top 5 countries.
• Staggeringly, 45% of all data breaches worldwide in 2019 were caused by hacking attacks. This makes hacking the leading cyberattack method.
• On average, a shocking 75 records are stolen per second by hackers. That‘s massive data and privacy loss happening every minute of every day.
• Global cybercrime costs from hacking are estimated to reach a mind-blowing $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015.
• There were over 700,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the US alone in 2018, with an additional 314,000 positions projected by 2028. This gives a sense of current US hacking activity requiring defense.

So while it‘s impossible to be certain, statistics indicate there are likely millions of active hackers worldwide. Both ethical hackers and those hacking maliciously. And these numbers are rising rapidly year after year.

Next, let‘s look at the typical demographics and profiles of both ethical and unethical hackers.

Hacker Demographics: Age and Gender

Many people get started hacking early, and it remains a male-dominated activity:

• Over 80% of hackers are between 18 and 34 years old. Hacking requires a young, agile mindset.
• Less than 1% of hackers are under 13, as technical and legal limitations make early hacking difficult.
• Only around 15% of hackers are female. However, this number is slowly rising as hacking culture becomes more inclusive.
• Most hackers are self-taught from a young age and begin experimenting as teens. Developing skills early allows them to start profiting from hacking sooner.

So while the stereotypical image of a hacker is a young male, the demographics are gradually diversifying over time. Next, let‘s examine why people get into hacking in the first place.

What Motivates People to Hack?

Hackers have many different motivations driving them:

• 14.7% hack to learn new techniques and tips. Hacking to gain knowledge.
• 14% enjoy the challenge and problem solving. Hacking for the love of it.
• 14% do it for fun and thrills. Hacking for excitement.
• 13% hack to make money. Financial hacking for profit.
• 12% want to advance their career. Using hacking to open doors.
• 10% hack to protect and defend. Ethical hacking for security.
• 10% hack to do good in the world through activism.
• 8.5% teach others how to hack. Mentorship motivations.
• 3% hack to show off their abilities. Hacking for reputation.

As you can see, motivations are diverse. Financial gain is a big driver, but for most, learning, problem-solving and the challenge itself are the primary motivators. Others use their skills for ethical or activist causes.

Understanding these motivations gives us insight into hacker psychology. Not all hackers have malicious intent—some are driven by noble motivations. But what exactly are the different types of hackers?

Types of Hackers

There are three main types of hacker based on their motivations:

• White hat hackers use hacking for ethical, legal security purposes. They help protect people from criminals by finding vulnerabilities.
• Black hat hackers hack with malicious criminal intent, whether for financial gain, chaos, espionage etc. They are the stereotypical "bad hackers."
• Grey hat hackers fall somewhere in between. They may hack illegally but without truly malicious intent. They are hobbyists out for a challenge.

So in a sense, hacking ability itself is neither good nor bad. It‘s the hacker‘s motivations that determine if they use their skills for ethical or unethical ends.

Of course, hackers require a specific skillset to pull off their activities. Let‘s analyze what abilities the top hackers have.

Skills and Traits of Great Hackers

Based on observing many hackers over my career, these are the key skills and traits that make great hackers:

• Expert-level programming abilities, e.g. Python, JavaScript, C++, Go.
• Deep knowledge of operating systems like Linux, Windows and macOS.
• Understanding of networks, servers, databases and other computing infrastructure.
• Proficiency with essential hacking tools like Kali Linux, Metasploit etc.
• A creative mindset and passion for problem solving. Finding clever solutions.
• Persistence and patience. Hacking often requires many failed attempts before succeeding.
• Attention to detail. Identifying small vulnerabilities that others miss.
• Math and analytics skills. Crunching data is key for many techniques.
• Adaptable thinking patterns. Quickly switching strategic approaches as needed.
• Passion for continuous learning. Hacking systems and methods change rapidly.

Very few possess this entire suite of technical, creative and personality strengths. But the best in the business have most of these abilities to an elite degree. They combine specialized skills with hacking intuition.

Now that we‘ve covered hacker demographics and capabilities, what are some common techniques and entry points they use?

How Hackers Gain System Access

Skilled hackers use a wide variety of techniques to gain unauthorized access to systems and data:

• Phishing: Emailing links or attachments pretending to be trusted sources to trick users into downloading malware.
• Brute force attacks: Guessing weak login passwords through automated rapid trial-and-error.
• DNS cache poisoning: Manipulating DNS servers to divert traffic to hacker-controlled sites.
• DDoS attacks: Overloading systems with traffic from botnets to take them offline.
• Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Intercepting communication between two parties and spying/altering data.
• SQL injection: Entering malicious SQL code into input fields to access or modify databases.
• Software exploits: Taking advantage of software bugs and vulnerabilities to gain privileged access.
• Packet sniffing: Using tools like Wireshark to monitor and intercept data on networks.

As you can see, hackers have plenty of technical approaches for compromising security. It‘s a constant arms race for cyber defense teams to detect and protect systems against these tactics.

So how prevalent are hacks becoming? What do the growth trends tell us about the future scale of hacking?

The Growth of Hacking: Current and Future Trends

Cybercrime and hacking attacks are undergoing exponential global growth:

• 3.5 million new cybersecurity jobs were added in 2022 alone to deal with hacking threats.
• There were over 700,000 cybersecurity job openings in the US in 2018, with an additional 314,000 projected by 2028. That 32% growth rate is staggering.
• Worldwide cybercrime costs are expected to hit a mind-blowing $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. That‘s up from $3 trillion in 2015.
• High-profile hacks like Yahoo, Equifax, Uber and Target show even large corporations are vulnerable.
• Hacking tools and exploit kits are becoming more sophisticated and accessible on the dark web.
• Cryptocurrencies help hackers launder money and profit while maintaining anonymity.
• State-sponsored hacking is rising as conflicts increasingly move to cyberspace.

These trends paint a concerning picture of hacking scaling up in frequency, profitability and societal impact in the years ahead. It will require tremendous focus to keep individuals, businesses and infrastructure secure against the hacking onslaught. Public awareness and learning ethical hacking skills can help turn the tide.

The Ethical Hacking Solution

To combat harmful criminal hacking, nurturing ethical hackers is a key solution:

• Ethical hackers help companies responsibly identify vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them. They strengthen defenses.
• Governments are hiring more ethical hackers to help protect infrastructure and sensitive systems.
• Ethical hacker certifications like CEH teach hacking skills for lawful security purposes.
• "Bug bounty" programs pay ethical hackers to find and report software issues so developers can fix them.
• The nonprofit HackerOne connects companies with vetted, ethical hackers for these programs. Major tech firms now participate.
• Conferences like DEF CON bring together ethical hackers to learn positive applications of hacking.

So while malicious hacking poses major societal risks, encouraging responsible disclosure and learning ethical hacking skills can help counter these threats.

Conclusion

It‘s difficult to pin down exactly how many hackers are out there globally, but signs point to millions engaged in hacking activities, both good and bad. Key takeaways:

• Most hackers start young and are driven by the challenge, learning, and problem solving.
• Black hat hackers pose major risks, but not all hacking is malicious. Ethical hackers help defend society.
• As hacking tools spread, cybercrime is undergoing massive growth worldwide. This requires expanded cybersecurity education and workforce development.
• Nurturing ethical hacking, safely disclosing vulnerabilities, and securing systems will be crucial to limiting cyber-risks in the years ahead.

So while hackers will likely always exist, we can take heart that hacking skills can be channeled for good. With vision and responsibility, the tremendous potential of hackers worldwide can be harnessed to help build a more secure digital future.

Sources

Cybercrime To Cost The World $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025. Cybersecurity Ventures.

2018 Hacker Report. HackerOne.

Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hacking Statistics 2022. TTCSIRT.

The Lifecycle of a Hacker. Kaspersky.

What is the profile of a hacker? OneHowTo.

Why Do Hackers Hack? Understanding the Motivations Behind Hacking. WebTribunal.