What Is Hacking?
Generally, hacking refers to when a person or group gains unauthorized access to another person’s computer or computer system. These unauthorized attacks can range from a simple phishing attack to a malicious attack that may result in the theft of information or damage to an organization.
There are many different kinds of hackers. Some are vengeful, while others use their skills for political agendas or for personal gain. There are also grey hat hackers, who are somewhere in the middle.
Hacking is typically done to exploit a technical weakness, or security weakness, in a device or system. This weakness may be a software vulnerability or a social weakness. These weaknesses may result in manipulating social outcomes or stealing sensitive information.
Hacking attacks can be used to disrupt business and political activities. Hackers may try to break into corporate systems and obtain information or steal trade secrets from rival companies. They may also attempt to impersonate a co-worker to gain access.
Hackers also work on behalf of nation states to gain access to government documents, and to disrupt elections. In the past, high-profile hacking attacks have affected organizations such as Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo!, and Amazon.
These attacks are most often done by bad actors. These hackers may attempt to steal information, such as bank account passwords or login credentials. They may also attempt to install malware or a ransomware program on the target’s system.
Hackers also use stealthy techniques that go undetected by cybersecurity software. These techniques trick users into opening malicious attachments and giving away sensitive personal data.