How to Become a Hacker
Hacking is an area of computer security that involves breaking into a system or network to identify any vulnerabilities. Often, hackers will expose these flaws publicly in an attempt to get the company to fix them. This is known as gray hat hacking.
There are many different types of hacking. The most common is corporate espionage, where hackers gain access to competitor systems to steal trade secrets and other information. This type of hacking can also be done by nation states to gain intelligence on opponents or even destabilize their infrastructure, as a form of political warfare.
A less common but equally damaging hacking method is cyber-attacks, where hackers use stolen personal data to commit fraud and identity theft. This can also be done by hackers to promote a cause or ideology, as is the case with the notorious hacking of the US Democratic National Committee.
The best hackers are creative thinkers who don’t let any obstacle stop them. They are willing to go beyond what is legally and ethically acceptable, as evidenced by the infamous story of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak prank calling the Pope at the Vatican using a tone that generated free long distance phone calls.
If you’re interested in becoming a hacker, you’ll need to understand the ethical side of this practice. Attacking a system without permission, even for the purposes of learning, is illegal and will get you in trouble. If you want to become an ethical hacker, start by securing your machine and practicing on virtual machines before moving on to real systems.