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Hacking is a term that has come into heavy use in recent years. While it has taken on a pejorative meaning in many circles, those who practice this skill set for positive reasons find its benefits highly useful and valuable in today’s digital world.

The term itself was adapted from members of the MIT Tech Model Railroad Club who hacked into their high-tech train sets to modify and expand their functionality. The early hackers also referred to their activities as “phreaking,” which eventually took on its current, negative connotation.

As the earliest phreaking came to an end with the transition from analog to digital phone networks in the 1970s, hacking became a more prevalent activity among computer enthusiasts and was eventually used as a slang term for those who exploited security flaws in computer systems. The negative association grew stronger after Newsweek published an article about teenagers who hacked into the computers of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Security Pacific Bank and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

In addition to stealing confidential data and damaging software, some hackers attack websites, businesses and other organizations for political motives or to gain financial benefit. These types of attacks are often highly technical and can require months of careful planning and execution to successfully breach a company’s firewall, locate and steal information, or install malicious software that can destroy the entire network.

To prevent such attacks, companies should take several steps, including regularly installing security patches and updating software, keeping hardware up to date and providing regular employee training. They should also backup all data on a regular basis to ensure that sensitive information cannot be compromised in the event of an attack.