What Is Hacking?
Hacking is the ability to use technology in ways its creators didn’t intend. Often, this involves combining software and hardware in unusual ways to create new functions or solutions. It has a long history and predates computers themselves. In its simplest form, hackers are people who like to explore and solve problems.
In popular culture, hackers are often portrayed as villainous characters who illegally gain access to computer systems and networks. While some hackers (called black hats) do exploit hacking to commit crimes, most use their skills for ethical purposes. White hat hackers (like Kevin Flynn in the 1982 film Tron) use their expertise to help strengthen security systems, catch criminals, and fix vulnerabilities.
A hacker’s biggest motivation is usually financial gain. This can be accomplished by stealing passwords, gaining access to credit card information, and selling data on the dark web. Other reasons for hacking include a desire to create or spread viruses, spoofing online services, or even controlling other computers through zombies (known as bots) to send spam and DDoS attacks.
Although the exact definition of hacking varies, most laws around the world and from state to state say it’s illegal to secure unauthorized access to a system. Specifically, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act states that “anyone who intentionally seeks to obtain unauthorized access to a protected computer is guilty of a federal offense.” Hackers are most commonly charged under this statute when they gain unauthorized access to a government computer system.