What is Hacking?
Hacking is a term used to describe computer misuse or unauthorized access to information. It can include a variety of activities, from simply messing around with software to trying to get it to do things it wasn’t designed to do to bypassing security measures or stealing information or damaging equipment. Hackers use a combination of technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, creativity and persistence to find and exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems for illicit purposes. The practice has become more popular since personal computers became more widely available, with some hackers pursuing unauthorized activities for financial gain or as a form of protest. Other hackers, known as black-hat hackers, pursue activities for criminal or malicious reasons including pirating software, creating viruses and stealing sensitive information.
The word “hacking” was first used about technology in 1955 by members of MIT’s Tech Model Railroad Club to describe how they would ‘hack’ their high-tech train sets to modify their functions. Later, it was applied to the way members tampered with computers and then to other types of electronic devices such as cellular phones and telephone switching networks.
Ethical hackers, or white-hat hackers, seek to test and identify flaws in computer systems so they can be fixed before attackers can exploit them. They are often called on by businesses and government agencies to find weaknesses that may be exploited by malicious hackers, also known as black-hat hackers. To protect against attacks, it is important for businesses to keep their software up-to-date and provide regular employee training.