What Is Hacking and How Does It Affect Your Business?
Hacking is the act of gaining unauthorized access to computers, networks, devices, or sensitive data. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in cybersecurity defenses to carry out attacks that can cause significant damage. They can steal passwords, spy on activities, collect sensitive information, inject malware, or carry out other malicious aims. Once they gain a foothold, hackers often try to cover their tracks by deleting log files or changing system configurations.
The term “hacker” is typically associated with lone rogue programmers who are highly skilled in coding and altering computer software and hardware systems to commit crimes or for personal gains. However, modern hacking is a multibillion-dollar industry with extremely sophisticated techniques. Hackers are growing in number and leveraging tactics that go unnoticed by cybersecurity software or IT teams.
Early hackers were interested in modifying existing programs to enhance their functionality. They used tools such as packet sniffers (applications that intercept and read network packets) to read the data sent between users. They could then use this information to target people with phishing emails or other social engineering tactics.
When computers became widely available in the 1980s, hackers moved away from improving computers to using them for financial or personal gain. Malicious hackers began pirating software, creating viruses, and breaking into computers to steal information. These types of hacks were eventually classified as criminal activity by the US Congress and a new breed of hackers were born. Hacking is now considered a major threat and businesses should take steps to mitigate the risks with strong security measures and regular cybersecurity training for their employees.