What Is Hacking?
The term hacking has a negative connotation, thanks to high-profile hacker arrests like Kevin Mitnick and cybercrimes like the first digital bank heist. But it’s important to remember that not all hackers are criminals, and unauthorized hacking is very different from ethical hacking.
At its most basic, hacking is about understanding a piece of software so well that you can manipulate it to perform actions that were not designed or intended. It’s a creative technical approach that allows for exploration and discovery beyond what the creators or instruction manuals intend.
Hackers use a combination of technical expertise, specialized software scripts, automated utilities programs, and social engineering to locate and exploit weaknesses in digital perimeters. Their objectives vary wildly from financial extortion and corporate espionage to hacktivism and authorized defensive testing.
The first step in hacking is reconnaissance. Using publicly available information, hackers map out public infrastructure, employee profiles, and digital footprints. They can also scan and enumerate the network, identifying open communication ports, specific software versions, and more.
Once the hackers have a firm understanding of their target, they can begin exploitation. Attacks often involve deploying malware, which can hijack your company systems and encrypt files until you pay a ransom to regain access. Threat actors may impersonate employees to redirect payments, or they might deploy a bot that sends spam or commits Distributed Denial of Service attacks. They can also use this foothold to steal customer information, hold your business hostage, or sell data on the dark web.