What Is Hacking?
Hacking is a term used to describe unauthorized intrusion into computer systems. The word originally referred to people who worked with computers by modifying programs and using them for their own personal use, but the modern usage of the term has a negative connotation and is often used in a criminal context. The mainstream media popularized this negative association in the 1980s with the release of movies such as Tron and WarGames that portrayed hackers in a bad light. In response, the computer community adopted the term Cracker for those who performed these types of activities illegally, and the more positive meaning of hacker was reserved for those who work with and modify computer code for legitimate purposes.
There are many different reasons hackers attack computer systems. In some cases, they are trying to get revenge on people or organizations they believe wronged them. Other times, hackers want to steal proprietary information or gain a competitive advantage over other companies. In some rare instances, hackers will even be employed by government agencies to perform hacking in order to gather national security information or disrupt terrorist operations.
Hackers usually work on their own, but they have also begun to form groups to collaborate on hacking attacks. Hackers who have attacked large corporations and government agencies have a high risk of being caught because of the extensive surveillance capabilities of these companies. Hackers who are working for legitimate purposes are called white hat hackers. They look for the same vulnerabilities that black hat hackers find, but they then determine how to fix them and prevent future attacks. They are paid for this work by tech companies and may even be invited to hacking conventions like the annual Blue Hat Conference.