What is Hacking and How to Keep Yourself Safe From Cyberattacks
Today’s world is nearly entirely digital, with everything from your bank account to your favorite streaming platform requiring a password to access. With hackers increasingly targeting the very technology that keeps us connected, it’s more important than ever to understand what hacking is and how to keep yourself safe from these threats.
A hacker exploits vulnerabilities in cybersecurity defenses to gain unauthorized access to networks, devices and sensitive information without the owner’s permission. They use specialized software to gather info on their target, identify weaknesses in security and carry out attacks like data breaches, DDoS (distributed denial of service) or malware injections. They also try to cover their tracks by deleting log files or changing system settings. Hackers can be amateur programmers who hack for fun or to challenge themselves, or they may be part of the loose-knit activist group Anonymous or other “hacktivists.” Others are state-sponsored hackers working for a government, spying on adversaries or disrupting political and social movements.
The term hacker has a surprisingly long history that predates modern computers and technology, with origins at MIT as a way to describe students who enjoyed tinkering with electrical systems and train sets to make them do different things. It took on a malicious connotation in the 1990s, when high-profile cybercrimes and arrests began to occur, with phreakers using their skills to steal proprietary software or break into computer systems for personal gain. As PCs became more affordable and Internet home access was introduced, hacking became more widespread.