Communication Technologies - Hacking

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Unauthorized access to data in a device, system or network is called hacking. A person hacking another person’s system is called hacker. A hacker is a highly accomplished computer expert who can exploit the smallest of vulnerabilities in your system or network to hack it.

A hacker may hack due to any of the following reasons −

  • Steal sensitive data
  • Take control of a website or network
  • Test potential security threats
  • Just for fun
  • Broadcast personal views to a large audience
Hacking

Types of Hacking

Depending on the application or system being broken into, these are some categories of hacking common in the cyber world −

  • Website hacking
  • Network hacking
  • Email hacking
  • Password hacking
  • Online banking hacking

Ethical Hacking

As iron sharpens iron, hacking counters hacking. Using hacking techniques to identify potential threats to a system or network is called ethical hacking. For a hacking activity to be termed ethical, it must adhere to these criteria −

  • Hacker must have written permission to identify potential security threats

  • Individual’s or company’s privacy must be maintained

  • Possible security breaches discovered must be intimated to the concerned authorities

  • At a later date, no one should be able to exploit ethical hacker’s inroads into the network

Cracking

A term that goes hand in glove with hacking is cracking. Gaining unauthorized access to a system or network with malicious intent is called cracking. Cracking is a crime and it may have devastating impact on its victims. Crackers are criminals and strong cyber laws have been put into place to tackle them.

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