Hacking: Not Like the Movies

     In modern times, the term "hacking" is often used incorrectly. Some people will say that their account got "hacked" or that hacking is malicious and should never be done. These misconceptions are far from the truth, however, as hacking means much more. The term "hacker" is used to describe either someone who breaks into computer-related systems or someone who has expertise in computer security. This means that regardless of actual technical knowledge, anyone who does one of these two things can be called a hacker.

Image courtesy of Techbuzzes.com

     There are many types of people who enjoy hacking. Some people will download pre-made scripts that hack things, while others use hacking in order to locate security bugs in programs before a live release. Tools such as bots and scripts are available to hackers through various places on the internet, but whether they use it for good or malicious purposes is entirely up to the individuals. In the days when computers were still fairly new, hackers would upload viruses or send messages to other people to gain infamy and public awareness. They would have their own special signatures so that they could spread their alias around. Rarely were these viruses highly dangerous to the computer or the personal data of the person under attack, but in more recent times hackers have become motivated by profit instead of fame. People will be paid to install malicious programs that spam advertisements on someone's computer, or even dangerous malware that records passwords for important things such as bank accounts.
     Hacking is not always done by people for bad purposes. Security experts in companies that are also known as hackers will utilize the tools of hacking to find bugs and security flaws in their systems or programs, allowing the company to fix those weaknesses in their code. Thus, it can be used protectively as well. In order to protect yourself from hackers, you should not use default passwords, use "stronger passwords" (I may talk about this in a future blog), install anti-virus software, and update firewalls. If you are really worried, you should go to a hacking forum, such as zero-security, and see what new methods people are using and how to stop them. I hope this post was informative, and if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!