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
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.
