What is Hacking?
Hacking is a process to bypass the security mechanisms of an information system or network.
Defining Hacker
Hacker is a word that has two meanings: Traditionally, a hacker is someone who likes to tinker with software or electronic systems. Hackers enjoy exploring and learning how computer systems operate. Recently, hacker has taken on a new meaning someone who maliciously breaks into systems for personal gains. Technically, these criminals are crackers (criminal hackers). Crackers break into (crack) systems with malicious intent. They are out for personal gain: fame, profit, and even revenge. They modify, delete, and steal critical information, often making other people miserable.
Top 5 Most Famous Hackers of All Time
1. Jonathan James: James gained notoriety when he became the first juvenile to be sent to prison for hacking. He was sentenced at the age of 16 . In an anonymous PBS interview, he professes, "I was just looking around, playing around. What was fun for me was a challenge to see what I could pull off." James also cracked into NASA computers, stealing software worth approximately $1.7 million. 2. Adrian Lamo: Lamo's claim to fame is his break-ins at major organizations like The New York Times and Microsoft. Dubbed the "homeless hacker," he used Internet connections at Kinko's, coffee shops and libraries to make his intrusions. In a profile article, "He Hacks by Day, Squats by Night," Lamo reflects, "I have a laptop in Pittsburgh, a change of clothes in D.C. It kind of redefines the term multi-jurisdictional." 3. Kevin Mitnick: A self-proclaimed "hacker poster boy," Mitnick went through a highly publicized pursuit by authorities. His mischief was hyped by the media but his actual offenses may be less notable than his notoriety suggests. The Department of Justice describes him as "the most wanted computer criminal in United States history." His exploits were detailed in two movies: Freedom Downtime and Takedown. 4. Kevin Poulsen: Also known as Dark Dante, he gained recognition for his hack of LA radio's KIIS-FM phone lines, which earned him a brand new Porsche, among other items. His hacking specialty, however, revolved around telephones. 5. Robert Tappan Morris: Morris, son of former National Security Agency scientist Robert Morris, is known as the creator of the Morris Worm, the first computer worm to be unleashed on the Internet. As a result of this crime, he was the first person prosecuted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Ethical hacking is the process of hacking the information that is considered to be confidential. The information through the ethical hacking does not remain secret at all. The ethical hacking process is also known as the intrusion testing, penetration testing or red teaming. However the ethical hacking also gives s professional certification to the certified ethical hacker where the hacking of the computer system or some other devices takes
place. This service had been made available to the people by the international council of ecommerce consultants. Moreover for the ethical hacking the user has to be an ethical hacker which is somehow the name that is given to the person and for this the person must be a penetration tester. The ethical hacker is responsible for the performance of different activities. The main role that had been allotted to the ethical hacker is that he is the person who is mainly working for an organization or the organization hires the ethical hacker for the purpose of penetrating the information from different networks or systems. The organization trusts the ethical hacker as he is responsible for providing different services to the firm. The ethical hacking service is very much similar to that of the hacking and the ethical hacker is also working in the same way as the hacker is working for different purposes. The ethical hacker is the person who is found to be a computer expert and at the same time he is also responsible for the working of the networking systems as well. He is the person who works on behalf of the members of the organization. At times the hacking service that is being provided by the hacker can also be dangerous for the firm and hence it can exploit the systems of the company
Ethical hacking, often performed by white hats or skilled computer experts, is the use of programming skills to determine vulnerabilities in computer systems. While the non-ethical hacker or black hat exploits these vulnerabilities for mischief, personal gain or other reasons, the ethical hacker evaluates them, points them out, and may suggest changes to systems that make them less likely to be penetrated by black hats. White hats can work in a variety of ways. Many companies utilize ethical hacking services from consultants or fulltime employees to keep their systems and information as secure as possible. The work of ethical hacking is still considered hacking because it uses knowledge of computer systems in an attempt to in some way penetrate them or crash them. This work is ethical because it is performed to increase the safety of the computer systems. Its reasoned that if a white hat can somehow break the security protocols of a system, so can a black hat. Thus, the goal of ethical hacking is to determine how to break in or create mischief with the present programs running, but only at the request of the company that owns the system and specifically to prevent others from attacking it.
