Computer hacking is the practice of modifying computer hardware and software to accomplish a goal outside of the creator’s original purpose. People who engage in computer hacking activities are often called hackers. Since the word “hack” has long been used to describe someone who is incompetent at his/her profession, some hackers claim this term is offensive and fails to give appropriate recognition to their skills.
Computer hacking is most common among teenagers and young adults, although there are many older hackers as well. Many hackers are true technology buffs who enjoy learning more about how computers work and consider computer hacking an “art” form. They often enjoy programming and have expert-level skills in one particular program. For these individuals, computer hacking is a real life application of their problem-solving skills. It’s a chance to demonstrate their abilities, not an opportunity to harm others.
Since a large number of hackers are self-taught prodigies, some corporations actually employ computer hackers as part of their technical support staff. These individuals use their skills to find flaws in the company’s security system so that they can be repaired quickly. In many cases, this type of computer hacking helps prevent identity theft and other serious computer-related crimes.
Computer hacking can also lead to other constructive technological developments, since many of the skills developed from hacking apply to more mainstream pursuits. For example, former hackers Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson went on to create the UNIX operating system in the 1970s. This system had a huge impact on the development of Linux, a free UNIX-like operating system. Shawn Fanning, the creator of Napster, is another hacker well known for his accomplishments outside of computer hacking.
In comparison to those who develop an interest in computer hacking out of simple intellectual curiosity, some hackers have less noble motives. Hackers who are out to steal personal information, change acorporation’s financial data, break security codes to gain unauthorized network access, or conduct other destructive activities are sometimes called “crackers.” This type of computer hacking can earn you a trip to a federal prison for up to 20 years.
Data Encryption?
Data encryption is a process in which plaintext data is converted into ciphertext so that it cannot be read. More generally known as “encryption,” this process can be accomplished in a wide variety of ways, and with varying degrees of success. Some of the best data encryption can last for centuries, while other types of decryption can be broken in minutes or even seconds by people who are skilled at such tasks. In the digital age, people rely heavily on data encryption on a daily basis. Chances are high that you have received or sent encrypted data at some point today, even if you did not directly perform the encryption or decryption of the data.
In this process, a perfectly ordinary piece of plaintext which can be read by anyone is converted so that it can only be read by someone with a key. One of the simplest forms of data encryption is a simple alphabetic substitution, in which the letters of the alphabet are scrambled to create a key. One could decide, for example, to shift the letters of the alphabet by five places so that “E” stands for “A,” “F” for “B” and so forth for a simple key, or the letters could be assigned at random to make a piece of text more difficult to decipher without the key.
An alphabetic substitution is usually fairly easy to break; in fact, many major newspapers have a simple substitution on their puzzles page for people to solve. More complex methods of data encryption can be used to make a code more challenging to break. With complex codes, people can try to use brute force to crack the encryption, and they may eventually succeed, but it will take a long time. Many methods of encryptionfocus on keeping the key secure, and allowing the encrypted data to be freely seen, under the argument that once encrypted, the data is harmless, as long as people cannot obtain the key.
There are a number of reasons to need to encrypt data, most of which rely on shielding data from the eyes of other people. Banks, for example, send encrypted data about their clients back and forth, while governments rely on encryption to get secure messages to overseas embassies. Most email programs offer data encryption while sending and receiving so that emails cannot be read by third parties, as do sites which handle personal information like addresses and credit card numbers.
