What Is Hacking
Hacking refers to the misuse of devices like computers, smartphones, tablets, and networks to cause damage to or corrupt systems, gather information on users, steal data and documents, or disrupt data-related activity.
A hacker is an individual who uses computer, networking or other skills to overcome a technical problem. The term also may refer to anyone who uses their abilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or networks in order to commit crimes.
A hacker may, for example, steal information to hurt people via identity theft or bring down a system and, often, hold it hostage in order to collect a ransom
Hacker was first used in the 1960s to describe a programmer or an individual who, in an era of highly constrained computer capabilities, could increase the efficiency of computer code in a way that removed, or hacked, excess machine code instructions from a program. It has evolved over the years to refer to someone with an advanced understanding of computers, networking, programming or hardware.
How Hacker Perform Hacking
Hacking is typically technical in nature (like creating malvertising that deposits malware in a drive-by attack requiring no user interaction). But hackers can also use psychology to trick the user into clicking on a malicious attachment or providing personal data. These tactics are referred to as “social engineering.” In fact, it's accurate to characterize hacking as an over-arching umbrella term for activity behind most if not all of the malware and malicious cyberattacks on the computing public, businesses, and governments. Besides social engineering and malvertising, common hacking techniques include:
Types of Attack Performed by Hacker
1. Malware:
Malware is malicious software which when enters the target host, gives an attacker full or limited control over the target. They can either damage or modify the functionalities of target host helping an attacker to steal or destroy information.
2. Social engineering:
Social engineering is the art of manipulating users of a computing system into revealing confidential information that can be used to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. The term can also include activities such as exploiting human kindness, greed, and curiosity to gain access to restricted access buildings or getting the users to installing backdoor software.
3. Hacking
How do hackers use it? Hackers gain unauthorized access to data, networks, or computers, which they use to steal your money, make unauthorized purchases, and sell your personal information or your organization’s confidential data to third parties.
4. Credential compromise
Often these password managers contain the credentials to, for example, your internet banking which in turn contains your credit card details, your social security number, etc. Once hackers have access to your password manager, they are in a position to perform unauthorized transactions, steal your money and harvest personal and/or confidential information from your online accounts.
5. DDos (Distributed Denial of Service)
DDoS is considered the “weapon” of choice for corporate espionage, disgruntled clients, and hacktivists. These attacks are usually aimed at government institutions and political gain is a major driver of this form of attack. But, it is as often used in for-profit-attacks in the form of ransomware.
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