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.