Hacking and its definitions

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defined hacking as breaking into someone’s computer system without permission. This is a major risk to computer security. A person who practices hacking is called a hacker. Some hackers intentionally steal data or commit vandalism, while others merely “explore” the system to see how it works and what files it contains. These “explorers” often claim to be benevolent defenders of freedom and fighters against rip-offs by major corporations or spying by government agents. These self-appointed vigilantes of cyberspace say they do no harm, and claim to be helpful to society by exposing security risks. However every act of hacking is harmful, because any known successful penetration of a computer system requires the owner to thoroughly check for damaged or lost data and programs. Even if the hacker did indeed make no changes, the computer’s owner must run through a costly and time-consuming investigation of the compromised system [Spafford, 1992].
Hacker, as it relates to computers, has several common meanings. “Hacker is often used by the mass media to refer to a person who engages in computer cracking and is also often by those in computing fields to refer to a person who is a computer enthusiast(http.www.WikiAnswers.com).” There are debates over time for the meaning of the term hacking or hacker when referred to a person. The term hacker was used as early in 1950’s in connection with electronic hobbyist. However, it first appeared in MIT student newspaper. As cited by Duff, Shapiro (2003) claims that the earliest known use of the word hacker was in a student paper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He quotes the following from the November 20, 1963 issue and uses this as proof that the word hacker has always referred to someone with malicious intent:

“Many telephone services have been curtailed because of so-called hackers, according to Prof. Carlton Tucker, administrator of the Institute phone system. [....] The hackers have accomplished such things as tying up all the tie-lines between Harvard and MIT, or making long distance calls by charging them to a local radar installation. One method involved connecting the PDP-1 computer to the phone system to search the lines until a dial tone, indicating an outside line, was found. [...] Because of the “hacking,” the majority of the MIT phones are “trapped.””

As others used the term hackers to those individuals who are considered expert in the field of computing the previous statements connotes the term of hacking of having a negative meaning.

Duff stated in her paper that hacking is the act of exploring technology to expand one’s own knowledge. Hackers retain the responsibility of being ethical or not, just the same as any other professional does. She concluded in her paper that hacking also offers a lot of benefits. These hackers whose intentions are good are often named as white hat hackers. They serve as public watchdogs or security consultants. For example, they peek into a computer system to find information which can be used for whistle-blowing to inform the public for any dishonesty in any form in the government or in a private corporation. Another purpose of sneaking into computer systems is to test its stability and security.

On the other hand, black-hat hackers are those individuals that use their technical skill for personal gain. These include hackers from various disciplines and motivations. These are the malicious hackers who are intent on destruction and profit. These hackers may have personal motivations such as revenge or anger. And sometimes their aim is simply to gain money or notoriety(Duff, 2005).

With the different definitions for hacking, we can conclude that this action not only gives problems but also can provide solution to problems. Just like anything, hacking has good and bad effects depending on how it is used. Ultimately, it can be an instrument to pave the way to the development and advancement of the status quo in the computing industry.