Computer Hacking in the New Age, All you Need to Know about Hacking Today

Every human discovery has pros and cons, so
is the computer which has pervaded all our
lives. The modern humanity is increasingly
dependent on computer for various day-to-
day activities. Computers do us a whole lot of
good things, but it is not without some
pitfalls. With the extensive use of internet for
hundreds of our needs, computer opens a
vicious cycle of hackers. Computer hacking is
a term which refers to an individual’s illegal
and unauthorized access to the data which are
stored in a user’s system. This is done to
disturb the confidentiality and security of the
user’s computer.
The hackers focus on individuals’ computer
system when they are online. As long as you
are not connected to internet you are less
prone to hacking. The access to internet has
actually made computer hacking easy. You
must protect your computer with strong
antivirus and firewall programs to keep
hackers away. Hackers are known for creating
problems which are difficult to solve. This
gives a good business to computer
investigators and technicians. Hacking can be
done in lots of ways. Few of them are given
below:
Worms: These are the
programs which propagate
through networks.
Trojans: These are hidden in
websites, attached files and
emails.
Viruses: These attach
themselves to various kinds of
files. They can damage certain
functions of your computer.
Hackers also crash on wireless networks which
do not have firewall installed and enabled.
They can also send email attachments with
malicious software which get embedded on
the victim’s computer. Hackers attack
accounts which have weak passwords. All
these are done to get access to confidential
and sensitive information of the users.
Whatever is the method of hacking, the effect
is harmful for the user. Your system will be
flooded with viruses, malwares which steal
your information. In order to avoid hacking
one has to make sure that the systems at
home or office have the latest anti-virus
program and firewall installed and enabled.
These programs need to be regularly updated.
Use the latest browser and scan your
computer on a regular basis.
The New Age of internet has brought with it
many risk factors along with umpteen
advantages. The New Age is the time where
our personal lives are no longer very
personal, but people are able to access
personal information of internet users from
various sources in the virtual world. We need
to be careful about usernames and passwords,
else it will lead to dangerous consequences.
Universities, large companies and government
agencies are mostly targeted by hackers
simply because of the bulk of information
they handle. The great newspapers like The
Wall Street Journal and The New York Times
were also targeted by hackers.
Computer hackers are people who gain
remote access to information stored in a
system elsewhere. During the 1950s and 60s
hackers were more drawn towards learning
the operations of a computer rather than
stealing confidential information of a remote
user. Unlike the olden days, now computer
hacking has become more sophisticated and
organized. In the late 1990s hackers tried to
get access to files in the network of Pentagon.
Some more expert hackers gained access to
the patent files at the Indiana University
School of Medicine in February 2003. Many
hackers were sentenced in the history since
hacking represents a potential national
security threat.
One major tool hackers use to steal
information from computer systems is the
use of viruses. Over the years the number of
viruses has increased drastically. The virtual
world now has above 100000 viruses and the
number grows virtually every day. Apart from
the threat the computer hackers pose, they
also can be beneficial in one way. They can
bring to light the flaws in a computer
network. Hackers can help in redesigning the
system and in making information inaccessible
to illegal users and to unauthorized access.
Getting a log in password is one of the
predominant ways to get access to a
computer which is by the side of the hacker.
Getting remote access to a computer is
another way to hack a system. Managing to
crack a Wi-Fi password is the third method of
sneaking into someone else’s system. Hacking
if done on a public or school computer will
have serious consequences. The hacker will be
put behind the bars for illegally accessing the
computer which does not belong to him or
her.