Computer Hackers?

Question

What is a 200 word definition of a computer hacker?

Answer 1

HACKERS is the name incorrectly given to people (mainly by journalists and writers) who gain access to information stored on computers that are connected to the internet.
In actual fact a Hacker is a highly trained programmer who solves problems. They resent the term being used by people who break into computers. Hackers call these people crackers. It is also the term we shall use.

Contrary to popular belief Crackers are not super intelligent 'computer whiz kids', they use relatively simple procedures and software, the vast majority of them do it for 'fun', because they can do it, rather than malicious reasons.

Access is gained through open ports on vulnerable or unprotected computer. Ports can be probed first, by software to assess the computers level of security. Successful probes are followed by an attack. Those with more malicious intent often use a Trojan or hacking tool to open specific ports first.

Once someone has access into your computer, they can just sit and watch everything you do, but the more malicious ones can view, add or remove programmes or files and use your pc to distribute viruses, trojans or spam.

Answer 2

What is a Hacker?

In one sense it's silly to argue about the ``true'' meaning of a word. A word means whatever people use it to mean. I am not the Academie Française; I can't force Newsweek to use the word ``hacker'' according to my official definition.
Still, understanding the etymological history of the word ``hacker'' may help in understanding the current social situation.
The concept of hacking entered the computer culture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1960s. Popular opinion at MIT posited that there are two kinds of students, tools and hackers. A ``tool'' is someone who attends class regularly, is always to be found in the library when no class is meeting, and gets straight As. A ``hacker'' is the opposite: someone who never goes to class, who in fact sleeps all day, and who spends the night pursuing recreational activities rather than studying. There was thought to be no middle ground.
What does this have to do with computers? Originally, nothing. But there are standards for success as a hacker, just as grades form a standard for success as a tool. The true hacker can't just sit around all night; he must pursue some hobby with dedication and flair. It can be telephones, or railroads (model, real, or both), or science fiction fandom, or ham radio, or broadcast radio. It can be more than one of these. Or it can be computers. [In 1986, the word ``hacker'' is generally used among MIT students to refer not to computer hackers but to building hackers, people who explore roofs and tunnels where they're not supposed to be.]
A ``computer hacker,'' then, is someone who lives and breathes computers, who knows all about computers, who can get a computer to do anything. Equally important, though, is the hacker's attitude. Computer programming must be a hobby, something done for fun, not out of a sense of duty or for the money. (It's okay to make money, but that can't be the reason for hacking.)
A hacker is an aesthete.
There are specialties within computer hacking. An algorithm hacker knows all about the best algorithm for any problem. A system hacker knows about designing and maintaining operating systems. And a ``password hacker'' knows how to find out someone else's password. That's what Newsweek should be calling them.
Someone who sets out to crack the security of a system for financial gain is not a hacker at all. It's not that a hacker can't be a thief, but a hacker can't be a professional thief. A hacker must be fundamentally an amateur, even though hackers can get paid for their expertise. A password hacker whose primary interest is in learning how the system works doesn't therefore necessarily refrain from stealing information or services, but someone whose primary interest is in stealing isn't a hacker. It's a matter of emphasis.

Answer 3

Actually, a being a "hacker" has NOTHING to do with any type of illegal activity. I'm a hacker, but I've NEVER done anything illegal or accessed someone's system without their advance permission, except to stop an attack in progress against my system or one of my customers.

A hacker is simply someone with advanced computer skills who can get systems to do things that were never envisioned by the designers.

Someone who uses hacking skills for nefarious purposes is called a CRACKER. Please do NOT confuse the two!

Answer 4

How are computer hackers and predators a threat to computer security?
People, not computers, create computer threats. Computer predators victimize others for their own gain. Give a predator access to the Internet — and to your PC — and the threat they pose to your security increases exponentially. Computer hackers are unauthorized users who break into computer systems in order to steal, change or destroy information, often by installing dangerous malware without your knowledge or consent. Their clever tactics and detailed technical knowledge help them access information you really don’t want them to have.

www.Tricksabout.net

Answer 5

to electronically access without permission