Nowadays computer is used everywhere. It is hard to imagine our life without computers, as they make it easier and more pleasant. The only thought that one’s computer may be hacked, makes people nervous. The Internet is another thing, which gave us a number of new opportunities. We can buy thing online, we can communicate with friends, make new acquaintances and even study and work in the Internet. Thus, computer and the Internet became two interrelated facts. However, is everything as easy and reliable as it seems? To answer this question let us consider the notion of computer memory hacking.
Definition of Memory Hacking
What does hacking of memory means? Initially, in 1960s the term ‘hacker’ was used having a positive meaning and describing a person who had good programming skills. Later the term lost its positive meaning and began to indicate people who were hacking computer memories. The Free Dictionary by Farlex describes the verb ‘to hack’ as “to alter (the computer program)”, “to gain access to (a computer file or network) illegally or without authorization” ("Computer hacking", n.d., n.p.).
Above we have spoken about the advantages of the Internet. Nevertheless, with the wide use of the Internet such term as cyber-crime appeared. The hacking is the first and the most significant cyber-crime. The hacking indicated the process in which a person, known as a hacker, “breaks the security of the web and get access into your privacy without getting the permission of the victim” (Chandola, 2014, p. 12).
Hackers Common Tools
What are the hackers’ common tools? The three main common tools of hackers are viruses, exploits, and worms. The computer virus is a code inside the computer memory that has the ability to copy itself and spread over computer files. There are different types of viruses, the use of which depends on the intent and the aim of the hacker ("What is Hacking?", n.d., n.p.).
In 2013, Chinese hackers continuously attacked computer systems of the New York Times. The hackers installed the malicious software called malware, so that it gave them access to the computer network of the New York Times. The computer security experts hired by the Times identified that the attack was performed from the same university computers, which the Chinese military used “to attack United States military contractors in the past” (Perlroth, 2013, n.p.). In 2012, Chinese hackers also attacked Bloomberg News. As a result, computers of many employees were infected.
Practices that Protect Computers
Are there ways to protect computers form being hacked? Certainly, there are. Experts say that in order to protect one’s computer from hacking, it is necessary to install credible software and to delete even without previous opening the unknown emails. One should never open or download attachments from random people. Be sure, no respected organization would send you the important information in the attachment. If you got an email, for instance, from your bank, which has an attached document, you would better visit the bank’s website and make sure that this attachment is legitimate. Besides, never click on ads; otherwise, your computer may be infected. If the information in the ad proved interesting for you, find the website. Pay more attention to such things as USBs, CDs or flash drives. This is one of the ways for virus to pass from one computer to another. The easiest and the safest way to protect your computer from viruses is to install the anti-virus software. It eliminates the infected files so the information on one’s computer is safe and well protected ("What is Hacking?", n.d., n.p.).
Significance of Hacking
Has hacking became significant in organizations and modern society? In modern society, where the efficient work of each and every organization depends on the use of computers, hacking has had a significant impact on it.
Everything began when software companies felt the need to take measures in order to secure the illegal use of their products. This gave way to the ‘cracking hacker’. In the modern society, hacking took the form that is more serious. The most vivid examples may be found on the Internet as the Federal Bureau of Investigation publishes cases in which hackers were caught and punished by the law. This information is highlighted with the aim to prevent further hacker attacks. From 1999 to 2005, the FRI’s website has 100 such cases on the list. Most crimes were committed with the purpose of enrichment, and only three of them posed healthcare and public safety at risk (History & Impact of Hacking, 2006, n.p.).
Conclusion
The development and wide use of computers and the Internet has brought not only advantages to modern people, but also certain disadvantages. While all personal information and the information, which has national or even global importance, is saved on computers, hackers do not hesitate to break them and get access to it. Some of those hackers are amateurs, and do it more for fun and from the point of view of pure interest, but others are real professionals, who are hired to achieve a certain aim. While there are many viruses, exploits, and worms that can infect computers, there are also many ways of preventing the infection.
References
Chandola, S. (2014). A Tour of Ethical Hacking: Perfect guide of ethical hacking for beginners (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=d_KqBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA6&dq=what+is+hacking&hl=uk&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA0OXTjc3MAhUhKpoKHfjcAI4Q6AEIJDAA#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20hacking&f=false
Computer hacking. TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Computer+hacking
History & Impact of Hacking. (2006) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/csep590/06au/projects/hacking.pdf
Perlroth, N. (2013). Chinese Hackers Infiltrate New York Times Computers. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/technology/chinese-hackers-infiltrate-new-york-times-computers.html
What is Hacking?. WhatIsMyIPAddress.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016, from http://whatismyipaddress.com/hacking
