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Hacking means any practice of changing the characteristics of any system to achieve a motive besides the original purpose of the system. While computer hacking is the process of manipulating the course of the function of networks and systems. In past, hacking means constructive and technical work not restricted to computer networks and systems. But today hacking is referred to as destructive attacks on computer and networks for different motives. In 2012, the term Hacktivism gained popularity, hacktivism is use of cyberspace by group of people as a platform to express controversial opinions. These groups have their own political, religious and social agendas like “Anonymous." Hacktivists are responsible for data breaches, website defacement, stealing information that is digital sabotaging.
Hacking never had any good reputation and is considered as a cybercrime including malicious programming attacks on networks. Hackersharass people, steal money and information, and defraud companies. Hacktivism is a cybercrime and the hackers in 2011 were responsible for stealing personal information of organizations and government. According to Verizon 2012 data breach investigation report, 58 percent of data was stolen in 2011 due to hacktivism, and the motive was political (Brenner, 2012). The hackers used social engineering methods like phishing, breaking weak passwords and weak security policies. Any crime which is committed on cyberspace is called ‘cybercrime’ and Hacktivism is one of the most threatening cybercrimes these days. A survey is conducted by 244 security professionals of large corporations having more than 1000 employees. The professionals pointed out that ‘hacktivists’ is the group which poses the greatest security threat to these organizations as Advanced Persistent Threat. These enterprises are facing 46 % security threat from Hacktivists (Oltsik, 2012).
Hacking is indeed most famous technology crime and in the year 2000 it was evident that computer technology can be used for crimes. Hacking is intrusion into computers of others so the nature of this crime is technical which makes it less investigated. The techniques used for hacking include password grabbers and loggers, encryption software, BIOS password crackers, Trojan horses and viruses (Moore, Robert, 2011). Hackers always look for the new methods to make money and internet or cyberspace gives them opportunity that no one can ever imagine. During 2010, hacktivists attacked payment websites as PayPal, MasterCard and visa. According to a report by Verizon hacktivists, have stolen huge amount of records of cybercrime from government agencies.
Some supports hacktivism is not a crime and defines it as using computer and networks for social protests or for promoting any political motive. But whatever the reason might be, intrusion into anyone’s property without his or her consent is a crime. Hacking is just like trespassing and trespassing is a crime and illegal. As defined by Colorado criminal trespass statute “trespassing is entering a person’s property or land illegally without his permission’ (Brenner, 2010). Hacking is equivalent to trespassing as hackers intrude into the computer systems of others which they do not have any authority. Computers are just likeproperty and hacking is like trespassing. Thus, the definition of trespassing is expanded so that hacking can also become illegal like trespassing. Although one can argue that there is the difference between physical damage and intangible damage. But if someone sends a virus to infect a computer then this action will be considered as vandalism (Brenner, 2010). And the vandalism is destroying personal property of someone without his permission. So hacking is just like trespassing and vandalism and is a serious cybercrime.
Reference List
Brenner, Bill. 22 March, 2012. Hacktivists and cybercriminals: Is there really a difference? Salted Hash-Top Security News.CSO.Viewed. July 1. 2014 http://www.csoonline.com/article/2135106/malware-cybercrime/hacktivists-and-cybercriminals--is-there-really-a-difference-.html
Oltsik, Jon. 25 April, 2012. Hacktivism and Cyber Crime Pose The Biggest Threat to Enterprise Organizations. Networking Nuggets and Security Snippets.Network World.Viewed July 1. 2014. http://www.networkworld.com/article/2222248/cisco-subnet/hacktivism-and-cyber-crime-pose-the-biggest-threat-to-enterprise-organizations.html
Brenner, Susan W. 2010. Cybercrime: Criminal Threats from Cyberspace. California: Greenwood Publishing Group. 40-45.
Moore, Robert. 2011. Cybercrime: Investigating High Technology Computer Crime. 2nd Edition. USA: Anderson Publishing. 9-20.
