Hacking defition

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. These are serious word histories. Phrases Related to hack hack off hacked off hacking cough. Statistics for hack Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. More Definitions for hack. Kids Definition of hack Entry 1 of 3. Kids Definition of hack Entry 2 of 3. Kids Definition of hack Entry 3 of 3. Medical Definition of hack Entry 1 of 2. Medical Definition of hack Entry 2 of 2. Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Systems advertised for sale on the forum range from Windows XP through to Windows The storeowners even offer tips for how those using the illicit logins can remain undetected. Broadly speaking, you can say that hackers attempt to break into computers and networks for any of four reasons.

There's even another category of cybercriminals: the hacker who is politically or socially motivated for some cause. For notable hacktivist groups, along with some of their more famous undertakings, see Anonymous , WikiLeaks , and LulzSec.

There's also another way we parse hackers. Remember the classic old Western movies? Today's cybersecurity frontier retains that Wild West vibe, with white hat and black hat hackers , and even a third in-between category. If a hacker is a person with deep understanding of computer systems and software, and who uses that knowledge to somehow subvert that technology, then a black hat hacker does so for stealing something valuable or other malicious reasons.

So it's reasonable to assign any of those four motivations theft, reputation, corporate espionage, and nation-state hacking to the black hats.

White hat hackers , on the other hand, strive to improve the security of an organization's security systems by finding vulnerable flaws so that they can prevent identity theft or other cybercrimes before the black hats notice. Corporations even employ their own white hat hackers as part of their support staff, as a recent article from the New York Times online edition highlights. Or businesses can even outsource their white hat hacking to services such as HackerOne, which tests software products for vulnerabilities and bugs for a bounty.

Finally, there's the gray hat crowd, hackers who use their skills to break into systems and networks without permission just like the black hats. But instead of wreaking criminal havoc, they might report their discovery to the target owner and offer to repair the vulnerability for a small fee. If your computer, tablet, or phone is at the bull's-eye of the hacker's target, then surround it with concentric rings of precautions.

First and foremost, download a reliable anti-malware product or app for the phone , which can both detect and neutralize malware and block connections to malicious phishing websites.

Of course, whether you're on Windows, Android, a Mac, an iPhone, or in a business network, we recommend the layered protection of Malwarebytes for Windows , Malwarebytes for Mac , Malwarebytes for Android , Malwarebytes for Chromebook , Malwarebytes for iOS , and Malwarebytes business products. Second, only download phone apps from the legitimate marketplaces that police themselves for malware-carrying apps, such as Google Play and Amazon Appstore. Note that Apple policy restricts iPhone users to download only from the App Store.

Even so, every time you download an app, check the ratings and reviews first. If it has a low rating and a low number of downloads, it is best to avoid that app. Know that no bank or online payment system will ever ask you for your login credentials, social security number, or credit card numbers by means of email.

Whether you're on your phone or a computer, make sure your operating system remains updated. And update your other resident software as well. Avoid visiting unsafe websites, and never download unverified attachments or click on links in unfamiliar emails. You can also use Malwarebytes Browser Guard for safer browsing. All the above is basic hygiene, and always a good idea. When a user logs in to their account, they are then prompted to provide another piece of identity evidence, such as their fingerprint or a code sent to their device.

Users must understand the techniques that hackers deploy to target them. This is especially the case with antiphishing and ransomware , which help users know the telltale signs of a phishing email or a ransomware attack. Ethical hacking refers to the actions carried out by white hat security hackers. It involves gaining access to computer systems and networks to test for potential vulnerabilities, and then fixing any identified weaknesses. Fortinet protects organizations from hacking with its suite of industry-leading cybersecurity solutions and threat intelligence.

The Fortinet antivirus service reduces the risk of malware causing a data breach, blocks the latest threats, and protects organizations from zero-day attacks.

The Fortinet antivirus solution plays a crucial role in securing enterprises' entire attack surface and IT environments, from on-premises and cloud-based systems to IoT and mobile devices. Hacking is the act of compromising digital devices and networks by gaining unauthorized access to an account or computer system.

There are many different types of hackers, the most common of which are black, grey, and white hat hackers. Black hat hackers are the bad guys—the cyber criminals. The white hat or ethical hackers are the good guys, while grey hat hackers are somewhere in the middle. Other common hacker types include blue hat hackers, which are amateur hackers who carry out malicious acts like revenge attacks, red hat hackers, who search for black hat hackers to prevent their attacks, and green hat hackers, who want to learn about and observe hacking techniques on hacking forums.

Other common hacker types are cyber terrorists, hacktivists, state- or nation-sponsored hackers, script kiddies, malicious insiders, and elite hackers.

The biggest hack in history is thought to be the data breach against Yahoo! The attack compromised around 3 billion people, and the company revealed that every Yahoo! China is believed to be the country with the highest number of dangerous hackers. Most of the major cyberattacks that occurred around the world can be traced back to China.

Skip to content Skip to navigation Skip to footer. What is Hacking? Contact Us. Hacking—Definition, Types, Security, and More. A few of the most common types of hackers that carry out these activities involve:. Devices Most Vulnerable To Hacking. Prevention from Getting Hacked. Memory corruption can be described as the vulnerability that may occur in a computer system when its memory is altered without an explicit assignment.

The contents of a memory location are modified due to programming errors which enable attackers to execute an arbitrary code. It is one of the proble. Trojan or Trojan horse is the name given to a computer virus. It is a type of computer software that is camouflaged in the form of regular software such as utilities, games and sometimes even antivirus programs.

Once it runs on the computer, it causes problems like killing background system processes, deleting hard drive data and corrupting file allocation systems.

Description: Mostly Trojans are. It is the mechanism of associating an incoming request with a set of identifying credentials. Description: The authentication process always runs at the start of t. Nifty 18, Polycab India 2, Market Watch. Budget ET NOW. Suggest a new Definition Proposed definitions will be considered for inclusion in the Economictimes.