A Study of Hacking

Authors: Dr.Sanjay Maheshwari

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Abstract

The word \"hacking\" has two definitions. The first definition refers to the hobby/profession of working with computers. The second definition refers to breaking into computer systems. While the first definition is older and is still used by many computer enthusiasts (who refer to cyber-criminals as \"crackers\"), the definition is much more commonly used. In particular, the web pages here refer to \"hackers\" simply because our web-server logs show that everyone who reaches these pages are using the second definition as part of their search criteria. The paper is focused to study the hacking problem and measures to be adopted

Introduction

The word "hacking" has two definitions. The first definition refers to the hobby/profession of working with computers. The second definition refers to breaking into computer systems. While the first definition is older and is still used by many computer enthusiasts (who refer to cyber-criminals as "crackers"), the definition is much more commonly used. In particular, the web pages here refer to "hackers" simply because our web-server logs show that everyone who reaches these pages are using the second definition as part of their search criteria. A hacker can "hack" his or her way through the security levels of a computer system or network. This can be as simple as figuring out somebody else's password or as complex as writing a custom program to break another computer's security software. Hackers are the reason software manufacturers release periodic "security updates" to their programs. While it is unlikely that the average person will get "hacked," some large businesses and societies receive multiple hacking attempts a day. Since calling someone a “hacker” was originally meant as a compliment, computer security professionals prefer to use the term “cracker” or “intruder” for those hackers who turn to the dark side of hacking. For clarity, we will use the explicit terms “ethical hacker” and “criminal hacker” for the rest of this paper.

Conclusion

The research paper concludes on a note that good auditing and consideration of security measures from time to time and vigilance intrusion detecting and good systems administration can be very effective ways of securing and fortifying the company’s network.The design of testing the security of a system by trying to break into it is not new. Whether an automobile company is crash-testing cars, or an individual is testing his or her skill at martial arts by sparring with a partner, assessment by testing under attack from a real adversary is usually accepted as prudent. Now we can see what we can do against hacking or to protect ourselves from hacking. The first thing we should do is to keep ourselves updated about those softwares we and using for official and reliable sources. Educate the employees and the users against black hat hacking. Use every possible security measures like Honey pots, Intrusion Detection Systems, Firewalls etc. Every time make our password strong by making it harder and longer to be cracked. Regular auditing, vigilant intrusion detection, good system administration practice, and computer security awareness are all essential parts of an organization\'s security efforts. A single failure in any of these areas could very well expose an organization to cyber-vandalism, embarrassment, loss of revenue or mind share, or worse. Any new technology has its benefits and its risks. While ethical hackers can help clients better understand their security needs, it is up to the clients to keep their guards in place.