Hacking

From Saferpedia

Hacking (English verb to hack, singular noun a hack) is the activity of re-configuring or re-programming a system so others can access it without admin or developer approval.

The term has several meanings in IT:

• a hack could mean a quick, clever fix of a program or computer problem;
• modification of a program or device so an unauthorized person could have access using methods like circuit bending;
• identity theft, credit card fraud or other activities known as computer crime.

History

The term "hack" was used for the first time by US University Computing Center in the mid 60s. The term has since acquired an additional and now more common meaning, since approximately the 80s.This growing use of the term "hack" is to refer to a program that (sometimes illegally) modifies another program, often a computer game, giving the user access to features otherwise inaccessible to them. As an example of this use, for Palm OS users (until the 4th iteration of this operating system), a "hack" refers to an extension of the operating system which provides additional functionality. The general media also uses this term to describe the act of illegally breaking into a computer, but this meaning is disputed. This term also refers to those people who cheat on video games using special software. This can also refer to the jailbreaking of iPods.

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