Hacking and Cracking - Essay Example

This means that the person performing hacking had to modify system operations to attain what they require or to perform unusual functions (Peterson and Bender, 2011). Hacking evolved after the invention of the fist computer in the 1950s and was widely changed and used to test the strength of systems. Later in 1980s hacking and cracking where differentiated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). According to MIT, hacking is ethical non-destructive performances while cracking is non-ethical performances aimed at destroying computer systems either by breaking, wiping out data or infecting the system with viruses or malware.

The 21st century description for hacking is based on the following terms. Hacking must follow safety measures, must not be destructive and must not have effect on any person emotionally, physically or mentally. Hacking is performed with the help of the following programming languages, telnet, Trojan horses and key loggers. Hacking with the use of Trojan horses helps the hacker to passwords. A Trojan horse is a kind of program that is only meant for hacking and not like viruses or worms. Viruses and worms replicate themselves and are meant for destruction of programs in the system (Peterson and Bender, 2011).

According to Syed (2004), hacking is an illegal act if a person does not have authority to perform such actions. Hacking operation can be performed on various systems such as emails whereby persons hack email. Hacking is also done by computer experts who are able to write programs or have wide knowledge of programming languages. Hacking is mainly performed to ascertain the strength of company’s security system. In this way, the organization can pin-point and correct the security flaws in the organization to avoid loss of data or computer virus infections.

Cracking is done with help of software. However, the person cracking must also have a bit of knowledge of programming