Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online

Hackers

The term hacker has evolved from its original meaning of someone who applied knowledge to fix some technological problem to someone who uses technology, frequently the Internet, to perform some illegal activity. The terms hacker and cracker have been used interchangeably, and there is strong opinion among techies on what each actually means. This book considers a hacker someone who attempts to gain or does gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network. (Crackers are discussed later.) Access can be through different means, such as phone lines, the Internet, or wireless networks. Telephone hackers are normally referred to as phreakers that break into phone companies and get free telephone calls. Good hackers often know several ...