Hacking Classification (Essay Sample)

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Hacking Classification
In the modern and techy-savvy society today, websites are increasingly being considered as important avenues through which the global population can transfer sensitive data from one individual to an entity with an online-based presence. People depend on emails to send sensitive information from one personal account to another while companies depend on their computers to store sensitive company. Stores use their computers and information stored on the internet to store credit card details within their online accounts and to use forms to shop online. This raises the need to maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data (Moore 11). However, hacking is increasingly becoming a major problem in the computer world. Hacking is one of the most popular security problems on the internet network. Some of the individuals with knowledge on computers tend to use this knowledge to access private information on companies and people. In most instances, these hackers make changes to the available information once they access these computers and computer networks. There are five types of hacking: website hacking, email hacking, network hacking, password hacking and computer hacking.
Website hacking refers to the process through which hackers collapse the information they acquire from websites and make changes to it. There are different methods through which this type of hacking occurs. One of these methods is SQL Injection which is code injections which exploit the database layer of MySQL database (O’Brien & James 536). This type of website hacking is common in MySQL database even though there are other techniques that can carry out the types of attacks within other databases like Oracle. A hacker carries out an SQL Injection by entering an SQL code in web forms, including login fields and browser address fields and using the code to access and manipulate information and database from behind the system, website or application. After hacking into a website, the hackers have the power to carry out different unauthorized activities that could easily jeopardize the success of an individual or a company. For instance, they can log out all employees and customers and make it impossible for them to access the site. They may also use this illegal access into a company’s database to steal money or make illegal money transfers. They may also choose to shut down a website and delete all the information contained in it. This often leads to cybercrime, which is a new mode of criminal activity that is a major challenge to developed and developing nations. Cybercrime is a very attractive propositions for clever individuals that huge tolerance for risk. The only way through which this can be brought down is by setting up strict provisions in the computing, banking and any other money-handling architecture (O’Brien & James 536).
Email hacking is the second type of hacking. Email is highly regarded as one of the widely used communication mechanism that allows people and organization to easily share and pass across information. Some emails contain company secrets, personal information and other sensitive types of information. While this makes email accounts quite valuable, it also serves as one of the primary grounds of email hacking. There are three ways though which internet hacking can occur. The first method is through the use of spams whereby hackers send large email broadcasts containing hidden or misleading email and IP addresses. Once an email user opens these spam emails and tries to access the given IP or email addresses, the spammer is able to gain access into the company’s IP address which would be very devastating to the company’s business (Thomas 67). The second method through which email hacking can occur is through the use of viruses that take over the computers of the unwilling and unsuspecting participants. Phishing is the third mode of email hacking whereby hackers send email messages from legitimate companies and businesses that a user may be associated with. These emails may contain logos and be written in the same format as those used by the legitimate business, but they ask for the verification of personal information, including date of birth, account number and passwords. This often results in financial losses, stolen accounts and identity theft.
The third type of hacking is network hacking. At times, network hacking is done for legitimate reasons especially in cases where one might have forgotten their password into a network and feel the need to find a way back in. Others may choose to hack into as a means of testing the security of the network. Whatever the reason may be, there are several ways through which this type of hacking occurs. Sneaker-net is one network hacking technique whereby a hacker carries out a direct attack on a network without necessarily having to work across it. This is often accomplished by simply plugging in a laptop computer into a network’s Ethernet ports that will immediately allow them to gain access into the network without a password. For hackers that simply wish to access the internet without necessarily having a particular interest in a specific network, they can simply accomplish this by seeking for unsecured networks. This is often accomplished through the use of cracking tools such as PHLAK that allows on to test for the durability of a network (Moore 258). Once a hacker gains access into this network, they are able to gain access into a number of scripts and tools that allow them to test the security of the chosen network. Others ways through which network hacking can be accomplished is through the manipulation of a network’s IP address through a method called pinging and port scanning.
Password hacking is the type of hacking that is carried out by a hacker for maliciousness and for personal gain. Such types of hackers often create stereotypical and illegal hacking groups that are often portrayed as being the epitome of cybercrime. The primary reasons why these hackers force their way into secure networks is to modify, destroy, or steal data (Moore 255). At times, their chief aim may be to make networks unusable to those that are authorized to use them. While some of the privacy hackers may make their intentions known by sabotaging the privacy of an individual or posting such information online, some may choose to hide the vulnerabilities of these systems to themselves by patching and hiding their footprints into a system. They then use their control over the system to access personal information that they may use to destroy an individual or bring down an important figure in the society. Some hacke...