Hacking
Computer hacking is where someone deliberately and illegally gains access to a system. Much hacking activity is for criminal gain. That is, hackers seek to gain valuable information, such as credit card details, in order to commit fraud. Others use the information they have gained illegally to deliberately undermine organisations or to disrupt the free flow of goods and services in the market. However, not all hacking is undertaken with criminal intent (although the act of computer hacking is a criminal offence). Hackers exhibit a range of motivations for their activities. These motivations include the challenge presented by overcoming internet security; the development of computer skills; a direct attack on the capitalist society or as a political gesture or an attack on particular corporate interests whose products or practices are disliked by the hackers. In many cases hackers break into computers simply because they can. Because the motivations for hacking are numerous, so too are the types of hacking activity that can be identified. These include: