In the field of information technology, a “hacker” is someone who penetrates computer systems without authorization. Criminal hackers are predominantly present in the public consciousness, using their skills to their advantage and to the detriment of others. However, there are also “ethical hackers” who uncover gaps in systems and networks so that they can be better secured. For this purpose, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), for example, employs professional hackers.
The term is derived from the English verb “to hack”, which (similar to the German term) means to chop something, to disassemble something. The term “hacker” originated in the 1950s and originally referred to tinkerers who dismantled technical devices and tried to reassemble them differently, new or improved. Since the early 1980s, the term hacker has been increasingly linked to the topic of cybercrime. Today, there are roughly three types of hackers:
You can encounter hackers almost anywhere in your everyday work. Virtually, for example, through a cleverly designed email that wants to persuade you to open the attachment (social engineering). In our connected world, the work of hackers can also have an impact on seemingly non-digital aspects of our everyday lives. For example, train, bus or train cancellations may occur due to a hack at a public transport service provider. Or thanks to an ethical hacker, the next update of the on-board computer of your company car contains program lines that make it difficult for unauthorized persons to open the central locking system.
Hackers use many different methods, starting points and security gaps to penetrate computer systems without authorization. Comprehensively increase your organization’s cybersecurity to minimize points of attack for hackers. Important measures include:
