Legal Definitions - hack

To hack means to gain unauthorized and often secret access to someone else's computer system, network, or digital data without their permission.

Here are some examples illustrating what it means to hack:

• Example 1: Unauthorized Wi-Fi Access

  A person uses specialized software to bypass the security on a neighbor's home Wi-Fi network, allowing them to use the internet connection without the neighbor's knowledge or consent.

  This illustrates hacking because the individual gained secret, unauthorized access to another person's network.

• Example 2: Corporate Data Breach

  A cybercriminal group exploits a vulnerability in a large retail company's online store to access its customer database, intending to steal personal information and credit card numbers.

  This is an act of hacking as the group surreptitiously broke into an organization's database without permission to access sensitive data.

• Example 3: Government Server Intrusion

  An activist collective launches a coordinated attack to penetrate the servers of a government agency, aiming to deface its website and leak confidential documents to the public.

  This demonstrates hacking because the collective gained unauthorized and secret entry into the government agency's servers and network to manipulate or extract data.