Hacking used to be about intellectual stimulation and discovering exploits for fun or educational purposes. Originally it didn't do much harm because rarely was anyone affected because computers were not typically used by many people except by those engaged in technology and science development.
Nowadays we all use computers as an integral part of our daily lives and today's hacker impacts us all. Over the years the reasons behind hacking have changed and as a result can cause serious consequences. The ability to intrude in someone else's computer has emerged with a new appeal for those with impure motives, ones which are dangerous in nature for the rest of us. Motivation is at the root of the reasons of why a person becomes a hacker.
What drives people to hack into other people's computer systems?
The altruistic reasons of intellectual stimulus and to discover vulnerabilities are still a reason why some people hack, but today these are overshadowed by "crackers". Cracker is a term the computing community has devised in hopes of distinguishing the "good" from the "bad" hackers (with little success).
These "bad guys" lurk in the dark shadows of the Internet trolling for opportunities to exploit others for self-seeking purposes. Some crackers are truly knowledgeable and use their wisdom to harm, while others steal the work of others and download "kiddie scripts" off the Internet to use for their attack. The practice of hacking these days isn't necessarily about talent, but rather is driven by motivators which have changed the dynamics of why people hack.
What are some of these motivators?
Some crackers turn to intruding into other's computer systems as a source of revenge. They get angered and send out Malware to settle a score. Their goal is to either try to harm their victim's system or simply to be a nuisance. Usually it's not the latter.
Others crackers resort to sneaking in through vulnerabilities simply to gain notoriety. They'll intrude into a popular website, maybe a visible business or even a government agency's database or website. Afterwards they sit back and revel in the attention their handiwork receives.
The challenge of completing a successful hack is another reason why some resort to it. Hacking is a form of intellectual stimulus, but differs in the fact that this type of intruder doesn't care who gets hurt. Their primary interesting is attaining a "win" by meeting their goals and objectives of a successful intrusion. Successfully entering a system may provide the cracker with the "high" of a "job well done".
Financial gain is another dark reason some people resort to hacking. All of the reasons which drive crackers to intrude on others are destructive, but the ones looking to extort monetary gain are the most harmful because they steal personal files and commit the crime of theft. This unfortunately has become regularity because we rely so much upon our electronic transactions. As times move forward and technology progresses, more and more processes will become web centric and our information will be at higher risk.
No matter what the reason as to why a person turns to hacking, each reason is associated with a level of thrill. It may be the thrill of attention, financial gain, successful revenge or an inflated ego, but these are attributes crackers find attractive. Each of these justifications is birthed from the motivating factor which drives them. There are many rationales as to why people become hackers, but ultimately it comes down to a variety of motivators.
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