History of Hacking
Martin Lee · Engineering & Technology Reference · 2014
The history of hacking is the history of human ingenuity, understanding a system and altering its function. In recent years the term has been used to refer to malicious attacks against computer systems. In this sense, hacking has a long pedigree dating back to the invention of cryptography in antiquity. Precedents exist for many current information security issues, from state sponsored decryption of messages in Renaissance Italy, to political motivated denial of service attacks during the early 19th century. Throughout history the malicious and the merely curious have been able to subvert technology and security systems through the application of skill and understanding. This article illustrates many notable incidents from antiquity to the year 2000.