Austin Criminal Lawyers

A Brief History of Computer Hacking

Computer hacking has always been somewhat of an obscure crime. It requires an ability to understand and process loads of information about computers and use it in a way to manipulate virtual environments. And while hackers are notorious for their ability to wreak havoc in the online world, the term “hacker” was not always a bad thing.

The term “hacker” dates back to the days when computers took up enough space to fill an entire room, and only universities and governmental organizations owned them for research purposes. Computing ability at the time was abysmal, processing moved slowly, and since not everyone could have a computer at home, programmers had to fight over the time slots in order to operate them.

The savviest of these programmers created what were called “hacks.” Hacks were shortcuts implemented into the core software system that would allow the computer to do more tasks in a shorter amount of time. This way, the researchers were able to work more efficiently.

Over time, hacking took on a much different face in the modern world. Happenstance occurrences revealed holes in technological systems. It started with phone systems and later moved on toward valuable pieces of information. Some of these people eventually went on to start very large companies like Apple, Inc. and Viaweb.

Today the landscape of computer crimes has changed. Criminals are now able to download valuable information about an individual without even being at a computer. As the crime become more sophisticated, so do the crime cases.

If you would like more information about your criminal law options, call the Austin criminal lawyer, Ian Inglis, at 512-472-1950.