technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access. • In modern English, the term hacking can take on several different meanings depending on the context. • As a matter of general use, the word typically refers to the act of exploiting computer security vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to a system. • However, with the emergence of cybersecurity as a major industry, computer hacking is no longer exclusively a criminal activity and is often performed by certified professionals who have been specifically requested to assess a computer system’s vulnerabilities by testing various methods of penetration.