Hacking involves attempting to gain unauthorized access to computer systems for various purposes. Some people hack just for fun or to show off their skills, while others do it to damage systems or for profit. There are different types of hackers including white hats who hack ethically, black hats who hack maliciously, and gray hats whose intentions are not always ethical. Cracking specifically refers to entering systems without authorization to violate or damage them. Hacking tools that can be used include scanners, telnet, and ftp.