Hacking is a general term that refers to the reconfiguration or reprogramming of a computer system in order to allow an outsider who wouldn’t otherwise have access to that system to gain entrance. It is an art and a dark science that has been around ever since the dawn of computers themselves. Hacking is often used by the mainstream media to refer to all types of electronics manipulation including “phreaking” and “cracking.” It is a catch-all term that has fallen securely into place as a handle for any outside manipulation of electronic devices, even though in the real world of hacking it refers to a specific type of manipulation. “Hacker” is a word invented in the 1940s by mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr., played by Russell Crowe in the movie “A Beautiful Mind.” Meaning it as a derogatory term, Nash used it to refer to anyone looking for a quick way around a problem.