<p>Is MIT into hard-core hacking? Because I really don’t want someone breaking into my PC and installing random software.</p>
<p>I bet some people are, but I don’t know of anyone who’s had a problem with someone doing that.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>MIT hacking is usually harmless. The hackers don’t go for personal items. More likely, they’re going to create something to put on top of the dome or hang it in lobby 7…</p>
<p>The OP may or may not realize that “hacking” at MIT has a different meaning from that used in the rest of the world. In MIT-speak, “hacking” means pulling a prank, which almost always involves some degree of tech/engineering creativity, but doesn’t necessarily mean breaking into and manipulating someone else’s computer system. Of course MIT’s definition of “hacking” doesn’t EXCLUDE that, either. I have long had the impression – correct me if I am wrong – that the common definition of “hacking” derived from MIT computer-oriented pranks.</p>
<p>From what I understand, part of the deal with hacking at MIT is that students will not cause damage and that they will clean up their mess. It’s a long, storied tradition of funny, inventive pranks. It’s also a tradition that hackers don’t identify themselves.</p>
<p>I do believe that what the OP means is what MIT calls "cracking…</p>
<p>Clarification, from the MIT slang dictionary:</p>
<p>Hack: (1) n. A trick or prank. For example, having a balloon pop up out of the field in the middle of the Hahvahd-Yale football game. (Source: How to Get Around MIT Glossary); v. to orchestrate such a trick or prank; or explore less-traveled areas of campus</p>
<p>Crack: (1) v. Using computer skills to compromise a computer system (can be done for good or for ill); in other words, what the rest of the world refers to as hacking</p>
<p>It’s clear that the OP was referring to “cracking,” whereas most of the responses have referred to “hacking.”</p>
<p>At MIT, there is plenty of “hacking” (generally good, except when people are stupid), and while I’m sure there are those who are interested in what we would call “cracking,” I don’t know of anyone who’s had a problem with other students actually messing with their computers. It might be presumptuous and/or naive of me to say, but I would wager that most MIT students so inclined are more likely to be “white hat hackers” (those who attempt to infiltrate computer systems as a way of testing the security, with the intent to fix the problems they discover) than the “black hat” variety (the ones who are actually trying to steal your credit card number or government secrets).</p>
<p>And yes, as far as I know, MIT students were using the word “hack” before it worked its way into general use.</p>
<p>I never really assumed that most prospective students would be the kind to do anything malicious on a computer, aside from maybe a harmless prank.</p>
<p>I haven’t known anyone to do anything malicious to someone else - my hallmates have occasionally pranked each other (like turning on a Windows setting that flips the screen upside-down). Note, their systems weren’t cracked - they just left their computer in the lounge area.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about this :)</p>
<p>no hacking takes place at MIT. how dare you assert such a thing?</p>
<p>lol</p>
<p>I think that, just with anywhere else, you should be wary. Hacking computers isn’t always simply sitting down at a workstation and then just tackling the system with sheer technological wizardry. Social engineering or even just exploiting sheer carelessness is always a means for a prankster or perhaps anyone malicious. Hacking, in the general sense of the term, is simply the exploitation of a weak point in any given system. Which just means don’t leave your computer logged off if you don’t want anybody to, like, install a keylogger or rootkit. Make sure your password isn’t the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage. Have a firewall and antivirus installed and don’t fall for the usual tricks. I earnestly hope someone going to MIT wouldn’t have trouble with this.</p>
<p>I’ve had dozens of friends (and enemies) phished before, and the worst thing about being phished is feeling stupid for falling for something as simple as a fake web page. It feels worse than being hacked by other means, such as having a hole exploited, a weak security question/password guessed or bruteforced, or getting a virus of some kind.</p>
<p>In summary, you should always be mindful of computer security.</p>