Hacking is a growing concern in the digital age, with hackers having various motives for hacking. These include financial gain, increasing their reputation in the hacking subculture, and assisting companies whose secret information has been lost. Hackers use different methods to access an individual's computer system, including posting emails containing viruses and malware, using social networking sites, inserting malicious packets, and exploiting vulnerabilities. Once gained, hackers can use various password cracking techniques, such as dictionary attacks, brute force attacks, and rainbow table attacks. Hacking is considered illegal when done without the victim's consent or for nefarious purposes.