Is hacking illegal?

Question

Recently German Hacker group managed to break Apple's Fingerprint reader. What left me wondering if hacking is (if at all) illegal was the fact that they could publicly display what they do.

On Sunday, the Berlin-based hacker group known as the Chaos Computer Club–and more specifically a member of the group who goes by the name Starbug–announced that they’ve managed to crack the iPhone 5s’s fingerprint reader just two days after it was released.

“A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create a fake finger that could unlock an iPhone 5s secured with TouchID,” reads the announcement on the CCC’s website. “This demonstrates – again – that fingerprint biometrics is unsuitable as [an] access control method and should be avoided.”

Answer 1

If hacking is done in the 'ethical' sense then yeah it will be legal. Ethical hacking is done by companies that want to test their security systems or even governments (NSA in the US) for maintaining internal security. However, if you hack to steal or destroy then you might likely end up in jail! Read more on hacking here http://answers.techzim.co.zw/4920/who-trains-ethical-hacking-in-zimbabwe?show=4920#q4920

Answer 2

Hacking is not illegal. Bt the way pple have used the word makes it sound like its all done for evil purposes hence quick conclusion that its illegal.

Answer 3

Hacking what. Jailbreaking or rooting only voids your warranty. the developers for the Jailbreaks and Rooting software are not arrested because there are legislation s that allow such practices. Hacking can be on either side of the coin, that's why hacking is now a surname.
Ethical Hacking twin brother to Unethical Hacking.

Comments

Ya i agree... jailbreaking and hacking is always legal.. Only unlocking was once illegal but it has also been legalized allowing consumers to unlock their mobile phones from third party like http://www.unlock-zone.com

Answer 4

I don't know about the legality or illegality of hacking but what i know is that its the best way companies can build better systems. Lets take Apple for Example. They lock their IOS but there are guys who always come up with a Jail breaking mechanism. Apple always responds by updating the vulnerability hence coming up with a better IOS. I would love to see hacking being made legal in all forms.. For the good of every technological component.

Answer 5

An international perspective http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hacker3.htm

Answer 6

it all depends on who u hacking.

Comments

no if it actually depends on anything it would be WHY you are hacking...

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when i said it depends i meant like èg hacking econet's website & hacking ur partner's fb acc. U cn hack ur partner's acc 2 c if he/she's nt cheating.