| This article is part of a series on |
| Computer security hacking |
|---|
| History |
| Phreaking, Cryptovirology |
| Hacker ethic |
| Hacker Manifesto, Black hat, Grey hat, White hat, Black Hat Briefings, DEF CON |
| Cybercrime |
| Computer crime, Crimeware, List of convicted computer criminals, Script kiddie |
| Hacking tools |
| Vulnerability, Exploit, Payload |
| Malware |
| Rootkit, Backdoor, Trojan horse, Virus, Worm, Spyware, Botnet, Keystroke logging, Antivirus software, Firewall, HIDS |
| Computer security |
| Computer insecurity, Application security, Network security |
Hacker groups began to flourish in the early 1980s, with the advent of the home computer. Prior to that, the term hacker was simply a referral to any computer hobbyist. The hacker groups were out to make names for themselves, and were often spurred on by their own press. This was a heyday of hacking, at a time before there was much law against computer crime. Hacker groups provided access to information and resources, and a place to learn from other members.[1] Hackers could also gain credibility by being affiliated with an elite group.[1] The names of hacker groups parody large corporations, governments, police and criminals;[2] and often used specialized orthography.[2]