How can I hack someone or something?

Because of the frequency this question has been asked in e-mail, on the forums and searched for on Computer Hope, we have decided to create a document for this question. If you are interested in hacking or want to hack someone or something for revenge, payback or to gain access to information, we suggest you reconsider.Hacking or breaking into a computer to view or steal protected information will not resolve anything and will only cause additional issues, such as being fined or sent to prison.If you're interested in hacking and computer security, instead of trying to break into someone else's computer, you should consider learning an alternative operating system such as Linux, setup and learn more about computer networks, read security bulletins, read security news, read security advisories and learn more about programming languages. If you continue to have the urge to try your hands at hacking after setting up your own network, you can experiment with hacking by trying to gain access to other computers on your network without having to fear getting in trouble with law enforcement.Doing each of the above recommendations will give you a much better understanding of computers and security, and would give you a much better chance at getting a job with a security related company.