Accessibility links

hacking hacking
Stories About

hacking
Hacking Real Things Becomes Child's Play At This Camp

Owen Chilcoat hacking his tablet. "I am just messing around ... trying to break it," he says. Steve Henn /NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Steve Henn /NPR

All Tech Considered

Hacking Real Things Becomes Child's Play At This Camp

Armed with technology know-how, teens and preteens are learning to hack everyday items and find bugs for major tech giants. Their work can pay off, with companies offering rewards for fixes.

Hacking Real Things Becomes Child's Play At This Camp

Listen · 5:43
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/211669208/211735490" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
With Smarter Cars, The Doors Are Open To Hacking Dangers

The Toyota Prius, seen here at the New York International Auto Show in March, was one of the cars security experts Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller showed to be susceptible to attacks by hackers. Mike Segar /Reuters /Landov hide caption

toggle caption
Mike Segar /Reuters /Landov

All Tech Considered

With Smarter Cars, The Doors Are Open To Hacking Dangers

Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller have been hacking into products for a long time. But they don't steal stuff or mess with people; instead, their purpose is to pressure companies into making their products more secure. Their recent research on hacking cars has shown just how dangerous these kinds of attacks could be.

With Smarter Cars, The Doors Are Open To Hacking Dangers

Listen · 3:57
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/206800198/206884445" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Def Con Hacking Conference Puts Feds In 'Time-Out'

An image of the site promoting Def Con 21, a large annual gathering of hackers in Las Vegas. The meeting's leader is asking federal workers to stay away from this year's event. Def Con hide caption

toggle caption
Def Con

The Two-Way

Def Con Hacking Conference Puts Feds In 'Time-Out'

One of the world's largest and most open gatherings of hackers is asking federal workers to skip this year's event. "Our community operates in the spirit of openness, verified trust, and mutual respect," the founder of the Def Con conference says.

As Its Influence Grows, Twitter Becomes A Hacking Target

After high-profile accounts have been attacked — including AP's, NPR's and the BBC's — Twitter considers how to thwart hackers and protect users. iStockphoto.com hide caption

toggle caption
iStockphoto.com

All Tech Considered

As Its Influence Grows, Twitter Becomes A Hacking Target

The Associated Press, NPR and the BBC have all had their Twitter accounts hijacked in recent weeks. Hacks of high-profile accounts have real-world consequences, and the security at Twitter is coming under increased scrutiny.

As Its Influence Grows, Twitter Becomes A Hacking Target

Listen · 3:09
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/178846087/178871451" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

The Two-Way

AP Twitter Account Hacked, Tweet About Obama Shakes Market

It quickly became clear that the "news" was not true. There had been no explosions at the White House and President Obama was fine. But a message on the wire service's Twitter account rattled investors.

AP Twitter Account Hacked, Tweet About Obama Shakes Market

Listen · 0:38
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/178620410/178662034" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Life Of A Chinese Hacker: Work Is Awful, Pay Is Lousy, Boss Doesn't Understand

This 12-story building houses a Chinese military unit allegedly behind dozens of cyberattacks on U.S. and other Western companies. It's in a modern, if bland, part of Shanghai. Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Life Of A Chinese Hacker: Work Is Awful, Pay Is Lousy, Boss Doesn't Understand

The Los Angeles Times looks at the blog posts written over a 4-year period by "Rocy Bird," who told tales of what it's like inside a People's Liberation Army hacking unit.

Street Lights, Security Systems And Sewers? They're Hackable, Too

An analyst works at a federal cybersecurity center in Idaho in 2011. Experts say Internet-connected infrastructure is a possible target of cyberwarfare. Mark J. Terrill/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Mark J. Terrill/AP

All Tech Considered

Street Lights, Security Systems And Sewers? They're Hackable, Too

Internet networks control more and more of our environment every day. And many of these things can be hacked. That's because over the past decade, the Internet and the mobile phone network have been layered on top of all kinds of technologies that weren't built with security in mind.

Street Lights, Security Systems And Sewers? They're Hackable, Too

Listen · 4:59
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/173423493/173451661" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Clues Connect Global Hacking To Chinese Government, Security Firm Says

Cyberattack headquarters? The 12-story building in a Shanghai suburb that American investigators say houses an operation responsible for hundreds of cyberattacks on companies around the world. Peter Parks /AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Peter Parks /AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Clues Connect Global Hacking To Chinese Government, Security Firm Says

Years of cyberattacks have produced evidence tracing them to Shanghai, according to researchers from Mandiant Corp. More precisely, to a place where the People's Liberation Army conducts such work.