Hackers are individuals who seek to gain unauthorized access to computer networks or a Web site.
Once there, they may simply leave a warning message about the network's security, they may make a political statement, or they may maliciously change data, causing problems for the company or government agency involved. While real hackers haven't gone quite that far, they certainly represent a danger to any network that carries important information. Mr. Lawson added, however, that as insurers move more and more information to the Internet, the danger from hackers increases. These include NASA, the Purdue University School of Management, the Malaysian government, the Ku Klux Klan and, ironically, the National District Attorneys Association. The hacker claimed to want to let others know about potential security breaches in such systems.