What is meant by 'hacking' a service like Instagram?

The subject of hacking has been in the news recently, with the hack of Apple's iCloud leading to the unauthorized release of hundreds of nude celebrity pictures, including those of Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence. 

It is possible, with the right tools, to hack into pretty much any online site or service, like Instagram.

To hack is to gain entry, without permission, into a supposedly secure computer system by breaking codes (the computer's 'language') and learning the passwords protected by those codes. This could be then used to change or reveal someone's personal details, gain access to their bank account or make public some intimate or potentially embarrassing picture or knowledge about a person.

How Do I Stop My Computer Being Hacked?

You may not be a celebrity, but hackers are still interested in hacking your computer, often for criminal purposes ('identity theft'), sometimes out of a sense of misguided 'mischief.'

One thing you can do is ensure you give nobody your online passwords, to make a new password for every account you set up, and to make those passwords as obscure, yet memorable, as possible (including random numbers and punctuation marks). You can also buy anti-virus software, which will block many of the methods hackers use to attack computers.

Check here for more tips or read replies to these questions previously posed by Blurtit users: How can I hack my boyfriend's Instagram? or try How to view private instagram profiles hack?

Alternatively, this film gives advice on keeping safe from hackers: