Hackers were misunderstood and the meaning has changed over the years. The term "hacker" originally referred to someone who was highly skilled in programming and computer systems, and who had a deep understanding of how systems worked. The term was first used in the 1960s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where students would "hack" computer systems to experiment and learn more about them.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a group of hackers known as the "phone phreaks" emerged, who were interested in exploring and exploiting the phone system. They used various techniques to make free long-distance calls and explore the phone network, and some went on to become some of the first computer hackers.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the image of the hacker began to change, as more and more hackers began using their skills for malicious purposes. These "black hat" hackers would use their skills to break into computer systems, steal sensitive information, and cause damage to networks and systems.

The Morris worm was one of the earliest and most infamous computer worms, which infected computers connected to the Internet in November 1988. The worm was written by Robert Morris, a graduate student at Cornell University, and was intended to gauge the size of the Internet.

Kevin Lee Poulsen is a former computer hacker and cybercriminal who became one of the most notorious hackers of the 1980s and 1990s. Poulsen, who was known online as "Dark Dante," was involved in a number of high-profile hacks and cybercrimes during this time.

In the late 1980s, Poulsen gained notoriety for his hacking of phone systems and his involvement in "phone phreaking," which involved exploiting vulnerabilities in the phone network to make free phone calls. He was eventually caught and convicted of several crimes, including wire fraud, computer fraud, and intercepting wire communications, and was sentenced to 51 months in prison.

Kevin Mitnick is a former computer hacker and cybersecurity consultant who became one of the most famous hackers of the 1980s and 1990s. Mitnick, who was known as the "Condor" and the "Darkside Hacker," gained notoriety for his hacks of major corporations, including IBM, Motorola, and Sun Microsystems, as well as for his evasion of law enforcement agencies.

Mitnick was particularly skilled in social engineering, which involves manipulating people to obtain information or access to systems. He was able to use this technique to gain access to sensitive information and networks, and was eventually caught and sentenced to several years in prison.