The idea of hacking m ay conjure stylized im ages of electronic vandalism , espionage, dyed hair, and body piercings. Most people associate hacking with breaking the law and assum e that everyone who engages in hacking activities is a crim inal. Granted, there are people out there who use hacking techniques to break the law, but hacking isn't really about that. I n fact, hacking is m ore about following the law than breaking it. The essence of hacking is finding unintended or overlooked uses for the laws and properties of a given situation and then applying them in new and inventive ways to solve a problem —whatever it m ay be.