The H.A.C.K.E.R. Project

There are many terms that end in -ware in the world of computers: middleware, hardware, ransomware, bloatware, malware, the list goes on. Two of the most notable “-wares” are software and hardware, which form the backbone of any piece of technology and are two of the most notable umbrella terms in the technology world. Thus, it is important to know what these two terms mean and what they encompass.

Hardware

Hardware is, essentially, the physical aspect of any technological device. More simply, hardware includes the parts of a computer that you can touch or physically interact with. Hardware gets its name as these components, being physical objects, are relatively difficult to modify. While you can swap out one central processing unit (CPU) for another, you generally do not modify the unit itself. Similarly, while you can, in some cases, switch out the keys on a keyboard, you generally do not modify the keyboard itself. Without hardware, there would be nothing that you could physically interact with!

Examples of Hardware

There are multiple types of hardware. Some pieces of hardware are what make up the computer itself, include, but are not limited to:

• The CPU
• The power supply
• The motherboard
• The case
• The hard disk drive
• The case fans.

Other pieces of hardware allow you as a user to interact with the computer (sometimes referred to as I/O devices, or input/output devices), include, but are not limited to:

• The keyboard
• The mouse
• The web camera
• The monitor
• The printer
• External USB drives.

Software

Software is the digital aspect of a technological device. This is the code or programming that allows a device to function in a certain way. Software gets its name as it is much easier than hardware to change; programmers can write new applications for users or update old ones, or hackers can create viruses to spread across networks. Without software, the hardware wouldn’t do anything!

Examples of Software

Any application is considered software, but there are many different subcategories of software (the list below is just a small sampling of the various kinds of software):

• Firmware, which is software made specifically to control aspects of hardware that is more difficult to modify than traditional software (hence it being “firm”, which is somewhere between “soft” and “hard”)
• Malware, which is the general term for malicious software
• Ransomware, a type of malware that usually locks down a user’s computer and demands a ransom in exchange for access
• Adware, which automatically creates advertisements to appear on a user’s screen (Kaspersky)
• Middleware, which “provide[s] common services and capabilities to applications,” acting “like the connective tissue between applications, data, and users” (Red Hat)
• Scareware, a type of malware that tries to scare a user into downloading other malicious software or applications
• Bloatware, which is software that tends to drain a computer’s resources (such as space or performance speed) without providing much functionality
• Spyware, a type of malware that essentially spies on the user, recording information from the user’s device and sending it back to the threat actor.

Resources & Further Reading

Kaspersky. “What Is Adware? – Definition and Explanation.” Usa.Kaspersky.Com, AO Kaspersky Lab, 19 Apr. 2023, usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/adware.

Red Hat. “What Is Middleware?” Red Hat – We Make Open Source Technologies for the Enterprise, Red Hat, Inc., 16 Dec. 2022, www.redhat.com/en/topics/middleware/what-is-middleware.