Mischief

Alternate meaning: Mischief (film) (1985)

Mischief, in criminal law, is an offence against property that does not involve conversion. It typically involves vandalism, graffiti or some other destruction or defacement of property other than arson. Criminal mischief is usually a misdemeanor. The etymology of the word comes from Old French meschief, which means "misfortune,' from meschever, "to end badly."

In computer science and hacker jargon, mischief is a form of attack that does not damage the system, but clearly indicates the breach of the system. Grey hat hackers often use mischief as a "non-harmful" ways to signal security breaches to system administrators.

Mischief is also a way for a hacker to "prove" himself to others. It is a demonstration of power without causing any damage.

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