Phreaking is a term used to describe the practice of using various methods to illegally access or manipulate telephone systems to make free phone calls or manipulate certain services on the system. It was popularized in the 1970s but has existed since the early 1960s as telephone systems transitioned from manual systems to electronic systems, creating new opportunities for manipulation.
The term “phreak” is derived from the combination of the words “phone” and “freak.” Phreaks would often use boxes and other devices to make calls, manipulate certain services, or gain access to privileged information. Another technique known as “blue boxing” could be used to create tones of a specific frequency to control telephone systems, which could be used to make free calls.
Phreaking activities became more aggressive in the 1980s and 1990s as technology improved, leading to phreaks using computers and computer viruses to gain access to systems. In the late 1990s, phreaking techniques were sometimes used to commit fraud, hack into systems, or access sensitive data. As a result, laws have been passed that criminalize phreaking activities.
Phreaking has been popularized by movies, TV shows, and books. It has remained a popular topic of conversation among computer enthusiasts, as well as individuals interested in getting a better understanding of how phone systems work.
Modern phreaking is more commonly referred to as ethical hacking, as hacking to gain access to private systems is not technically considered a form of phreaking. However, technical knowledge of phone systems is often applied in this kind of work.
