Nearly a quarter of college and university students have hacked into IT systems, according to a report.
Of the 23% respondents that admitted hacking, 32% said it was cool and 28% considered it to be easy, according to research from IT security firm Tufin Technologies.
Shaul Efraim, vice-president at Tufin Tecnhologies, said: "It is clear we have a smart new generation emerging who understand how to get around computer systems."
Stuart Hyde, deputy chief constable and Association of Chief Police Officers lead on e-crime prevention, said it was worrying how many students surveyed felt hacking was acceptable.
Of the 1,000 students surveyed, 22% cited curiosity as their main reason for hacking, while 15% said they hacked to make money. Some 37% had hacked Facebook accounts and 26% e-mail accounts.
