Hackers and Viruses

I just read an article on Yahoo that talked about hackers and their attempts to attack Mac operating systems. It got me thinking, why do people hack? The only motive I can understand is to steal programming, to steal language for their own use. Perhaps even secretly sponsored corporate hacking, but that would be pretty damn hard to keep under wraps.

What about hackers that create viruses? The create worms and trojan horses? What is their motive? Pure destruction? I know Steve would probably dislike how I'm throwing around the word hacker, but I can't think of another word now. There's a lot of idiots out there who are creating viruses and destructive measures to go after our operating systems. But WHY? I just can't believe that its purely for destructive purposes, are there that many people out there who want to destroy the stuff on my hard drive? To destroy my files, to wreak havoc on my operating systems?

Perhaps its something greater, something more sinister? For example, what if it was the very virus scanning companies like McCaffee and Norton who hire people to create these viruses, because without them, they wouldn't have much business.

Or perhaps its something even bigger, something technological, beyond a level that I cannot even grasp. I just don't like the idea that people out there just do it for the sake of destruction and causing havoc.