Cyber security IT engineer working on protecting network against cyberattack from hackers on internet. Secure access for online privacy and personal data protection. Hands typing on keyboard and PCB"Data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves."

—Sir Tim Berners-Lee, data scientist and inventor of the World Wide Web.

Many Internet business are built on a foundation of valuable and useful information. Collecting useful data, whether for an investment firm, community newspaper or airline, can be time-consuming and expensive. To avoid the bother and expense, some businesses resort to simply extracting useful data from a competitor's website. The pilfering of data without authorization is referred to as "web scrapping" or "web harvesting."