Computer Hacking
Precis of 'Who's reading your E-mail"
The article exposes the vulnerability of computer data and of
corporations with the popularity of the Internet. The Internet can
allow hackers access to any computer in the world, with understated
ease. Break-ins can go virtually undetected.
Major corporations and government security departments have
acknowledged that hacker break-ins are out of control. Some companies
are too fearful to join networks because of this. Software programs
brought out to deal with the growing problem, such as firewalls, are no
longer totally effective. New technology has been developed such as
''Pilot Network Services' (offering supervised Internet access);
'Netranger' (a monitor device used by Pentagon) and 'Encrypton'
(software that jumbles messages).
The basics of computer security (using difficult passwords, and
guarding of data) are not being met in a disturbingly large number of
American companies surveyed. A new bill demands that system operators
become responsible for security. Hackers can be prosecuted (with
subsequent heavy penalties) only if the exposed company has actively
shown that it was security conscious. Further more, exposed companies
are liable to other companies if their lack of security precautions
allowed their computer network to become an opening for other company
break-ins.
Companies are dis-inclined to report breaches in security as it denotes
a poor image and highlights their vulnerability. Clients demand
security, and lack of it will send them elsewhere.
Billions of dollars annually is spent on protection devices. Others are
utilizing the expertise of former convicted hackers to fine tune and
update their security features. It is a case of befriending the enemy
in order to learn more. These hackers come out of goal with a ready
market for their expertise, and great financial rewards.
The explosion of the Internet use, and networks around the world have
brought with it a need for greater security consciousness amongst its
users and systems operation managers. Technology needs to be
constantly updated in the war against the ever-growing insidious and
malicious hacker.
Precis of 'Hackers: Taking a byte out of computer crime' by W. Roush.
Roush discusses the changing face of computer crime with the advent of
the modem and stricter laws. The article touches on the effect these
changes are having on hackers themselves, and the measures that are put
in place to deal with the problem. It also explores the common ground
which hackers and computer security experts agree on.
In the 1960's the dictionary definition of a hacker was that of a
"computer virtuoso". Hackers comprised of young, computer literate and
rebellious gangs vying for the status symbol image and thrill of
breaking into a computer network.
This all changed with the popularity of the modem and an increasing
In reality, most hackers are ordinary people with a great deal of curiosity, above-average skills with a computer, a good understanding of human nature, and plenty of time to kill. Hackers have no distinguishing characteristics. Your next-door neighbor could be a hacker, as could your niece or nephew, one of your co-workers, or even the kid who serves you coffee in the morning. Not all hackers are dangerous and out to destroy business or damage lives. The view of the general public toward hackers is mixed. A recent CNN-poll shows 33% of respondents labeling hackers as "useful," 17% seeing them "as a menace," and the majority (45%) seeing hackers as "both" useful and a menace (CNN, 1999).
Our generation is the first to travel within cyberspace, a virtual world that exists with all the computers that form the global network. For most people today, cyberspace is still a bewildering and alien place. How computers work and how they affect our lives is still a mystery to all but the experts, but expertise doesn't necessarily guarantee morality. Originally the word hacker meant computer enthusiasts but now that the internet has revealed its potential for destruction and profit the hacker has become the outlaw of cyberspace. Not only do hackers commit crimes that cost millions of dollars, they also publicize their illegal techniques on the net where innocent minds can find them and be seduced by the allure of power and money.
In this book Sterling discusses three cyberspace subcultures known as the hacker underworld, the realm of the cyber cops, and the idealistic culture for the cyber civil libertarians. At the beginning of the story Sterling starts out with discussing the birth of cyberspace and how it came about. The Hacker Crackdown informs the readers of the issues surrounding computer crime and the people on all sides of those problems. Sterling gives a brief summary of what cyberspace meant back then and how it impacted society, and he investigates the past, present and future of computer crimes. For instance he explains how the invention of the telephone led to a world that people were scared of because the telephone was something that was able to let people talk to one another without actually being in the same area. People thought that it was so strange and so different because they didn’t understand all of the information behind it. Back then people thought of the telephone as a tool that allowed others to talk to them in a way that was so personal yet impersonal. Sterling then goes on to explain how “phone phreaks” played such an important part in relating the telephones to computer crimes and how they were so closely related back then.
”Attacks implemented by cyber terrorists via information systems to (1) significantly interfere with the political, social or economic functioning of a critically important group or organization of a nation, or (2) induce physical violence and/or create panic. We define hackers as individuals who (1) wish to access/modify data, files, and resources without having the necessary authorization to do so, and/or (2) wish to block services to authorized users. Cyber terrorists are individuals or groups who utilize computing and networking technologies to terrorize. In this paper, we study the behaviors of two groups of hackers: cyber terrorists and common hackers" (Hua & Bapna 2013).
The documentary Rise of the Hackers, focuses on the rising criminal use of hacking and how it is effecting multiple areas of technology. The documentary describes simple and complicated situations concerning hacking, but there still questions that must be answered when it comes to hacking and crime. The main question is in trying to determine why a person would choose to commit computer hacking. There are various theories already present within the criminal justice system that may explain at a micro-level and macro-level. These theories would explain why offenders would commit the crimes, but it may not answer the full scope of the question. The Routine Activities Theory would help to explain why offenders offend, why victims are victimized,
The use of hacking to identify weaknesses in computer security has become an increasingly controversial issue in recent years. Awareness of this issue is important, because our ever increasing reliance on technology means that breaches in computer security have the potential to have wide-ranging and devastating consequences to society, worldwide. This essay will begin by clearly defining the term ‘hacking’ and will examine the type of people who hack and for what reasons. There will then follow a discussion of the moral argument on hacking before examining a few brief examples. The essay will then conclude by arguing against the use of hacking as a means of identifying weaknesses in computer security.
The Ted Talk presented by Catherine Bracy took the word hacking to another level. A new way of looking at a hacker. A hacker meaning much more than a teen behind a computer trying to steal information. The points she brought out is that reaching out to the people can get things done and strengthen relationships between people and an organization and through that relationship both parties are more stable and content. Bracy expressed her experiences with hackers in a government and citizen view, but this can also be applied to personal and
As electronic commerce, online business-to-business operations, and global connectivity have become vital components of a successful business strategy, enterprises have adopted security processes and practices to protect information assets. But if you look at today's computing environments, system security is a horrible game of numbers: there are currently over 9,223 publicly released vulnerabilities covering known security holes in a massive range of applications from popular Operating Systems through to obscure and relatively unknown web applications. [01] Over 300 new vulnerabilities are being discovered and released each month. Most companies work diligently to maintain an efficient, effective security policy, implementing the latest products and services to prevent fraud, vandalism, sabotage, and denial of service attacks. But the fact is you have to patch every hole of your system, but an attacker need find only one to get into your environment. Whilst many organisations subscribe to major vendor's security alerts, these are just the tip of the security iceberg and even these are often ignored. For example, the patch for the Code Red worm was available some weeks before the worm was released. [02]
Hacking has been around since the birth of computers. When the term hacking was first used, its meaning was not that of how we think of it today. At the origins of computing, a hacker was considered to be just a "creative programmer (Baase, 2003)." Early forms of computer games as well as the beginnings of operating systems were discovered and created by these original hackers. These hackers plunged into systems as a way of an intellectual challenge and to aspire to gain knowledge (Baase, 2003). Kevin Mitnick believes he falls into this realm of hackers. Hackers in today's era are now looked upon as criminals who invade the privacy rights of individuals and have the ability to deliver worms/viruses. The differences are that hackers today have full intentions of delivering terrible viruses and worms. Mitnick was one of the most infamous hackers during the 1980's. He molded his hacking style around the stupidity of humans and his quest for intellectual knowledge. The ways in which he wiggled his way into computer systems extenuates many of the issues surrounding computer security and privacy.
Computer hackers in today's world are becoming more intelligent. They are realizing that people are constantly developing more hack-proof systems. This presents the hackers with a bigger challenge and a bigger thrill. The government is realizing this and is working on making harsher laws to, hopefully, scare the potential hackers. With the increase in hacking and hacker intelligence, governmental regulation of cyberspace hasn't abolished the fact that it's nearly impossible to bring a hacker to justice.
The term “hacker” has been in use since the early 1980’s due to mass media usage to describe computer criminals. The use of this term is vastly used by the general population and most are not aware that there are different meanings to the word. People within the computing community especially within the programming subculture emphasize the use of the term “crackers” for computer security intruders (cyber criminals). Early hackers rarely used their skills for financial gain as a motivation for their criminal behavior in that time cybercrime was infantile and largely seen as a practical joke or game by those who committed it. Bob Thomas created the first credited computer worm n...
Hackers are typically defined as individuals that gain unauthorized access to another person’s computer. Although that definition is rather specific it can be broadened to include other illegal activities such as “phishing”, which can be done on its own and may be separate from hacking. The hacker community is what is contended to be an “imagined community” meaning they occupy no singular geographic location, like members of a community like Rosedale, nor have they have any set guidelines for becoming a computer hacker. The hacker community is highly fluid, with members leaving and others taking their places all the time. Most hackers tend to either form close connections with just a few other community members or formalize groups and break off into subsets. Although the hacker community is criminogenic by virtue of being rallied around an illegal activity there is very little discourse about them threatening society, and when there is, it is often not highly regarded. This process becomes even more apparent when looking at the moral panic that surrounds young, black men. Racism is certainly a factor here as popular belief is that majority of the hacker community are young, white males but that does not go far enough in explaining the disparity. Either does simply arguing that hackers pose no real threat. A recent example is that of a hacker that gained control of the life support system of an Antarctic research facility which housed 56 scientists. Although the hacker was cut off before any damage could be done, it is easy to see how that scenario could have ended in tragedy. Furthermore, hackers have gained access to high level American government agencies, like the Pentagon, before so it is easy to see why this commun...
In Computer security terminology Hacker is a person or group of persons, who exploit, modify and identify weakness in a computer system or network. Hacker may be motivates of reasons such as profit, protest and challenge. based on attitude, belief, and goals hacker groups are categories such as
The Art of exploring various security breaches is termed as Hacking.Computer Hackers have been around for so many years. Since the Internet became widely used in the World, We have started to hear more and more about hacking. Only a few Hackers, such as Kevin Mitnick, are well known.In a world of Black and White, it’s easy to describe the typical Hacker. A general outline of a typical Hacker is an Antisocial, Pimple-faced Teenage boy. But the Digital world has many types of Hackers.Hackers are human like the rest of us and are, therefore, unique individuals, so an exact profile is hard to outline.The best broad description of Hackers is that all Hackers aren’t equal. Each Hacker has Motives, Methods and Skills. But some general characteristics can help you understand them. Not all Hackers are Antisocial, PimplefacedTeenagers. Regardless, Hackers are curious about Knowing new things, Brave to take steps and they areoften very Sharp Minded..