Hackers. You know them as gangly kids with radiation tans induced by too many
late nights in front of a computer screen. Evil beings who have the power to wipe out your
credit rating, cancel your cable TV, raise your insurance premiums, and raid your social
security pension. Eccentrics who always avert their eyes and mumble under their breath
about black helicopters and CIA transmissions. Paranoid social deviants who could start
World War III from the privacy of their bedrooms. Or so the mainstream media would have
you believe.
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.
OVERVIEW
Hackers come in all sizes and shapes, but the type you hear the most about are network
hackers, software hackers, and developers of virus and trojan horses.
Network hackers generally will try to gain unauthorized access to private
computer networks. Some will hack in just for the challenge, others will do so to look
around and satisfy their curiosity, others will do so in an attempt to
"liberate" (distribute) the information contained therein, and some will hack in
to do damage. Network hackers employ strategies that they refer to as cracking to
gain access. Such strategies include bombarding web servers with bogus access requests
until it cries uncle, or flooding a mail server with mail until it crashes,
spilling sensitive access information all over the net. Another common cracking strategy
entails stealing, guessing, or cajoling passwords from users in order to gain complete
access to a site or network.
A software hacker attempts to get around software security measures, such as
registration, expiration dates, user limits, passwords, and serial number. Software
hackers thumb their noses at copyright protections and ignore license agreements by using
the Internet to distribute illegally obtained copies of costly applications.
Perhaps the most malicious and dangerous form of hacking has to do with the building
and distribution of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Though these types of hacks can be
harmless, more times than not they cause damage and cause hassle to individuals and
companies.
Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a single file and slowly but
methodically replicate themselves, spreading from one file to another until your hard disk
is filled with copies of the virus code. Viruses often unintentionally damage the files
they infect, and some have been known to destroy years worth of work. Worms use a
host computer's resources to replicate and spread from machine to machine throughout an
entire network. Finally, a Trojan Horse is a program that fools the user into
thinking it is doing one thing while it does something else entirely. A common ploy is to
hide destructive code inside of an innocuous-looking game or silly multimedia animation.
When the user tries to play the game or start the animation, the Trojan Horse erases the
poor sap's hard drive or uses his modem to blast personal data across the Internet. The
best way to protect against these attacks is to be diligent with programs and have
up-to-date virus detection software in use at all times.
Network hackers take great pains to distinguish themselves from the more common
software hackers and virus developers. While many software hackers and virus developers
seem to act out of self-interest or with evil intent, true hackers see themselves as
latter-day Magellans, exploring the electronic frontier to locate and share knowledge.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR
Proponents of hacking characterize hackers as intelligent individuals with a great deal
of technological skill who see telephones, computers, and networks not as tools, but as
toys to be enjoyed. They hack for the challenge and to satisfy their own curiosity. Most
hackers try to avoid inflicting harm on the networks they conquer.
Emmanuel Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of 2600:The
Hacker Quarterly, pointed out in a recent CNN interview that "While it's
certainly possible to use hacking to commit a crime, once you do this you cease being a
hacker and commence being a criminal."
This distinction is important within the Hacker subculture. Hackers see hacking as the
free distribution of information and not as a crime. Many feel that hackers may infringe
on the privacy rights of a few, but they help protect larger society by pointing out
weaknesses in computer and network systems.
Goldstein continues, "I'm the first to say that people who cause damage should be
punished, but I really don't think prison should be considered for something like this
unless the offender is a true risk to society."
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Those who oppose hacking see it as a serious crime, because hacking generally entails
unauthorized entry and access to computer and/or network systems. Hacking opponents see
hacks as damaging even if no information is taken or damaged. Most hacking attempts slow
down networks, stealing computer time from legitimate users and squandering expensive
system resources. Many critics equate the curious hacker who merely snoops around to a
criminal who breaks into a house, changes the locks, turns on all the lights, the air
conditioner, and other appliances, takes a long shower or two, and goes through personal
belongings, but does not steal any tangible objects.
THE KEVIN MITNICK CASE
The hacking subculture sees imprisoned "super hacker" Kevin Mitnick as a poster child for the
cause of hacking. The hackers say that Mitnick has been unfairly targeted and imprisoned,
while his opponents cite the millions in damages for which they claim Mitnick is
responsible.
Mitnick has been in prison since 1995, held on a 25 count indictment with charges
ranging from wire fraud to illegal possession of stolen computer files. At one time
Mitnick was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Interestingly, Mitnick has been held without bail since his arrest, and has been held
for over four years without a trial. He is currently housed in a Los Angeles facility
reserved for violent criminals. Additionally, he was allowed no computer access until
recently to review some 10 gigabytes of evidence against him.
Mitnick recently signed a plea bargain that may set him free after another year in
prison. In the plea bargain, Mitnick admits his hacking activities caused between 5 and 10
million dollars in losses to the companies named in the indictment. Mitnick will not be
allowed to tell his story for seven years, or be allowed to touch computers or other forms
of high technology for three years.
WHAT TO DO
Whatever stance you take on the hacking issue, it's still a good idea to protect your
computer, data, or network.
The best way to protect yourself is to back up your most important data files to disk
or tape every day. Avoid downloading and opening executable files from sources you do not
know and trust. Choose passwords consisting of nonsense words that cannot easily be
guessed, don't give them out to anybody, and change them occasionally. Don't open files
attached to e-mail messages. And finally, keep informed. Monitor the International Computer Security Association, Symantec Antivirus Research Center,
and the other resources listed below to stay abreast of new threats and tools that can
help protect your data from malicious attacks.
We must accept one fact: information wants to be free. Information caretakers
must be ever-vigilant: once information is made available to some, others will try to
access that information if they can. The key words to remember are if they can.
Computer Emergency Response Team
CERT, a government-sponsored agency, was formed in 1988 to address Internet security
threats.
Computer Security Institute
A private organization that trains and educates members on computer and network security
issues.
The New Hacker's Dictionary
The online version of "The New Hacker's Dictionary" (1996, MIT Press) compiled
by self-described hacker Eric S. Raymond.
2600, The Hacker Quarterly
Articles for and about hackers, written by hackers.
The Hacker's
Ethic
An adaptation of principles for hackers.
Active Matrix's Hideaway
Site includes a dictionary, chat room and media center.
Hackers'
Hall of Fame
Highlights the activities of several well-known hackers.
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Hackers and Hacking by Doug Smith