Hacker-Friendly
A site by non-hackers to dispel the myths of hacking.
Page Design and Content by students:
Stephanie Heusinger and Tim "Wayde" Winter

"A hacker is a wonderful, decent human being."
- Carolyn Meinel, Uberhacker and Author

This quote says it all...a hacker is a friendly, often interesting person.  They are people with goals, ambitions, and everything good that us Americans have begun to loose track of.  Therefore we - two students from an online sociology class - thought it necessary to point out the fallacies pertaining to the stereotypical outlooks on hackers pertaining to:

  1.     The roles they play
  2.     Their lesser known, and more vicious counterparts - the Crackers
  3.     How to protect against personal internal violation

1) The roles they play

        Myth:
                       Hackers are criminals
                       Hackers are only out to destroy
                       Hackers are computer geniuses

        Fact:
                        Hackers are ordinary individuals that are out to make the internet a safer, more efficient, and technologically advanced system.  A true hacker is someone who goes out on their own to learn more about computers.  Their main goal is to know everything there is to know about their systems and its potential.  In the online article, Editorial - Hacker Vs. Cracker, Revisited, the author appears to agree with our viewpoint:

                                Our readers have their hackles up when hacker is mentioned in our
                                stories. "Hackers," they argue, are good people who just want to learn
                                everything about a computer system, while "crackers" are the ones who  are
                                breaking into computer systems illegally.

                               The problem arises when the public and people who shape society get a
                                hold of terms like "hacker" -- a word once viewed as non-threatening,  but
                                is now turned into a name that conjures up visions of altered World  Wide
                                Web pages and crashed computer systems.

CNN interviewed two experts in the field of hacking and this is how they answered the question, "How do you define hacking?"

                                Emmanuel Goldstein is the editor-in-chief of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly said "Hacking is, very simply,
                                asking a lot of questions and refusing to stop asking. This is why computers are perfect for inquisitive
                                people -- they don't tell you to shut up when you keep asking questions or inputting commands over and
                                over and over. But hacking doesn't have to confine itself to computers. Anyone with an inquisitive mind, a
                                sense of adventure and strong beliefs in free speech and the right to know most definitely has a bit of
                                the hacker spirit in them."

                                Dr. Charles C. Palmer is the manager of Network Security and Cryptography said "Hacking is
                                unauthorized use of computer and network resources. (The term "hacker" originally meant a very gifted
                                programmer. In recent years though, with easier access to multiple systems, it now has negative
                                implications.)"

ReDragon suggests that:

                                "Hacking is not about answers.  Hacking is about the path you take to find the answers.
                                If you want help, don't ask for answers, ask for a pointer to the path you need to take to
                                find out those answers for yourself.  because it is not the people with the answers that are
                                the hackers, it is the people that are traveling along the path."

When you hear the word "hacker" a stereotypical  image pops up in your head.  It's more than likely a false image.  Although everyone sees hackers in a different way, they are not rooted in evil.  When most people think of as hackers are actually "crackers."

Hackers are necessary in the evolution of the internet.  Without hackers we wouldn't discover aspects of the internet such as:

                                Changes in software programs to make computer life more user-friendly
                                        I.E.: Windows 95 start up screens and icon changes
                                The flaws in software and hardware design
                                        I.E.: E-Bay's access flaw
                                Safe entertainment outlets
                                        I.E.:  Destruction of the internet is avoided

Shewire's Karen Solomon chats with Carolyn Meinel, uberhacker, author, and hacking advocate to show how "Hacking Will Save the World." Read about their opinions about the potential of hacking at shewire.com.  

         Related Links:
                    Editorial - Hacker Vs. Cracker, Revisited - 5/22/98
                         CNN's Two Views Of Hacking - Read more about Goldstien and Palmer's views of hacking

2) Their lesser known, and more vicious counterparts - the Crackers

        Myth:
            There are no real myths about Crackers because very few people are aware of their existence.

        Fact:
               Crackers are hackers that set out to ruin or destroy online entities.  They do so for political or social reasons, and sometimes just for fun.  Hackers are often blamed for the misdoings of Crackers such as in this article by The Associated Press:

                                "Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hacker [cracker!] attack against a major Web hosting
                                company that slowed service or shut down many Web sites, a company official said."

To read more about this misleading article read Hackers shut down ISPOne of the many online hacking glossaries defines crackers as:

                                cracker n. One who breaks security on a system. Coined by hackers in defense against journalistic
                                misuse of the term "hacker." The term "cracker" reflects a strong revulsion at the theft and
                                vandalism perpetrated by cracking rings. There is far less overlap between hackerdom and
                                crackerdom than most would suspect.

Crackers are typically known as the evil twins of the hackers.  Crackers were the ones involved in the recent E-Bay scandal.  They can shut down entire servers, startle programers, and invade personal identities.  Ultimately the Crackers are responsible for all the malicious actions online.  Now that you know more about the differences between Hackers and Crackers, we hope that you won't contribute to the common stereotypes of our friends...the Hackers.

        Related Links:
                Hackers Vs. Crackers - Just like it sounds...the differences between the two
                Discovery Channel Online Hacking Glossary - For the REAL meaning of crackers

3) How to protect against personal internal violation

    Myth:
              It can't happen to me
             Crackers only attack large businesses
             The only safe way is no way - abstinence phenomenon

    Fact:
            Anyone is at risk.  Crackers do not discriminate nor do they care who they use as long as their goals are accomplished.  The biggest problem with security violations is that people are simply too uneducated.  There are many simple ways to prevent internal mishaps:
                1-Shut of your computer when not using it
                2-Never use any program off the net or email without first checking it for viruses
                3-Always use secure lines when doing any business transactions or giving out personal
                   ID numbers
                    4-Avoid internet scams through education

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself online is to know the typical scams that are out there.  Some of these include: quick cash through email, telephone long distance 8** numbers, and stay-at-home on-line work for easy money.  To protect yourself from falling prey to these and other online scams check out I.T. News & Features: Internet Scams and Real Scams.  The internet is filled with other types of illegal pitfalls, such as internet fraud.  Much like scams, the easiest way to avoid internet fraud is to know more about it..."knowing is half the battle" (G.I. Joe Cartoon Series).  Sites like Internet Fraud:
How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams can provide internet users with such preventative information.

    Related Links:
                 Password Crackers Inc. - Experts at cracking password protected files and systems
                 A Crime By Any Other Name... - "Cyberslueuths" trained in Georgia

For More Information - Check out these well developed sites

        Hackers.com - General information on all topics
        How To Become A Hacker - General information on what a hacker is and how to become one
        Aladdin Unveils New Comprehensive Security Portal - New security feature for the internet
        EFF Hacker Archive - A listing of articles on various hacking topics
        Hackers.ch - "This is where hackers gather here"
        Hackers Dictionary - Glossary of hacker terminology