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:
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 ISP. One 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
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