Hackers

[colorless]

In consideration of others, it can be taken that hackers shouldn't be hired to work for major companies. If a company contains powerful information that is meant to keep the public safe, hackers wouldn’t be the right people to trust. Hackers don’t have clean records, as opposed to other moderators who've gone to school. Educated moderators are also a reliable source to protect computer systems and defend the company against hackers.

In the early days of computers, a hacker was originally a person who wanted to test their computer skills. But they are now known for committing malicious internet crimes. Most hackers are male and are highly motivated and creative people who hack mainly to learn. In the most general sense, a hacker is someone who enjoys modifying and completely destroying systems. There are many different names for types of hackers but they are most commonly categorized by “hats”. What do I mean by hats? Hackers wear different “hats” depending on what field they’re in. Not literal hats of course, figurative ones. The white hat hackers are individuals who call themselves the good guys. They use their knowledge for good and find weaknesses and point them out to companies. They work to secure computer systems without breaking into them. The black hats are mainly interested in controlling systems and accessing protected information. In the middle are the gray hats who break into computer systems without warning and then notify the owner of the system that it’s vulnerable.

Hackers are mainly defined as computer experts who breach the security of systems for fun or for a living. Depending on what their purpose is, a hacker’s prey can vary from individuals to companies. Hackers use self written programs called trojans to carry virii into a person’s computer. Trojans gets their name from the wooden horse of Greek mythology which was snuck into Troy by the Greeks. Trojans are snuck into computers by hackers likewise. The trojan appears harmless but the virus it carries can be dangerous. Hackers can disguise the trojan as some kind of program to get it into a person’s computer. Some trojans can carry a backdoor program which allow hackers to access your computer whenever it’s accessing the internet. They can gain access to your files, pretend they’re you, delete files and programs and install keyloggers, invisible surveillance tools that record every single keystroke to an encrypted log file making it easy for hackers to gain access to your online accounts.

Trojans are mainly used by beginner hackers. Expert hackers can cause much more damage than virii do. The expert black hats hack for fun or for advantages. They enjoy seeing how much damage they can deliver. They do all the damage they can and learn as much as they can. They can steal money from you by gaining access to your credit card information, and transferring it to themselves, they can steal and destroy files on your computer for their own enjoyment, or completely ruin your computer. They illegally break into networks for their own advantages, exploit security holes in server software, and use it to upload virii so people will download it, and they deface websites.

Although hackers shouldn’t be trusted or used, they can be helpful at times. White hat hackers are out there to stop black hats. They can track black hats. White hats basically know everything a black hat knows but use it for good. White hat hackers teach companies what they need to know. They help test programs for security holes, securing networks and websites, and know how to defend network systems. They can also be used because of their security experience.

In conclusion, although hackers can be proven useful to some, they still shouldn't be hired to work for people or trusted to defend computer systems for several reasons; what they can do, what they know, and why they do it.

How is it?

[<bleeding_heart>]

A well written piece!

If you're interested this article discusses common hacker attacks, hacker profiles and network security.

Link

[Xenojjin]

Although I would agree with you on the fact that some hackers are obviously just plain sadistic and in need of psychological help , I dont see any reason why the hackers shouldn't be hired for jobs . Usually when they are hired they are watched well anyway ... and if they are network security then guess what they are no longer doing ?

On top of that , hackers often know a lot more about security then anyone else regardless what school a differant person has gone to because information from a tech course will be slightly outdated by the time your done due to the constant change of computers . Hackers are smart enough to figure things like this out for themselves , and can kep themself up to date on the latest . Some hackers should not be trusted , but I think some of the ones known as white hats would be very usefull to companies .

just kinda felt like providing an argument for your essay .

Edited February 18, 2004 by Xenojjin

[Ronin6th]

Good job! , interesting essay!

is there competition between hackers?

[crosswarrior]

Not to mention there are some "white-hats" who follow the philosopy that the best defense is offence. And thus spend their time causing damage to the "black-hats" computers. Would they be counted as the good guys, or the bad guys? Probably depends on how you look at it.

[Ronin6th]

Wow...really? That's cool!

[PsychicPenguin]

Well written, but no single hacker out there will agree with you.

Hackers are highly respected individuals, with vast computer knowledge. Most of them are good, and they are bounded with codes of ethics. The most important part is that hackers never cause any damage. Most of the time you can find in the news about a hacker that breach a security system, but they never cause any damage, it is a very important ethics within hacker community.

Below hackers, there are crackers. In general they have less expertise than hackers, but they are real dangerous. Whenever they managed to breach the security, they will cause damage to the system. They are the one who write viruses and trojans.

And the last but not least are the 'script kiddies', immature individuals using viruses and trojans written by crackers. They are simply following known procedures to break systems rather than finding them.

One of the basic hacker phiolosphy is that the only way you can secure your system is to hack it yourself. The best person to put in charge of network security is off course, a hacker, rather than an academic 'expert' (some of them are hackers as well).

Edited February 18, 2004 by PsychicPenguin

[Ronin6th]

This is a good point PP...

You confort me in my opinion, I was considering hackers as way to find system failures, then to remedy it. In fact, if I understand you well, having hackers helps improving the technology.

[X~File_Agent]

Some "White-Hats" were previous hackers. But now have to turned around for good. In order to have a good hacker offense you have to think like a Hacker.

I in charge of protecting our network from hackers, I use a really good IDS system. Good hackers don't get caught, and for the most part are very intelligent, and hack systems for money.

The hackers that are mostly described in your essay, are some of the 14 year olds, sitting at home using a root kit.

However your essay is still very well written.

[AndyThorley]

Me and my friends have modded the drinking game to the film Hackers...every time they make a mistake you have to take a shot.

My friend got smashed within 20 minutes of the films beginning

[Vicxr]

Not all hacker have bad intentions.I , myself for example, am an experienced hacker, however, that does not mean I hack every site available, I have only hacked 17 sites, all of which were minor [cept one HINT: popular search engine]. I hack in the for fun, I rarely change anything, though on occasion I will add a little pic of a posted note saying UVE BEEN HACKED - Vicxr.

[Xenojjin]

The most damage Ive done was place 100 text files on their server that said "OWNAGE" about 3000 times . easily fixed by the popular delete button ...

Nice to see you got your avatar and sig from blue scorpions here vicxr .

[Kimm]

acctualy hackers, are the "good cind" they do hack to learn, and to develope more powerfull defences for our computers. Its the Crackers that you should be afraid of.

cracking - v. The act of breaking into a computer system; what a hacker does. Contrary to widespread myth, this does not usually involve some mysterious leap of hackerly brilliance, but rather persistence and dogged repetition of a handful of well-known tricks that exploit common weaknesses in the security of target systems.

dark side hacker-n. Criminal or malicious hacker. Related to Star Wars.

hacker - n. [Originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe] 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. 2. One who programs enthusiastically or who enjoys programming rather than just theorizing about programming. 3. Person capable of appreciating hack value. 4. A person who is good at programming quickly. 5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently does work using it or on it. 6. An expert, or enthusiast of any kind. 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations.

It is better to be described as a hacker by others than to describe oneself that way. Hackers consider themselves something of an elite (a meritocracy based on ability), though one to which new members are gladly welcome. There is thus a certain ego satisfaction to be had in identifying yourself as a hacker (but if you claim to be one and you are not, you'll quickly be labeled bogus).

LINKIE

Edited February 29, 2004 by Kimm

[doomgirl]

I agree with Kimm and PP

but good writing either way

[AndyThorley]

Technically, the term "hackers" refers to people who make code...

so that would be me!

[colorless]

Yeah. I ran into the problem about the hackers who work without problems for companies but my class doesn't know anything about computers I have to present a speech on it in like 3 hours

[Kimm]

Technically, the term "hackers" refers to people who make code...

so that would be me!

in that case, that would be me to.

your a programmer?

Edited March 2, 2004 by Kimm

[Vicxr]

Xenojjin, I intend on postin here a while so I might as well look kool in the process

I am currently using my hacking skillz to defend a somewhat popular message board called 'The Art of Ki' from a damn 12 year old who thinks hes going to take it over...