The Use of Hacking - Essay Example

Hacking Name Tutor Course Date Hacking has many meanings and no definite definition. It implies different things to different people and circumstances. As Taylor (1999) notes, the meaning and implications of hacking have changed over the years (23). He notes that in the computer “underground”, hacking means breaking into and/or sabotaging a computer system for one reason or another (23). While attempting to define the term hacking, Knittel and Soto (2003) tried to differentiate hacking and cracking (6). Knittel and Soto (2003) disagree with the media’s description of hacking as attacking other people’s computers with the intention of causing harm (6) and instead describe hackers as overly talented persons who use their talents to explore innovative ways of improving how the computers operate by improving the software and hardware of the computers (8). They point out that the motives of the hacker are to the betterment of the computer industry. They add that at the same time, there are those who break into a computer with malicious intentions. They break into computers to steal personal information, erase files or vandalize web pages. It is such people that Knittel and Soto point out that media refers to as hackers while in the computer world they are referred to as crackers and are not highly regarded (8). For the purposes of this paper, hacking will be used to refer to access to information that is not readily available to the public by means of unauthorized access to computer systems. In his research, Taylor (1999) identified four generations of hacking (23). The four generations are differentiated by time and intentions. He notes that the earliest hackers were epitomized by ingenuity that played a vital role in the development of the computer industry to the present day status (23). The earliest hackers that Taylor describes as “aficionados” in the 1950s and 1960s were involved with the development of the earliest computer programming techniques in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) laboratories (23). Their main aim was to identify and develop new ways in which computers would operate. According to Taylor, the second generation of hackers is credited for bringing computers to the masses through innovations of the hardware (1999, 23). The third generation of hackers is known for the introduction of computer games and other more complex software. Taylor notes that at this stage, the intentions of the hackers change from exploring novel ways for the operations of computers to more malicious purposes (23). Taylor describes the fourth generation of hackers as the people “who illicitly access other people’s computers” (23). He adds that although elements of commercial grounds are present in all the generations, the first, second, and third generations maintained their “positive connotations of the hacker sobriquet” due to the pioneering qualities and ground breaking technological advances that they work held (24). The introduction of anti-hacking laws has essentially criminalized the last generations and for valid reasons. Hacking Motivations In the book, Hackers: Crime in the Digital Sublime, Taylor identified some of the forwarded validations for hacking (1999, 43). The reasons listed are: Hacking to identify security deficiencies and design flaws and therefore provide a benevolent service. Experimental hacking which has led to improvements in software development. Hacking as an elite educational practice. Hacking as a form of watchdog response to the use of surveillance and data gathering. Hacking for the purpose of maintaining fronts of cultural resistance and stocks of rival knowledge as a guard against a techno-fascist future. Taylor further notes that hackers are programmers who view the computer not as a means to an end but as an end to itself (44). In this view, Taylor notes that the motivation of the hacker is portrayed in terms of the desire to escape from the unforeseeable circumstances of the real world for the “hygienic safety” offered by the computer (44). The motivations of the crackers may vary from intellectual challenge, monetary gains, feeling of power, self-expression and peer recognition, and curiosity or mischief. On a more serious level, criminal hacking may be motivated by vengeance and vindictiveness, terrorism, attack on the ‘system’, and intent on causing inconvenience (Krone, 2005, 1). He adds that the general motivations of hacking can be summarized with the acronym MEECES meaning Money, Entertainment, Ego, Cause, Entrance to social groups, and Status (1). In his research, Taylor was able to identify motivations for hacking from the hackers (crackers) point of view. According to Taylor (1999, 46), the hackers/crackers break into computer systems due to a feeling of addiction, curiosity, boredom with the conventional educational system, pleasure from the feeling of power, for peer recognition, and for political acts. However, the most commonly used of the motivations for the hackers (crackers) is that “information wants to be free”. Hackers point out that the purpose of their hacking is to release information to the general public that would otherwise remain in access of a few. This article will review the validity of this statement by examining the possible cases that may arise from release of confidential and dangerous information. It will therefore focus on the actions of the crackers rather than the programmers who strive to improve the functioning and purpose of the computers. The Need for Information and the Hacker Ethic In the book The Rise of the Network Society, Castells (2000) notes that over the last quarter of the 20th century, a new form of economy emerged (77). Castells refers to the economy as the “Informational, Global, and Networked” economy. He noted that in the economy, the competitiveness and productivity of the economic agents depends on their ability to generate, process, and efficiently utilize knowledge based information (77). Under the global aspect, Castells (2000) notes that the production, distribution, and consumption and their components are all organized globally networked directly or indirectly by the economic agents (77). Information and knowledge have always been the driving components for economic growth (Castells, 2000, 78). Castells adds that the evolution and the rapid development of technology are largely influencing the living standards and the productive capacity of the society, and the economic organization (78). He goes on to add that, ”the emergence of a new technological paradigm organized around a new, more powerful, more flexible information technologies makes it possible for information to become the product of the production process”. (78). This means that in the modern information technology industry, information, information processing, and information processing devices are the primary products. Possession of the right information is therefore a vital aspect of the success in the modern economy. It is therefore common for the organization or the person with vital information to guard it in order to profit in such an economy. To the hackers such information should be known to everybody rather than for the benefit of a single person or organization. The development and advancement of the internet has further revolutionized the information technology. The code of belief and guiding principles of the hacker ethic include sharing, decentralization, world improvement, openness, and free access to computers. The hacker ethic as discussed by Himanen (2002) includes: Free access to information. According to the hacker ethic, information should be readily available to everyone to use and improve. Furthermore, free exchange of information results into improvement of creativity and hence any system can benefit from such free access to information. Information decentralization. To the hackers, bureaucratic systems are flawed. The bureaucracies could be either governments, corporate, or research institutions among others. Such bureaucracies, according to the hacker, hoard information that would be more useful if it was freely available and there should therefore be no barrier to an open system. Unlimited and free access to computers. Hackers believe that anything that has the potential to teach someone how the world works, such as a computer, should be freely available. Such access will give a person the opportunity to learn and build upon the existing information and resources. To hackers, access gives them the opportunity to examine objects and understand how they work and in the process fix or improve them and hence contribute to technology expansion. Judging the hacker. According to the hacker ethic, hackers ought to be judged on their skills and not on superficial criteria such as age, education, gender, or race. Hackers are only gauged on their skills which lead to advance in hacking, hardware, and software development. Simply put, the hacker ethic promotes equal opportunity. Innovation. According to the hacker ethic, computers can be used to create art. In addition, the ethic points out that, hackers appreciate the inventive techniques that enable the computer to perform complex tasks with minimal modifications of the software. Computers change lives. According to the hacker ethic, hackers believe that computers enrich life and make life more adventurous. Hackers hold the belief that everyone in the society can benefit from computers and if everyone can be able to interact with the computers as they have then the world would be a better place. In other words, computers came and opened a new world without limits. Sharing Information The belief by the hackers that all beneficial information should be shared can be traced back to the first generation of hackers at the MIT laboratories. The first generation of hackers shared information and programs that they developed with each other. From the invention of one hacker, the others would improve on the software by improving on it or using the logic to develop a better version. All the software and hacks developed were placed in a central point that could be easily accessible to anyone who wanted to use the information. This was the major reason for the rapid development of computers during the early days (add citation). During the second generation of hackers, the hackers extended sharing of information with the general public, in addition to sharing among themselves. The hackers even went a step further and set up computers in public places for public use (add citation). Bob Albrecht formed the People’s Computer Company that opened the first center in the early 1970s where the general public could use computers. However, it was during the sharing of computer information and software that it was found some people were selling the free and open software for personal gain rather than for the benefit of all. Dangers Posed by Hacking In addressing the dangers posed by hacking, the article will focus more on the unauthorized access of information and/or the disruption of normal communication. The internet and electronic storage of information has weaknesses that the hackers are working hard to identify and exploit using the old means as well as new innovative means of accessing computer systems. Before the internet revolutionized the world in ways previously unimaginable, hacking into computer systems did not have a significant effect on most of the population. However, today the world wide internet use has grown rapidly with many of the business transactions valued in trillions of dollars being carried out over the internet. The digital format provided an easy and highly convenient form of storage of information. Today, personal and public information is stored electronically and therefore exposed to higher hacking risks. The implications of unauthorized access to such information could have far-reaching implications. Taylor (1999) notes that today people are worried that they are not in full control of their information and have to rely on the hope that the institutions charged with ensuring the security of their information are taking the necessary measures to ensure that the information remains secure. He further notes that although the hackers with good intentions still work with altruistic intentions, their work offer challenges through unintentional damages. Although such hackers aim at exposing weaknesses that can be used by hackers with harmful intentions, they come into contact with information that is supposed to be highly confidential and increase the cost of monitoring and detecting unauthorized system access. With the increase in online transactions, criminals are finding the internet to be a rich source to carry out their activities. Viruses, Trojans, and other Malware are increasingly being used by hackers with malicious intentions to access information (Taylor, 1999). In addition to using the information for direct personal gains, the hackers may also decide to sell such information to interested parties whose intentions could be malicious. Identity theft is on the rise with hackers using somebody else’s information to access personal information and this has resulted in loss of millions of dollars. Hackers are able to gather information about a person by linking bits and bits of information to create a full profile. On a more dangerous scale, the hackers might gain access into information relating to matters of national security and this may prove to be dangerous in the hands of terrorists and other people with harmful intentions. The problem is aggravated by the ever evolving information technology that makes it hard to keep up and constantly requiring upgrading to protect against new threats. People charged with the responsibility of setting up computer systems may be a serious source of hacking risk. Such persons have unlimited and more often unsupervised access to data systems, are able to by pass protection mechanisms of the system, have access to passwords in the system, and may use common passwords or create backdoors that would allow them access to the entire system. Hacking into corporate databases can result into loss of customer trust, confidence, and inevitably the reputation of the organization. This can result into a decline in profitability of the organization. Website hacking may cause a shut down of one of the most important sales and communication method of an organization leading to losses. The cost of repairing damage caused by hacking and upgrading the computer system also eats into the profitability of the company. Insufficient protection of client information has resulted into expensive legal battles when the clients sue the corporations for loss of their personal information. Hacking into computer system is not likely to come to an end or under control any time soon. Protective and proactive measures can however be taken to minimize the dangers of hacking. Being aware of the risks involved in hacking and the available means of protecting one’s system and how to use them is a step in minimizing the risks of hacking. Every person has the right to privacy of personal information. Organizations also have the right to protect information that they deem important for the purpose of the organizations and that information that is irrelevant to the public. When hackers access such information, they violate the rights of the individual and of the corporations. Some of the confidential information that hackers gain access to may result into national security threats that could harm the people more than it helps them. Several laws have been passed to control hacking of computer systems. However, these laws are not always well equipped to deal with the hacking threat. The fast evolving information technology makes it difficult to control illegal access of information. The fact that hackers do not come out in the open while hacking and the use of protective measures to avoid detection and tracing also does not help with the situation. References Castells, M. (1999) The Rise of the Network Society. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Himanen, P. (2002) The Hacker Ethic: A Radical Approach to the Philosophy of Business. New York, NY: Random House. Knittel, J. and Soto, M. (2003) Everything you need to Know the Dangers of Computer Hacking. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Krone, T. (2005) Hacking Motives. [Online] Available at: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/htcb/1-20/htcb006.aspx [Accessed: 4 May 2010]. Taylor, P. (1999) Hackers: Crime in the Digital Sublime. New York, NY: Routledge. Read More