The Societys Response on Internet Hackers - Term Paper Example

Internet Hackers Name Instructor’s Name Course Name and Code Date Introduction All over the world, people have continued to live in societies where obeying of the laid down rules and laws has become part and parcel of their culture. As a result, there will always be other individuals who are keen on attempting to break the laid down rules, regulations and laws in order to disrupt the society. That is the nature of the human population since crime can occur at any place and even homes included. Indeed, our laptops and computers have become prime targets for individuals who are criminally minded. Such criminals are known as hackers and they normally possess the knowledge of stealing or damaging vital information on the internet either from the top-secret government files or even in personal bank accounts. On the other hand, internet hackers can be divided into three groups namely the government, the people and the industry in itself. The government can hack into other people’s accounts without authority with a view of gaining some vital information while the people may also want to spy on other people by gaining unauthorized access to their accounts. Lastly, some industries have made a tendency of stealing vital personal information from some known databases with a view of using or selling such information to get profit. The tendency of internet hacking is so prevalent in countries such as the United States, Russia, Germany, Tunisia, Brazil and Australia. Internet hackers must therefore have a very good comprehension of the computers by knowing both the ins and outs of internet and also have the capability of indulging in criminal activities (Leeson, et al, 2002). Hacking has since time immemorial remained a disease that various societies all over the world are suffering from. The major aim of this research paper is to provide the knowledge about the effects of hacking towards the society and how the society has responded or tried to minimize or solve such effects. The society’s response towards hacking has been lacking till this time and thus the ability to either stop or completely stop such hacking attacks from occurring has been hampered. This is because; as long as there is development of the security tools, more development of sophisticated attacks of hacking have also been invented. It has therefore been ascertained that the best way of dealing with the hacking menace is through understanding the psychology of the hacker together with their desires and needs. Definition of Hacking According to the Oxford English Dictionary, hacking is defined as “...cut or chop roughly; mangle: cut (one’s way)...to the current definition which defines hacking as gaining unauthorized access towards data stored in a computer. On the other hand, Banks (1997) attributes boredom as being the main reason of hacking. Hacking is given a more technical definition by the Digital Guards Data Base as being “...unauthorized use, or attempts aimed at circumventing or bypassing the security mechanisms of a given network or information system. Hacking is also believed not to be only limited on gaining access towards information or data but also comprises an attack on the privacy of all individuals. However, it should be noted that indeed, all numerous opinions presented have agreed to the fact that hacking is illegal. On the other hand, a hacker is described as being an agent of hacking and also defined as an individual who gains enjoyment through accessing people’s files either for fun, power imposing or through an interest that is related to the data, files or information. Internet hackers are therefore deemed to be barbarian data lords who take everything that they want to take. A hacker is also defined as any individual who carries out illegal actions whether or not they are related to computers through using a device apart from its intended functionality. Hackers are usually classified according to what they do. For instance, there are some hackers who are simply responsible for making viruses and also fooling around the internet and trying to bug other people. They normally make such viruses in a very simple way by getting a program or software known as a virus creation kit. Such a kit is capable of making a virus based on the choice of the beholder. Such software can therefore manufacture viruses, which simply make some beeping sounds in the computer software thus ruing their hard-drives and other destructions. Other hackers have also been known to use chat rooms to cause trouble to other people (Platt, 1997). It is no secret that there exists a myth in which any person having computer intelligence or even wearing computer nerds is labelled as being a “hacker” by the society. However, in the movie known as “Hackers”, such a stereotype is reinforced in the strongest terms since in almost all the film, virtually every individual having access towards a computer was portrayed as being either a really crazy hacker, a bad hacker or a good hacker. People in the contemporary and digitized world have now become fearful of internet hackers such like they fear physical thieves in the actual world. A lot of such negative encounters will normally be dependent on where an individual is and how they respond. Negative effects of hacking and how it can be prevented Due to development of IT (Information Technology), the internet has now become a more important aspect in people’s daily lives. As a result, people have started paying more attention to hacking. Despite the fact that hacking can be positive, people should never ignore the negative effects that it causes. The negative side of hacking is cracking in which the crackers usually break into a firm’s secure network in order to destroy the data and even make the specific network to become unusable for individuals who are authorized to use it either for personal gains or for malicious intents. For instance, if a website of a business is hacked, it may not only lose its vital data but also its vital clients since such a website cannot become operational at such a time. The company is even bound to lose more when such a website deals in the sale of productions online. Such a website is also receive a bad reputation if the crackers opt to target it numerous times since the clients will have a negative perception that the website has not been designed well. Cracking may also cause governments and businesses as well to put additional costs aimed at either restoring the hacked websites back to normalcy or protecting them from future potential hacking. On an individual level, internet crackers can also be able to get unauthorized access into people’s computers thus stealing what has been stored like for instance bank account details, credit card numbers, business or financial information and even address books. Since hacking can also imply the practice in which computer software and hardware are modified with an aim of accomplishing or finishing a goal, which is outside the purpose of the creator, various precautions should be taken to avoid this menace. In order to prevent internet hackers from breaking into one’s computers and even making attempts aimed at modifying or changing one’s existing files, then one needs to follow some tips. For instance, one should change a good password to their accounts and also ensure that they change it regularly. Apart from that, individuals should also ensure that their contacts are backed up regularly and also the software is updated often. Some other important tips that can be used in preventing hacking includes preventing any unauthorized access to one’s personal documents, hiding the directory structures, changing the admin usernames, keeping installations and plugins up to date, deleting any irrelevant plugins and even regularly changing the “Wordpress Database”. Hackers and Crackers Computers have become susceptible targets for internet hackers because of their widespread connection to the internet, growing popularity of the internet and its use. Various arguments have been placed regarding the difference, which exists between a “cracker” and a “hacker”. It has therefore been argued that while the hacker used their skills in order to benefit the society, a cracker on the other hand has been known to maliciously use the same skills for the destruction of the society. Hackers and crackers are therefore deemed to possess the same and rare skills but they opt to use them in different ways. Hackers have also been deemed to think outside the box are usually brilliant in various fields (Britz, 2009). For many of the hackers, hacking has now become their own way of life and having been fed up with the robotic lifestyles of their average American counterparts, most internet hackers and their followers have shaped their own specific places in the technological society. While internet hackers have formed a major security concern for most businesses, individuals and other public institutions across the world, governments all over the world are making attempts aimed at trying to stop or deter cyber crime. Due to the fact that technology has grown at alarming rates, legal systems across the world have been unable in keeping pace with the specific individual hackers and groups. The world is therefore slowly becoming aware on the threats that are posed by the internet hackers and the techniques that are used in defending them. Positive effects of hacking It is a fact that most hackers are actually very familiar with the use of computer systems and therefore they can easily detect any security vulnerabilities in them. However, it should be noted that not all hackers perform dirty tricks. For instance, some of the hackers are usually hired by firms, which trust them to penetrate computer systems or networks for the aim of finding and ultimately fixing any computer security vulnerabilities. They are therefore known as “ethical hackers”. Ethical hackers help in the examination of the software or system through using different methods of hacking and tell clients so that they are able to close such openings and thus prevent any potential losses that may arise. Indeed, most people have never thought that there was actually a positive side to hacking. Hacking can therefore be used by some people with an aim of finding security holes in the systems holes in the computer systems and ultimately helping in fixing them, developing security techniques and tools and helping to fight the vice. Internet Hacking in Germany Hacking has become a common occurrence in Germany due to the high number of computer literate people in the country. In this new digital era, cyber security has become one of the most imperative forms of security that most individuals have become worried about. Government agencies, businesses, financial institutions and other organizations, which store their information digitally, need to become aware of any possible security breaches. This implies that the most sensitive data is capable of being manipulated, viewed and even used by any individual having wrongful intentions. Malicious internet hackers have been presented an opportunity to carry out their deeds through a link to computers provided by the World Wide Web. Despite the fact that most people do not know a lot regarding the internet hackers, the malicious damages that they accomplish has been felt by all and sundry. However, according to history, it has been depicted that there are actually different hacker cultures in the world, which significantly contributes to the current world. For instance, history has it that the present computer hacking was actually developed in one of the most schools of technology in the United States known as “The Massachusetts Institute of Technology”. The University had a collection of gifted and young students who developed the initial hacking mechanisms. In its initial phases, hacking was started as an unplanned occurrence by the computer technicians with an aim of comprehending the manner in which computer systems worked. During the 1970’s there was a surge in phone hacking whereby people were breaking into other people’s systems in order to connect towards free calls. The hacker population rather on targeted computers and therefore not only did they become victims but also used as a means or method in which the hackers could communicate. The Bulletin Board Systems or the BBS design provided internet hackers with an opportunity to communicate and also share information regarding methods of penetrating systems and also in the provision of other source codes that were malicious. The BBS can well be related to the current social sites like for instance Twitter and Facebook and other chatrooms in which discussion of any subject matter can be done. The appearance of the boards on the internet laid a good breeding ground for some hacking groups like for instance “The Legion of Doom” which developed a strong powerbase for some of the motivated attackers in America (Himanen, Et al, 2001). Internet hacking in the United States During last year, two Cloverdale teenagers were known to have pleaded guilty to some federal charges that they had hacked into computer systems at the pentagon. Apart from that, the two were also suspected of having broken into other computer systems at military bases, government agencies and even at universities. This and many other examples is indeed a clear pointer that over the years, there has been an increase of hackers and their related crimes. In yet another story, another group of international computer hackers broke into computer systems at the Pentagon and claimed to have stolen some key or vital software from NASA. The group, which called itself “Masters of Downloading”, comprised of eight Americans, 5 British and 2 Russians considered selling the vital information to other foreign governments and international terrorist groups. Each year, the number of crimes that is related to crime has continued to increase and even the theft arising from the use of the internet has continued to cost numerous companies billions of money despite the fact that high-tech industries are struggling using every means to stop it. Despite the fact that hackers refer to their act as a mere process of sharing, the hackers are actually criminals tasked with stealing from other people in order to better themselves. Internet hacking in Australia According to some of the researchers based in Australia, internet hackers can be termed as leeches who feed on other people’s sweat. Internet hacking has gone mainstream in Australia with groups being able to share information and even access any given remote systems with relative ease. The hacking movement has begun being so popular to an extend that there was angry reaction by the Congress through the creation of The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that made hacking to become illegal. As automobiles, computers have truly gained their rightful place in the world history and their growth has actually outweighed any other form of development. Even the legal aspects are also trying to catch up with the effects of rapid growth. Internet hacking is not only restricted to computers alone but also to the phones as well. By far, most of the known internet hackers have been male people and even to date, they still remain to be men. However, there was one known female hacker who was notoriously asserted to be a dynamic phreaker. This person was known as Susan Thunder who was educated in social Engineering and also regarded as being “a dynamic phreaker”. Internet hacking in Tunisia The hackers’ cultures have always been in this world since the introduction of the computer networks. In essence, hackers have actually altered the way with through which people view the worldwide web and the computer systems connected to the internet. Due to their actions, hackers have continuously changed the society due to their high dependence on the internet. The culture of the workers has therefore been developed into 3 types namely white, grey and black hat internet hackers based on their intentions and even motivations. Negative and positive impacts of hacking For instance, the black hat internet hacker strictly used his abilities to gain personally or disrupt other network systems. The name arose from the original hacker who sold their information using the black market. These are actually the kind of individuals who have given the internet hackers a bad image through accessing people’s bank information and also stealing vital secrets belonging to the military. The white hat internet attackers are on the other hand the opposite of the black ones. This is because white hat internet attackers are people who use their own talents for the benefit of computer security developments. Such individuals therefore provide services to numerous corporations by helping them with issues that are linked to their computer systems security. Lastly, the grey hat internet attackers are normally motivated mainly through fame or money in the hacker society. Internet hackers fall into two subcultures namely people who were educated in learning institutions while the other ones are self educated. While the academic subculture is comprised of professionals and students who have wide technical skills in the fields of computer, the other subculture comprises of people who have educated themselves and therefore they are either engrossed or intrigued in such technology. Most of such internet hackers normally consider hacking as being a hobby and form of work that they can do while they are out of their work basements (Littman, 1997). Conclusion Hacking as a vice is a practice, which started a long time ago and adopted by the current society. However, there is need for all the concerned stakeholders to come together and ascertain the negative effects arising from the internet hackers with a view of reducing the destruction that emanates from their deeds. Stringent laws should also be established in all nations across the world with a view of punishing internet hackers who are keen on meeting destruction on the human population. Technology should never be used for the destruction of the human population but instead, it should be used in enhancing life to the fullest. Fighting the negative effects committed by the internet hackers should not be responsibility of governments alone but rather, it should become a collective responsibility for all the citizens across nations. Technology should therefore be used in serving its intended purposes and to positively transform the society to better quality of life. Punitive measures should therefore be put in place to ensure that people found guilty of hacking into other systems without authority are severely punished so that it can deter or prevent other people who may have an intention of committing the same crime again. Organizations, institutions, companies and all relevant stakeholders should put in place security measures that will deter unauthorized people against gaining access their important information. The positive impacts that arise from internet hackers should therefore be well appreciated while the negative effects that arise from internet hacking should be discarded in totality. It should be noted by all that everything in this world has its bad and good sides and therefore hacking can never be an exception. There is no way in which people can stop crackers from doing the bad things in the world but however, we as future computer engineers can always opt to stand on the good or positive side. References Britz, M. T. (2009). Computer forensics and cyber crime 2nd Ed. Ohio: Prentice Hall, pp188-189. Himanen, P. and Castells, M. (2001). The hacker ethic. New York: Random House Lancaster, K. (2009). The art of computer hacking. Available at http://www.ils.unc.edu/~lanck/Paper.html Leeson, P. and Coyne, C. J. (2002). The economics of computer hacking. Department of Economics, West Virginia University [internet]. http://www.peterleeson.com/hackers.pdf Littman, J. (1997). The fugitive game: Online with Kevin Mitnick. New York: Little, Brown, and Company Platt, C. (1997). Anarchy Online. New York: Harper Prism, pp. 30-32 Read More