ERIC
SPELLMANN
Might your child be a ‘hacker’ – and should you worry?
Most of you have heard the term, “hacker”. But, what is it? Or, more
importantly, “who” is it? Hollywood leads you to believe this person
is a misguided teenage, punk rocker, with too much time on their hands, involved
in illegal deeds using their computer.
First, let’s get things straight. The words “hacker” and “criminal” are
not synonymous. I have quite a few friends that are hackers. I even fancy myself
as a bit of a hacker, but not on a par with some of the net-gods that exist.
A hacker is simply someone that enjoys “learning how things work”.
One online source defines a hacker as:
“[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 (even obsessively) or who enjoys programming
rather than just theorizing about programming.
3 A 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; as in ‘a Unix hacker'. (Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated,
and people who fit them congregate.)
6 An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, for
example.
7 One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing
limitations.”
Notice, that nowhere in that definition, did you see anything illegal. To use
a Star Wars analogy, though, it is possible for a hacker to turn “to the
dark side”. We call criminal hackers “Crackers”. A person that
breaks into computers or networks with the purpose of changing, deleting, or
stealing information is a cracker.
As an example, here’s a scenario involving both types of people: One day,
Joe Hacker is wandering around the internet, looking at various sites, when he
finds an “address” he hasn’t seen before. Upon entering this mysterious
address, he finds himself at the heart of NORAD’s missile defence system.
A large hyperlink labelled “Launch” sits squarely on his screen.
A “hacker” would contact NORAD and tell them about the “hole” in
their security so it could be fixed. A “cracker” would push the button
(or, more likely, sell the information to the highest bidder).
Using these definitions, we can actually label some of our greatest inventors
as hackers. If Thomas Edison were alive today, he would probably wear the label
proudly. Throw in Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, etc. Heck, if you have
a kid that takes apart the vacuum cleaner to see how it works, well, you have
a hacker.
Crackers are the more mysterious of the two, though. They tend to congregate
in loose organizations, similar to street gangs. However, unlike street gangs,
a single gang may include members from nations all around the world. With names
like “Legion of Doom” and “The Destroyers”, these criminals
often bill themselves as cyber-mercenaries, selling their services to corporations
or foreign countries. Much like mobsters, once hired, they will steal from a
competing corporation or “assassinate” their data.
Many of the most lethal computer viruses are written by crackers. Originally,
these deadly viruses were intended for a specific target (like a military base
or corporation). However, as with most viruses, they escape into the wild, spreading
throughout the large population of personal computers in homes and businesses.
The majority of crackers use “non-techy” methods of breaking into systems. “Dumpster
diving” is a popular pastime among crackers. You would be surprised how
many passwords, credit card numbers, and confidential reports are simply thrown
away.
So, how can you tell if your kid is experimenting with “cracking”?
Are they constantly using their computer to the exclusion of other important
activities? When you enter the room, do they suddenly “switch the screen
off” or cover it so you can’t see what they’re doing? Do they
frequent chat rooms at odd hours of the night. In their writing, do they use
any of the following slang:
- kEwL
- similar to “cool”, capitalization included
- lamer – someone
that is not a cracker, but thinks they are
- doodz – dudes – fellow
crackers
- warez – short
for “software”, specifically, pirated software.
Don’t
get me wrong. Answering “yes” to any or all of those
questions does not automatically mean your kid is a cracker, but
those are some of the “signs”. Many families have solved
the problem by putting the family PC in a public area, like the
living room or dining room, with the screen in full sight of anyone
entering. If your kid is behind a locked bedroom door using his
computer, you are just asking for trouble …
I’ll see you in Cyberspace!
http://www.EricSpellmann.com
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