Hacking, Hacker and Hacktivism

Hacking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Posted image: from the movie Firewall (2006), Jack Stanfield
Famous Quote: "Honey, I need to borrow your iPod."
This movie has chosen in the Top 20 Hackers in Film History by Scott Willoughby.
If you interested in, go to http://www.drivl.com/posts/view/461

Since internet has become a huge part of our lives, there are new phenomena: Hacktivism, Hacking, and Hacker. These issues are created based on the motive that “Information should be free and need to be able to share”. I am, again realized how the public media shapes our image of some objectives that I found out what I had known as ‘hacking’ is ‘cracking’! Well, according to Douglas Thomas, he defined cracker is unworthy, as opposed to ‘hackers’, who self identified as more sophisticated explorers. In David Gauntlett and Ross Hordley’s 2^nd edition book called “Web Studies”, definition of cracker as ‘a hacker who causes damage to systems or uses stolen data for illegal means.

There are two uses for hacking:

‘To hack code’ indicates that make the code as fast as possible such as make it short.

‘To hack in’ represents that hackers one of main purpose, to test and to practice a system and security of a network. This comes from curiosity and early idea of hacking is to test the system itself and there is no intention to do harm. In Douglas’s article, he describes ‘the Hacker manifesto that Loyd Blankenship (1985) wrote to describe hackers’ self perceptions and how media twisted their images. Loyd repeated “you call us criminal “ after contrasting what other people have done things out side of online world and criticized how people can make misunderstand and misjudge about hackers. What I mostly impressed was “My crime is that of curiosity”. From historical context, first generation of hacking comes from curiosity about the mistrust of authority in 1950s and 1960s.

From 1980s, Media representation of hackers influences hacking culture. For example, War Games(1983) provoke some thoughts of young hackers to bring new trends in hacking culture. It is interesting for me that Douglas described two types of hackers; old school hackers from 1960s and 1970s and new school hackers from 1980s and 1990s. Old school hacking is mainly known for early hacking idea that ‘information wants to be free’. New school hacking indicates. New school hackers substitute the old school hackers’ hacking ethics and developed a culture with high-technology. New school hackers created new culture such as hacktivism.

Hacktivism is a idea of hacking from political goal and activism. Hacktivism often can become an act of cyberterrorism. I see this new movement is kind of revolution of new hacking culture and if hacktivism gets serious, with government concerns maybe we will have more strong punishment from hacktivism. If threats involve, I recommend that someone should pay for their action.

Most of the serious crimes are conventional fraud. Sometimes these new digital crimes are not involved in high technological hacking skills. They use commonly social engineering trick that simply they pretend to be a security expert to users.

I, also have some shaped image of hacking, no, cracking. Often in the movies, or TV series soap opera reflect image of hackers who are extremely brainy and computer guru. I remember I watched one episode of Nunb3rs (I think it was season two) about hacking computer system of bank and still money from clients online. It seems high plan that group of hackers with shiny gun, they were all smart enough to play all network of US banking system. But in reality, this is unlikely happening! (Well, to be honest with you guys, I am bit disappointed! I think in US things like these often occur! lol) Maybe in reality, it is not exciting, rather it is boring and annoying issue. What else could be inspired hackers in cyber society? Can anyone hack Otago University website for at lease one day? If any ‘good hacker’ see this, it would be nice someone put some random photo at the main Otago university website? Like photos of Orlando Bloom? Now I am dreaming.. :D