Note: This is the draft of a piece that I worked on for a course dealing with Computer Ethics. I hope that you all enjoy it!
The internet and personal computer systems today are continually plagued by things such as viruses, malware, and several other malicious intrusions. Many of these intrusions originated from a type of computer use known as “hacking.” The consequences of hacking are disputable, however.
The Argument for Hacking
Back in the early 1970s, when personal computer systems were relatively new, the concept of “hacking” was limited to a small number of elite computer programmers who would develop and implement software that would cause a computer system to operate in new and interesting ways. This type of hacking was considered educational, and the better the “hacker” was, the more adept he or she was at operating and manipulating the computer system to his or her needs. Over time, these types of hackers have become computer security specialists and help to shed light on computer vulnerabilities that need to be fixed and software problems that need to be resolved.
The Argument Against Hacking
Although there is one positive side to the concept of “hacking,” the public at large, and especially the mass media portray hackers in a darker light. The most common image of a computer hacker is a person who intrudes into other computer systems for fun or profit, typically with intent to inflict some form of damage upon the computer systems that he or she is accessing. Countless examples of computer intrusion over the past half century have been documented, as well as damaging attacks dealing with Denial of Service (DOS) and phishing (a social engineering technique to obtain usernames and passwords). Recently, one such attack left thousands of internet usernames and passwords open on an internet server open to public access and exploitation. These types of hackers have inflicted billions of dollars worth of damage upon unsuspecting victims across the globe.
Personal Opinions Regarding Hacking
As a professional computer programmer, I have a mixed view on hacking. I was brought up in a computer culture that considered a hacker to be a “person who is able to read and write code efficiently in multiple (and sometimes obscure) computer languages.” I was also introduced to the concept that a person who used these skills for malicious purposes was known as a “cracker,” or, in other words, he or she “cracked” systems illegally, much like cracking a safe. Given this particular perspective, I would believe that “hacking” (using computer systems in interesting ways) would be considered appropriate, and, in fact, encouraged. The public at large, however, has a vastly different concept of hacking in general. More related to the White Hat and Black Hat hackers, I would consider myself to be in the White Hat realm. Computer intrusion is definitely a problem, and I cannot condone illegal activity, whether for learning or not.
Posts
