Hackers Not Slackers essays

Hackers Not Slackers essays Since the introduction of personal computers in the 1970's, the art of computer hacking has grown along with changing roles of computers in society. Computers have taken over our lives. People could not function without them; our electricity is run by computers, the government could not function without computers, and there are many others. Hackers are people who illegally gain access to, and sometimes tamper with, information in a computer system. Due to recent media coverage and corporate interest, hackers activities are now looked down on by society as criminal. Despite the growing trend of hacking, very little research has been done on the hacking world and its culture. The image of a computer hacker has grown from a harmless nerd into a vicious techno-criminal. In reality most hackers are not out to destroy the world. The hackers in today's society are not bored teenagers. In "Hackers intensify fears of industrial espionage," Mark Gembicki reports "the typical hacker used to be 14 to 16 years of age, white male, somewhat of an introvert . . . However, this is no longer the case. . . Our hacker profile . . . [is that] the hackers are around 30-33, white male again, professional" (Drumheller). Many of the hacker's today are probably the grown-up fourteen to sixteen years old from the past. Except now they make enough money to purchase expensive computer equipment. They are well educated and have an interest in technology. The majority of the hackers of today are thirty years old and well educated, they are not all out to destroy computer systems and break into national security. Hackers have always been considered different and have never been accepted in society. Many hackers will not admit they are a part of this underground community for fear of how they will be judged. In U.S. News ...