Innovation or Virtual Break and Enter?
Written by Hannah McGechie & Benoît Allain-Melanson on 07/09/08
Photo by Hannah McGechie
Are they the ones pushing technological advances to great levels, or are they criminals? Hackers are “computer users who attempt to gain unauthorized access to computer systems or who are experts in programming”, and they have led to both the creation of programs worth millions of dollars and the ruin of others. Who are they? Why do they do what they do? And are the benefits we get from their work worth the damage?
The term “hacker” was first used and defined by MIT’s Tech Model Railroad Club in 1959. At the time, a hacker was someone who was “highly skilled in developing creative, elegant and effective solutions to computing problems” (Majid Yar, “Computer Hacking: Just Another Case of Juvenile Delinquency?”, 2005). Twenty-five years later, Steven Levy wrote a book titled Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution which laid out the principles and ethics that hackers should live by. This included things such as all information should be free, authority should be mistrusted, and computers can change the world for the better (Steven Levy). Early hackers were seen as underground revolutionaries, hacking away for the common good. Almost 50 years later, we have a much different view of hackers. There are a few who are still seen as heroes (although they are usually fighting terrorism on shows like 24), but most are seen as the troublemakers behind viruses and the reason we spend so much on security software.
One aspect of hacking that is a puzzle to many is why someone would choose to do it. Researchers have turned to hackers themselves and asked what their motivations are. As with anything, the reasons vary: boredom, curiosity, a desire to learn and explore the unknown and a way of proving individual worth are all very prevalent. Early hackers were more committed to the idea that information should be free and accessible to everyone, and hacking was their way of fighting for this. Others see hacking as a way of standing up to political authority and mega-corporations, both of whom are seen to unjustly limit what regular citizens do online (Majid Yar, “Computer Hacking: Just Another Case of Juvenile Delinquency?”, 2005).
Although some hackers respect the informal code of ethics and do not harm others’ computers and files, many do not have such morals. Malicious hackers (or “crackers“, as they are called in the tech world) can be divided into two groups: those who cause harm to others’ computers for fun and those who cause harm for profit. The “for fun” group may move around or delete victims’ files, leave offensive images or messages on the computer, or – in the worst cases – cause the entire computer system to crash and everything that was stored on it to be lost. The “for profit” group hacks into people’s computers or set up fake websites for legitimate companies and banks to trick users into giving away personal information (this is called “phishing“). Both of these types of hackers cause millions of dollars of damage every year and are very hard to catch and prosecute because of their expertise and speed and which they work (CBC: Online Crime)
Some hackers break into people’s computers but do not modify them in any way or steal any personal information. They attempt to justify their hacking by saying they acted not out of maliciousness but curiosity about their own skills. Besides, they point out, we didn’t cause any actual harm to the computer owners. This last bit is not strictly true: having one’s computer hacked into is a very violating experience which leaves victims feeling like their life and their secrets have been rifled through without their permission. Similar to when a house is broken into and nothing is taken, victims of hacking often feel that they cannot be safe in private spaces that are supposed to be theirs alone. They are haunted by questions: how could this happen? Why did this happen to me? Could this happen again? What did they see of my life?
Some of the biggest technological advances began as hacking experiments and a few very successful technology gurus started out as hackers. Our world is a very technological one and more and more is being done with computers every day. Creativity and innovation must be encouraged in this field, but so should respect for others and their rights to privacy.
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