Computer Hacker
...d 0s, which is impossible for human to read and to interpret. For the open-source software though, the original source codes, which are commands written by the authors of the programs, are posted on the Internet for people to see. With these codes, other people could be able to understand more about the software and be able to modify them in order to make it better than before. But, why would programmers give away their precious source codes to the public? One of the reasons is that this would help improving the software. However, the main reason for this behavior is the programmers want to impress their peers by their work. Last year in March, Netscape released the source code for its Internet browser, Netscape Navigator. A few hours after it released, a group of Australian programmers called the Mozilla Crypto Group modified the software to make it more secure for Internet transactions. In the following two weeks, improvements of the original browser poured in from all over the world. In less than a month a new version of the browser was able download at Netscape’s Website. Did the Australian group get paid at last? No, but certainly they have got a lot of respects from other programmers in the world. The new computer system Linux is another good example of the “Hackerdom”. It is one the most powerful systems now and one day it might even overrun Microsoft Windows systems. In year 1991, 21 years old Linus Torvalds worded an experimental version of the UNIX computer system and posted it on the Internet. The system was considered buggy because it had too much errors. Around five people downloaded it and fixed some changes and then send it back to Torvalds. Later on, more and more people downloaded the system, fixed errors, and enhanced it. The system now is named Linux after Linus Torvalds and there are over eight millions of users using the system. Approximately ten thousand programmers from the Internet are trying to improve it. About every week, there would be a new enhanced version of the system available to download and there are no other companies that could do a job this fast. So far, these are the aspects of the first group of hackers and now let us consider the second group. Although both groups are hackers, their points of view toward “hackerdom” are different. The first group sees free software and the second group sees free information. Although there is a slightly difference, the consequences are not the same. Hackers of the second group invade computer user’s privacy, in technical word they hack into users’ computers, without let the users know the presence of themselves. These hackers explain hacking computers is an adventure, a challenge, and the main cause of it is anxious for knowledge. The hacker’s manifesto explains all. There are several manifestos written by different hackers, but the main idea is the same. The manifesto written by “The Mentor,” says “……This is our world now…the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn’t run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore…and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge…and you call us criminals…….” (Sterling 1992) Motivations for these hackers are mainly heroism, power, and money. In 1994 Russian hacker Vladimir Levin and some accomplices at St. Petersburg hacked and transferred electronically $11 millions from Citibank’s New York-based mainframes to other countries. (Jeffrey 1996) Other hackers hacked to show off to their peers and to the public. Chad David, the one intruded the Army Website left a message on the home page as “hello, this Website hack has a purpose. The purpose is to settle rumors. Global Hell is alive. Global Hell will not die.” (http://www.cnnfn.com) Other experienced hackers see them as “punks”. For the hackers, there are rules for hacking networks. One of the rules is never ever hack government Websites. Because the amount of Internet users increased, Internet communication is not save as before. Ronald L. Rivest, a professor of computer at the MIT says “The Internet was once a rural community, and now it’s becoming an urban environment. If you live out in farm country, you can leave your door unlocked. But if you live in downtown Manhattan, you’ll probably want triple locks on your doors.” (Jeffrey 1996) Although some good-hearted intruders would not modify any data or destroying any information, it is still essential to have a good security...