Imagine yourself watching a film, there some big government system breach happening in the film. The scene cuts to a hooded individual, sitting at a desk in the basement, the room is dark apart from the glow of multiple computer monitors, green text appearing by the second as the hacker types madly away, its intense, its more dramatic than the final boss fight in an action film. Will the hacker get into the system? Does he need glasses if he is always in the dark? Wouldn’t his hands get sore from typing so much? But no, as much as the rest of Hollywood, we usually find that this is an exaggerated stereotype of a ‘hacker’.
I found myself to be incredibly interested in this week’s topic, especially our take on hackers and the individuals who dedicate their lives to the cause. Hacking in our digital age, is something that had developed from something quiet, hushed, and mysterious, to today where it is something that is used every day to improve and better secure our technologies, and even improve our society.
Not all hackers are wanting to corrupt someone’s data or expose your bank details, some have the intention to improve our society, for example, we see the group Anonymous, an international activist/hacktivist movement that is know for its cyber attacks against government systems, institutions, agencies and even corporations. They base their ‘hacks’ and ‘targets’ with the motive to improve society and expose the ‘secrets’ that may be kept from the public.
Another example that we explored in our lecture was the hacker Julian Assange, the individual who leaked information about the United States Government. Many found his actions inspiring and a fighter for the truth, whereas to his haters, he is an induvial who endangers lives by releases secret information to the public.
But whilst there are ‘good’ hackers, there are still the individuals who use the endless world of possibility to ‘attack’ your technology and invade your life with a few types into their keyboard. In order to prevent hacks from these individuals, people are encourages to reduce where they share their private information and to even purchase security programs that have a better chance at protecting your devices and sensitive information.
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