Hacking: methods, ethics, and cybersecurity implications

Hacking

year-old Bloomington man was indicted on charges of hacking into a computer at a nuclear weapons laboratory in California. Benjamin T. Breuninger, who goes by the computer nickname "Konceptor," was arrested at his apartment at about 7 a.m. Monday by agents from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Energy. He was released on $25,000 bail. Breuninger accessed a computer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory between Nov. 2 and 13, said Minneapolis FBI Special Agent Paul McCabe. Breuninger didn't reach documents that would threaten national security..."(Chanen, September 2000)

As stated in the news story, an individual was accused of hacking the system of one laboratory in California that is assigned to ensure safety of the weapons of mass destruction - the nuclear weapons. The man was allowed to bail himself out for a grand amount as the trial continues. However, this does not erase the fact that a single and civilian individual is able to get access with the system that is supposed to be strictly for the government-authorized persons only.

The news tell that the national security was not being threatened of what had happened but who knows what kind of information this person was able to dig into?

This is the extent of how hacking can cause damage. Computer hacking is indeed a big threat to small groups of people and up to the level of national security. If one person can get accessed with the data and information that is not intended for public viewing or for the authorized people only, chaos, confusion among people and various more other damages will surely happen.

What is computer hacking and how is it being done? Who are the people behind this 'hacking business'? Is hacking illegal? If so, how can it be prevented? These are few of the questions raised concerning hacking. These are the very information that this paper intends to find out.

Computer Hacking Defined

Computer hacking, as defined in many journals and peers review, is an activity that involves some degree of violation on the privacy of others. It may also involve damaging computer-based properties like files, web pages and/or software. Because of this, the impact of hacking also varies. It may be just invasive and annoying at some point, but on some extent, it can also be perceived as illegal (Stone, 1999).

Hacker/s" is the term that used to describe the people behind computer hacking. There is also varying perceptions for the hackers. As for the media and the general public, hackers are the "computer criminals," while on the mind of the computer experts, hackers are just the "clever programmers" who may have neglected the idea of computer security (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_hacking,2006)

Generally, a hacker is the person who finds happiness and satisfaction in exploring the details of programmable systems and knowing how to stretch their very capabilities, in contrast to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. A hacker has the ability to programs computer information, data or software in an enthusiastic or obsessive manner (Stone, 1999).

But however different the definitions or descriptions of the hackers is, there is one common denominator among them, and that is the idea that the hackers certain things to computer programs with or without the permission of the authorized owner.

Hackers live in two basic principles (Stone, 1999):

Hackers believe that sharing of information is good and that it is their ethical duty to share their expertise by writing free software and facilitating access to information and to computer resources whenever possible.

Hackers believe that cracking of the system for fun and exploitation is ethically OK as long as the cracker commits no theft, vandalism or breach of confidentiality.

History of Computer Hacking

Hacking started on the early 1960s. The first few people who started hacking were the computer professionals who adopted the word "hack" as a synonym for computer work executed with a certain level of craftsmanship. Eventually, the noun hacker" was applied to define the skilled computer workers (Hannemyr, 1999). When the 1970s came, various techno-hippies emerged. They were considered as the grassroots activists because they believed that technology was power, and as computers were the supreme manifestation of the power of technology, they believed that they should be put into the hands of the people... " (Hannemyr, 1999)

Back then, these activities did not consider or refer to themselves as 'hackers'. The term was only thrust upon them on the year 1984 when they a publicist, Steven Levy, wrote about them and coined them as the 'Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution' (Levy, 1984). This prompted the first ever Hacker's Conference hosted by the Point Foundation and the editors of the Whole Earth Review. It should be noted that these computer activists or hackers at this time were already desperately wanting for the computers and the computer systems to be designed in a manner that it will be useful and accessible to citizens. In the process these computer activists cum hackers pioneered the public access terminals, computer conferencing, and personal computers (Levy, 1984).

On the later years of the 80s, computer hacking was redefined. This was prompted by the emergence and eventually increasing cases of computer underground activities.

It was during this time when 'hacking' was defined as the means of breaking into or sabotaging a computer system and a "hacker" was the perpetrator of such illegal activities (Levy, 1984).

From its very history, it is clear that computer hacking started from a productive initiative of a certain groups of people. These people, who pride themselves to be called as the computer activists only wanted to fully utilize the power of computers which they believed would benefit the majority. For them, the use of computers must not be limited to just few groups of individual. For them, computers can be used in a variety of ways which would surely enhance the quality of living of the people.

However, this line of thinking gradually changed as the years go by. These so called computer activists started having underground operations. The people, who are now termed as the "computer hackers" manifested some greediness on what they and the computers can do. They started minding others business. Because of their ability to create programs, they have been so obsessed in digging more and more information and sharing these to the public. These computer hackers have started going over the boundaries the divide the public and the government and/or private trust.

Common Methods of Hacking

There are different ways and approaches used in hacking. Some of the most basics are (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(computer_security),2006):

Security exploitation, which is normally done on a series of prepared application. This is a way of taking advantage of the known weaknesses of the targeted computer system of program.

Packet sniffering, which is the application that is used to capture TCP/IP data packets. This can be for positive use, but this can also be done maliciously and intends to capture passwords and other data without proper authorization.

Root kit is a form of toolkit that is used to hiding the fact that a computer's security has been concealed. Root kits is usually use to replace system binaries thereby making it impossible for the legitimate user to detect the presence of the intruder on the systems

Social engineering which is normally done through compelling other people to provide some form of information about a system, often under false pretenses.

Trojan horse is a kind of program that is fully designated to 'act' as if it is a legitimate program or software but actually is or does other things. This can be used in setting up a 'back door' in a computer system that allows the intruder or illegitimate user to return later and gain full access over the program or system.

Computer virus, like the human virus, is self replicating thereby able to spread out in the entire computer system. This then inserts copies of itself into other executable code or documents which normally result for the computer to behave incorrectly.

Worm is usually like a virus that can replicate itself. The only difference between a virus and a worm is the fact that worms are not able to create multiple copies of itself. Instead it propagates through the entire computer networks.

Issues Concerning Hacking

There are a number of issues concerning hacking. These issues are categorized on various points-of-view such as the education, the government and the public sector.

On Education

First issue concerning the educational system is connected with the idea that computer hacking is very appealing for the students (Stone, 1999). First, it should be noted that in various computer classes or courses, programming is of course part of the curriculum. Students are being taught how to create their own programs. By doing so, these students have to study the various programs that were already created and are being used. They have to review the systems, the data and processes used.

Such activities normally trigger more ideas in the students' mind.

They would be tempted to know more than what is allowed for them. They would sometimes be using the school curriculum as an excuse to hack pertinent information that are government or privately owned. At some point, these students would be challenging themselves if they will be able to create and send unnecessary information (such as computer viruses) to other computer systems. This will provide extreme joy and satisfaction for these students. However, the issue here lies on how can this be prevented by education facilitators?

Creating programs and knowing various techniques of getting into different computer systems is necessary for the curriculum. This is part of the training for the students. If the teachers would stop training the students regarding programming, then what will happen to the future of the computers?

On the Public

Computer hacking is normally done anonymously. It being anonymous creates triggers more actions from the public.

For example, an adolescent who would never consider picking someone's pocket or physically damaging someone else's property or home, might be quite willing to steal people's credit card numbers or destroy poorly protected business or government files, since files and credit card numbers are not tangible entities, and the damage is done anonymously..."(Stone, 1999)

Because of the increasing number of hacking-related cases printed on the newspapers and/or tabloids or shown in various news programs, the public, especially those who may have been thinking negatively, becomes more engrossed into understand the ways and means of computer hacking. These people will become greedier. If they become successful and effective as computer hackers, they can get whatever they want - information and money - with a very low possibility that they will be traced.

More so, these people who may have been angry towards other people, the private sector or even to the government, could initiate some computer virus or could even manipulate some data and/or information in the government and privately owned information. This will of course cause havoc for the target groups of individual.

Again the question here is how can they be prevented? In this highly technological time, anything and everything is printed, shown and accessible in the internet, news papers and television programs. Even the basic methods of hacking are available in the internet. Just by simply typing the word "hacker" with any internet search engine would result to hundreds of links to illegal serial numbers, ways to download and pirate commercial software, etc. (Stone, 1999). So how can the public be assured that their private information is secured?

On the Government and Private Sector

Computer hacking is illegal at some point. However, there are some government and private businesses activities which would require them to hack certain information that will benefit themselves. Like for example in the government where in there are specialized agencies which main task is to hack information from the non-allied countries to track their negative activities (Stone, 1999). This may sound illegal and unethical, but the impact of such activity is benefiting to a large number of populace.

Hacking of information is said to be one of the very reasons why terrorism acts, suicide bombing plots and other deadly threats are detected. By getting into the computer system of some people who are suspects for various crimes, their plans of hurting more people are identified. This act of computer hacking, in turn, has saved many lives.

But the issue here is, if the government itself has been doing some computer hacking activities, however nationalistic it may sound, why prevent other people from doing the same thing? How can the government totally imposed illegalizing or banning the computer hacking activities if they, too, are utilizing it?

In terms of private owned businesses, there are a number of reports disclosing that private companies also have computer hacking activities which is aimed at detecting the plans and programs of their competitors (Stone, 1999).