alexander 1..19 by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-10-03T17:02:03.292049+00:00

X:/greenwood/Alexander/WORK/alexander.3f 01/17/2008 5:33 PM Page CHAPTER 7

HACKERS, SNOOPS, AND

VIRUSES

Computer networks are under almost constant attack from hackers who are trying to cause harm or simple mischief. If that statement sounds a bit alarmist, consider how long your company would be in business if it were to take down all of its perimeter firewalls, even for just a couple of hours. In the Internet era, within a matter of minutes such news would be relayed to hackers around the globe.

Different people are motivated by different things, and hackers are no different. Some are merely curious and can be considered passive hackers or snoops. Active hackers on the other hand will cause some damage to your company’s network if given the opportunity to do so. Whether it’s to steal information, to corrupt it in order to prevent companies from using the data themselves, or even just to make systems temprorarily unavialbable, the hackers are out there. It may be for profit or it may be for bragging rights. Worse, it could be one of the most dangerous types of hacker, the hacker activist.

HACKER ACTIVISM (HACKTIVISM)

A hacker activist may feel justified in attacking your company’s network for any number of reasons. In the mind of a hacker, this type of radical social justice is not only justified, but it is their moral obligation to punish a company doing something that, according to them, is wrong.

This could include energy companies such as one of the big oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, automobile manufacturers, or large companies vilified in the press for not paying their employees enough or because the CEO makes too much money—the list goes on and on.

One of the biggest social issues of the day is man-made global warm-ing. Any company deemed to have too large of a carbon footprint could X:/greenwood/Alexander/WORK/alexander.3f 01/17/2008 5:33 PM Page Hackers, Snoops, and Viruses

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be a target. Just having deep pockets could make your company a target for hackers with a ‘‘Robin Hood’’ syndrome—take from the rich and give to the poor. I mention this not to make a political statement or pass any kind of moral judgment on any particular company. However, the reality is that certain companies, due to the nature of the business, are more of a target for hacker activism. It is also important to realize that an event that gets a lot of bad press, either specific to your company or to the industry you’re in, could make for a temporary increase in hacker attacks against your network.

World events also make companies in a given country more of a target for international hackers. On September 11, 2001, there was a huge increase in computer-related attacks from international hackers against companies in the United States. This type of electronic warfare is very disconcerting for several reasons. For one thing, a nation’s foreign policies can have a real effect on how other countries perceive them. Both Great Britain and the United States have taken broad actions to combat terrorism. Such actions will always garner strong supporters as well as strong opponents.

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