Hackers Essay Research Paper OutlineIn the late

Hackers Essay, Research Paper

Outline

In the late 1970s, hackers were people who enjoyed learning the details of computer systems. Today, hackers (or crackers) refer to people who break into computer systems.

Some malicious hackers use Trojan horses, logic bombs, and other means to infiltrate computer systems. Breaking into other computer systems is called electronic trespassing. This paper will speak of :

On-line Outlaws: Computer Crime Computer Security: Reducing Risks Security, Privacy, and Freedom: The Delicate Balance

Security and Reliability Safe Computing

Computers are used to break laws as well as uphold them. Computer crime involves:

Theft by Computer

Software Piracy and Intellectual Property Laws

Software Sabotage

Hacking and Electronic Trespassing

According to the FBI, the average computer crime is worth $600,000. More than 40 percent of corporate, university, and government sites report at least one break-in per year. The typical computer criminal is a trusted employee with no criminal record.

Hacker Kevin Mitnick is alleged to have broken into several major organizations’

computer systems, including those of Sun Microsystems, Motorola, and the Pentagon. Mr Mitnick was ARRESTED on February 15,1995, after an FBI computer expert Tsutomu Shimomura tracked him down. Mitnick, the first hacker ever to have appeared on an FBI wanted poster. With 25 counts of alleged federal computer and wire fraud violations still pending against him, the criminal prosecution of Kevin Mitnick is approaching its most crucial hour. In June of 1999, Kevin was sentenced for certain admitted violations of his supervised release and for possession of unauthorized access codes. The court imposed a sentence of 22 months instead of the 32 months sought by the government. Since Kevin has been in custody since his arrest in February 1995, this sentence has been satisfied. Kevin has experienced years of legal battles over alleged violations of the conditions of his supervised release and for possession of unauthorized cellular access codes.

The greatest injustice in the prosecution of Kevin Mitnick is revealed when one examines the actual harm to society (or lack thereof) which resulted from Kevin’s actions. To the extent that Kevin is a “hacker” he must be considered a purist. The simple truth is that Kevin never sought monetary gain from his hacking, though it could have proven extremely profitable. Nor did he hack with the malicious intent to damage or destroy other people’s property. Rather, Kevin pursued his hacking as a means of satisfying his intellectual curiosity and applying Yankee ingenuity. These attributes are more frequently promoted rather than punished by society.

The ongoing case of Kevin Mitnick is gaining increased attention as the various issues and competing interests are played out in the arena of the courtroom. Exactly who Kevin Mitnick is and what he represents, however, is ultimately subject to personal interpretation and to the legacy which will be left by “The United States v. Kevin David Mitnick”.

Software piracy is the illegal duplication of copyrighted software. Intellectual property includes the results of intellectual activities in the arts, sciences, and industry. The expression of intellectual property can be copyrighted. Inventions are patented. Trade secrets are covered by contract law. Look-and-feel lawsuits can result from mimicking intellectual property. Software piracy is a serious worldwide problem. In fact, many countries have staggeringly high piracy rates – countries like Russia, China and Vietnam, just to name a few – some even close to the 100 percent mark. The worldwide piracy rate in 1998 was 38 percent, causing losses to the global software industry of approximately $11 billion according to a Business Software Alliance study. Unfortunately the problem is getting worse. In one year, from 1997 to 1998, the problem grew so dramatically that 2.5 million more software applications were pirated.

Much of this astronomical worldwide piracy growth comes from the equally aggressive growth of the Internet around the world, coupled with the fact that intellectual property and copyright laws vary considerably from country to country. Although industry organizations like the Business Software Alliance have been successful in many of their worldwide efforts to combat software piracy, governments around the world must take steps to improve their intellectual property laws and enforcement systems to ensure that software is fully protected. The software industry stands ready to provide governments with the support they need to meet this challenge and would like to cooperate with governments to educate the public about the importance of respect for intellectual property rights in software. Software piracy harms more than just the software industry. Without commitment to reducing piracy from worldwide consumers, law enforcement, industry leaders and government officials alike, the potential for world economic growth, driven in part by the booming software industry, is seriously crippled. The high rate of piracy acts as a

significant barrier to the development of the software industry and precludes it from reaching its full potential around the world. Piracy threatens development and innovation by cheating legitim

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