We all remember Lisbeth Salander from the The Girl with the Dragon tattoo movie or Neo in The Matrix – both hackers.
Earlier this week even SU websites were targeted by the 747crew, who used it to proclaim their political and religious convictions.
But apparently there’s a difference between hackers and crackers. In the context of computer security a hacker is seen as someone who pinpoints the weaknesses in a computer system or network and exploits them. His motivation can be financial gain, a platform for protest or purely because it’s a challenge.
Over time, and partly thanks to the media, the association with the word “hacker” predominantly became a negative one. Eric S. Raymond (author of The New Hacker’s Dictionary) believes that members of the computer underground should be called crackers. According to R.D. Clifford (2006) a cracker is someone who illegally gained access to a computer with the intent of committing a crime, for example destroying data on a particular system.
More recently the word hacker has been reclaimed by computer programmers who agree with Raymond that those who hack with criminal intent, should be called a cracker. Several subgroups of this subculture have different approaches and also use different terms to distinguish themselves from others.
A white hat won’t break into a system with malicious intent, but rather to test their own security or for a company manufacturing security software. The term white hat in internet slang refers to an ethical hacker.
A black hat hacker violates computer security for his own benefit. These are the stereotypical characters we see depicted in popular culture, like movies. Black hats break into secure networks to destroy data or to render the network unusable for those who need to access it.
A grey hat surfs the internet and breaks into a system only to notify it’s administrator that it has a security defect and then offer to fix it at a price.
A blue hat assists with the testing of a system before it’s launched to establish it’s weaknesses. Usually he’s not part of a computer security company.
Other terms include a script kiddie (someone who’s not an expert and uses other people’s software to hack) and a neophyte, “n00b”, or “newbie” is a novice who’s still in training.
A Hacktivist is a hacker who misuses technology to convey his social, ideological and political message. The defacement of the SU webpages earlier this week is an example of hactivism.
[SOURCE: www.wikipedia.org]
Wie van ons onthou nie vir Lisbeth Salander van The Girl with the Dragon tattoo fliek of Neo in The Matrix nie – beide voorbeelde van hackers.
Vroeër die week het selfs US-webwerwe deurgeloop onder die 747crew, wat dit gebruik het as platform om hul politiese en godsdienstige oortuigings te verkondig.
Daar kan egter `n onderskeid getref word tussen kappers (hackers) en krakers (crackers). In die konteks van rekenaarsekuriteit is `n kapper iemand wat swakplekke in `n rekenaarstelsel of -netwerk opspoor en uitbuit. Sy motivering kan finansieël wees, `n platform vir protes of bloot net omdat dit `n uitdaging bied.
Met tyd, en deels te danke aan die media, is die assosiasie met die woord hacker grotendeels `n negatiewe een. Eric S. Raymond (skrywer van The New Hacker’s Dictionary) voer aan dat lede van die ondergrondse rekenaarbeweging eerder crackers genoem moet word. Volgens R.D. Clifford (2006) is `n cracker iemand wat ongemagtigde toegang tot `n rekenaar verkry met die doel om `n misdaad te pleeg, byvoorbeeld om inligting binne die bepaalde stelsel te vernietig.
Die woord hacker is die afgelope tyd teruggeeis deur rekenaarprogrammeerders wat saamstem met Raymond se teorie dat diegene wat vir krininele doeleindes hack, eerder `n cracker genoem moet word. Subgroepe van die ondergrondse rekenaarkultuur het verskillende benaderings ten opsigte van die twee definisies en gebruik verskillende terme om hulself te onderskei van ander groepe.
`n White hat breek nie by stelsels in met kwaadwillige bedoelings of voorbedagte rade nie, maar eerder om hul eie sekuriteit te beproef of namens `n maatskappy wat sekuriteit-sagteware vervaardig. In internet slang verwys white hat na `n etiese kuberkraker.
‘n Black hat skend rekenaarsekuriteit vir sy eie voordeel. Hulle is die stereotipiese kriminele krakers wat dikwels in populêre kultuur, soos flieks, uitgebeeld word. Black hats breek by sekure netwerke in om data te vernietig of om die netwerk onbruikbaar te maak vir diegene wat toegang daartoe het.
`n Grey hat probeer inbreek by `n stelsel bloot om die administrateur daarop te wys dat sy stelsel `n veiligheidsdefek het. Hulle bied aan om hierdie fout reg te maak – teen `n koste natuurlik.
`n Blue hat toets stelsels voordat dit bekendgestel word sodat swakplekke bepaal en gekorrigeer kan word. Hulle is tipies nie deel is van `n rekenaar sekuriteitsfirma nie.
Ander terme sluit in `n script kiddie (iemand wat nie `n kundige is nie en ander se sagteware gebruik om te hack) en `n neophyte, “n00b”, of “newbie” is `n beginner wat nog kennis en ondervinding moet opdoen.
`n Hacktivist is `n hacker wat tegnologie misbruik om sy sosiale, ideologiese of politieke boodskap oor te dra. Die skending van die US-webwerwe vroeër die week is `n voorbeeld van hactivism.
[BRON: www.wikipedia.org]
Tags: security