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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: Technology Decisions. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.
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Technology Decisions
by StankDawg at 2:31 pm EST, Dec 1, 2004 |
] Hackers are training within our borders in how to
] participate in terrorism. By staying silent, we condone
] it.
] BY ARA C. TREMBLY ] The criminal activity I%u2019m pointing to is hacking,
] the unauthorized computer system break-ins that may
] result in anything from some annoying graffiti on a Web
] page to data theft to extortion demands from those who do
] the breaking.
]
] And how is such activity promoted? Believe it or not,
] hackers have their own trade shows and conventions, and
] the programs read like something out of Kafka.
]
] Take, for example, The Fifth HOPE (Hackers on Planet
] Earth) convention held this past July in New York. The
] event, now apparently in its fifth incarnation, is
] sponsored by 2600, a magazine devoted to hackers and
] their activities.
]
] Perusing the program for the conference, one sees a
] session on the IBM AS/400 system that promises %u201Cto
] show where %u2018interesting%u2019 data can be found and
] where possible weaknesses are in the system.%u201D The
] course is taught by one %u201CStankDawg%u201D (obviously
] his real name) who is alleged to be %u201Ca senior
] programmer/analyst who has worked for Fortune 500
] companies and large universities.%u201D He also is the
] founder of The Digital DawgPound, a hacker group. Maybe
] he works for your company right now. Beware the evil that is StankDawg. A couple of points: 1) This came out in November, a full 5 months after the conference.
2) It is apparent by the way this was written that the author didn't even attend the conference or listen to the audio panels. IF so, they would have made comments about my appearance or quoted from my presentation itself. Instead they simply copied the text from the web site.
3) His defination of hackers at the top of the article is dead wrong. It will be hard to convince them any different if that is their definition.
4) My presentation specifically stated NOT to break into machines without permission. I started off with a comment that this was about LEARNING and PROTECTING systems. The goal was NOT TO teach how to break into an AS/400 and that was stated on the first 2 slides! So the thing is, I know that people will write their anti-hacker articles. I saw some other reviews of me saying that "StankDawg is on the prowl" and how hackers are the bad guys. I am not naive. But this is the first time anyone has out-and-out called me a terrorist. I like to think that I am one of the "good guys" in the hacking scene. Apparently, I am not. :( |
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RE: Technology Decisions
by Decius at 3:10 pm EST, Dec 1, 2004 |
StankDawg wrote:
] 2) It is apparent by the way this was written that the author
] didn't even attend the conference or listen to the audio
] panels. Wow... The ignorance displayed in this article is beyond the pale. This sort of attitude hasn't been commonplace in 10 years. Welcome, new journalist, to the wonderful world of computer security. Here are the rules. 1. You don't know what you're talking about.
2. No, really, you don't know what you're talking about.
3. The first step to having a clue is to listen and do your homework. This means not firing off a rant based on your misinterpretation of a collection of three line summaries of conference discussions. Actually listening to the content of the discussions might help, but you are really just scratching the surface.
4. If you have reached the point in your analysis where you are comparing American high school computer nerds to Islamic terrorists, you need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and think about whether what you are saying actually makes any sense. Consider this a good rule of thumb whenever analogies to terrorists, Hitler, or the Mafia pop into your head.
5. People are not homogenius. Do not assume that the motivations or moral/ethical values presented by one person can be applied unilaterally to a larger group of people.
6. Teenagers like to think that they have a rebellious culture, which is intended to sound dangerous and makes cultural references that you are unlikely to get. If something seems strange, ask about it rather then inserting your own interpretation.
7. In order to do computer security you have to think about computer insecurity. I know this is hard for you to understand as there is no equivelent in the world of journalism. Try to think about football. How good would a football team be if they never considered how their opponent's playbook might look.
8. Sometimes creative people push social boundaries. Insurance underwriters, on the whole, aren't creative people. Please try to keep that in mind.
9. Talking about computer security is not illegal. However, making unfounded personal accusations against real people in print IS illegal. Please try to keep that in mind as well. |
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