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Essay Subject: This paper explores the current trend of computer hacking and cracking It explains the ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: This paper explores the current trend of computer hacking and cracking. It explains the difference between a computer hacker and a computer cracker. It offers up modern day situations that involve computer cracking. Paper Introduction: Computer Crackers A computer hacker is a person interested in exploring a closedcomputer system A cracker is a term coined by computer hackers todescribe an individual that is intent on doing harm during his or herunlawful invasion of a closed computer system Angela Gunn describesthe differences between crackers and hackers this way Hackers poke intosystems to find out how they work Crackers break into systems to raisehell Gunn Ann Harrison describes one such incident in whichcrackers broke into several servers in its Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. There are several counter arguments to thisanalogy. A code for those who write code. Computer viruses and worms have existed since 1988. A logic bomb is an attack triggered by an event,like the computer clock reaching a certain date. In addition, the computer cracker has violated the privacyrights and property rights of the victim. The solution to the problem of cracking will require the followingsteps: . Some set off denial of serviceattacks, and others initiate mail bombs. Some crackers believe thatit is the victim's fault if a worm or virus that exploits a known securityflaw infects their computer. Sandi Wiseheart (2 2) writes that in her experience as a networkmanager computer crackers do not normally care about reading email messagesor stealing data. It might release a virus,or a logic bomb could be a virus itself. Crackers subvert servers to map web weak spots. Longer sentences for those convicted of computer crimes . Therefore, the attempt to create an analogybetween their destructive and criminal activities and the actions oflegitimate researchers is nonsensical. Crackerscannot experiment irrespective of the outcome. Despite more thana decade of warnings, problems involving the transmission of viruses andworms continue. Available: http://www.cnn.com/TECH/specials/hackers/primer/ [2 4, April 16].Radcliff, D. To prove they gained access, crackers will often deliberatelycause damage, such as deleting data or changing user account information.Their goal is to have their work noticed by users and network managers.Wiseheart writes that another popular form of cracking is to break into aweb server and change the home page of that network to another website suchas a website featuring pornography. For example, a Trojan horse program, once executed, may release avirus, worm or logic bomb. (1999). Harrison reports that Visa took other security stepsafter the break-in, including installing additional intrusion-detectionsystems and analyzed millions of lines of system logs to try to understandhow the crackers gained access to the supposedly secure systems andservers. Even if computer crackers weretelling the truth, anyone who creates a destructive computer program has aduty to use extraordinary care to ensure the program is safely stored andnever accidentally released. Theappropriate and logical response to discovering a security flaw is tonotify the vendor of the problem. (1999, March 29). Crackers. International cooperation . This suggests that computer users are not routinelyupdating their anti-virus software, or they have opted not to purchase thistype of software despite the threats to their systems that viruses, wormsand Trojan Horses pose to the average computer that happens to have aconnection, of any type, to the Internet. When caught, some crackers actually claim they wereunaware of how rapidly their virus or worm would spread. The victim incurs the cost of removing the malicious program, thecosts of lost productivity, or the possible release of confidentialinformation. (2 2, September 22). Crackers break into systems to raisehell" (Gunn, 2 1, 66). Scientists and researchersare bound by a professional code of ethics, and the nature and scope oftheir experiments are approved in advance by an outside party. Another problem associated with anypublication or warnings about system vulnerability is the possibility thatthe warning may encourage others to exploit the weakness before the patchhas been developed and released. Trojan horse programs appear to do one thing, but do somethingelse. Viruses, worms, Trojan Horses and logic bombs are all forms ofprograms that can invade a system. Computerworld, 34, 6.Mandeville, D. Several months later, the company received a call and e-maildemanding money in exchange for the data. Computer Crackers A computer hacker is a person interested in exploring a closedcomputer system. A cracker is a term coined by computer hackers todescribe an individual that is intent on doing harm during his or herunlawful invasion of a closed computer system. Prosecution of those convicted of crimes associated with cracking . Regardless of any benefits, installing a worm orvirus is still an unauthorized access of a person's computer. CNN [Online]. Hackers vs. Available: http://psy.ucsd.edu/ psynet/security/hackers.html#HvC [2 4, April 16]. In the process, they are pinging a massive number of proxy ports,in search of user names, passwords, proxy service information,vulnerabilities and other data that could be used to launch large-scaleattacks on government and corporate sites. Some crackers break into a server andrather than announce their presence, they install software, rearrangeconfiguration files and start using the pirated server as a springboard toattack other computer systems (Hackers vs. Angela Gunn (2 1) describesthe differences between crackers and hackers this way: "Hackers poke intosystems to find out how they work. Ann Harrison describes one such incident in whichcrackers broke into several servers in its global network last July andstole information from Visa International Incorporated - the credit cardcompany. Theysuggest that the Internet is a playground and a laboratory all in one.Crackers extend this analogy by suggesting that they should be allowed toexperiment in this laboratory, even if certain experiments do not have theexpected or desired outcome. We sometimes think of computer crackers as lonely individuals sittingin a dark room alone in front of a computer screen. Some computer crackers also buildviruses, or spread worms and Trojan Horses, or install logic bombs insystems they invade. When caught, some crackers claim theirwork did no serious damage. Some crackers suggest that the Internet is a work in progress. The fact that a worm or a virus sent by acracker does do not serious damage misses the point; the fact that nopermanent damage was done does not mean computer cracking is a victimlesscrime. This way, the vulnerability is not madepublic and a software "patch" can be designed and distributed before anyonecan exploit the security flaw. (2 ). Visa notified authorities aboutthe extortion demands, which may have come from an organized group ofcomputer crackers. In fact, there are books as well as website that tell peopleinterested in becoming crackers how to do so. According to DeborahRadcliff (1999), cracking has become more sophisticated, better organizedand more insidious. A virus is a program that can attach itself to a fileand replicate itself. The Internetis used both to transmit information and to gather information. This activity is both unethical and unlawful.However, some people defend this behavior by offering this justification:Releasing malicious code exposes security flaws in operating systems andapplications software. UCSD [Online]. Anothercounter-argument to the suggestion that computer crackers should not bepunished for experimenting relates to the fact that the goal of crackers isto destroy data, vandalize websites, and intercept and read privatemessages among other crimes. Radcliff reports that in September of 1999, members ofthe System Administration, Networking and Security Institute (SANS)discovered that crackers, possibly located in Russia, were mapping theInternet. Only minimal computer skills are required to release a maliciousprogram. David Mandeville (1999) explains that network hackers engage a varietyof unlawful and unethical activities. Publishing about system vulnerability mayand often does encourage the release of other malicious programs thatcontinue to test the system or the software for weaknesses andvulnerabilities. SANS reports that the attackuses a Trojan horse to instruct infected computers to probe other serversconnected to the Internet, and then send the information gathered back to aserver in Russia (Radcliff, 1999, 68). A mail bomb is a similar software programthat targets a victim's mail server (Hackers, crackers and Trojan horses: Aprimer, 1999). The first counter-argument is that businesses, students,government entities and individuals depend on the Internet. (2 1). Worms invade a computer and use system resources toreplicate. For instance, a denial of service attack on a Web server floodsit with bogus requests for data. However, when it comes to worms and viruses, there is noreason to create malicious software that alters or deletes data files fromthe computers or initiates other functions such as disabling anti-virussoftware other than to release the software. When caught, some crackers claim the damage they caused wasaccidental. The truth is thatto some crackers the ability to create a virus or worm is proof of his orher computer savvy and programming ability. Visa Reveals July break-ins. However, blaming the victim is not arealistic or a logical argument. Wiseheart adds that another reasoncrackers do what they do is to get access to additional bandwidth tosupport their cracking efforts. There is no rational reason towrite a program that one intends not to use. Hackers, crackers and Trojan horses: A primer. Contrary to popular myth, crackers are not necessarily computergeniuses. Therefore, one of the solutions to thisproblem is the right to demand that crackers who release maliciousprograms, even if the release was an accident, to be held legallyaccountable for their criminal actions and held financially accountable forthe damage they cause. They want to break into systems to show off theirprowess. Better informed and educated computer users who will be less likely to make mistakes that result in infection of their computer or their company's computer network ReferencesGunn, A. Internet Life, 7, 66.Harrision, A. Both of these are intended toswamp a computer network's ability to respond and perform its normalfunctions. A virus can corrupt the data of the file it invades,and it may try to use all of the computer's processing resources to try tocrash the computer. One of the hobbies of some crackers is designing and releasingmalicious computer programs. Better firewall protection, and current anti-virus protection . Computerworld, 33, 68.Wiseheart, S. Crackers, online). In fact, it is self-servingfor crackers to associate their criminal's activities with the legitimatework done by serious researchers and scientists. The server eventually spends so much timeprocessing these requests that it cannot respond to routine request fromemployees and legitimate users. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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