hacker alert!

[Skizm]

beware of e-mails stating that michael jackson committed suicide and that will give you a link for more info. this link will install 2 trojan horses-one goes in the backdoor allowing hacker to plant a more malicious code. if the link is clicked, a busy pop up will distract you just long enough to instal malware....you do not want this so delete e-mail immediately.

[r0t8]

ps - you should say virus alert, not hacker alert. not all hackers have malicious intentions. technically there is another term for those people, "crackers". it's not used much anymore, though.

[Nick Steady]

Whare's Angelina Jolie and Matthew Lillard when you need em?

[always420]

http://www.kernel.uky.edu/1995/fall/0919/hackers.gif

[Skizm]

ps - you should say virus alert, not hacker alert. not all hackers have malicious intentions. technically there is another term for those people, "crackers". it's not used much anymore, though.

as far as I'm concerned its the same thing- you steal my info and rip my tracks and I will not support your cause. I would rather give bill gates my money than support a scene that can't control the bad apples. so when that happens then I will make the effort to distinguish the 2. Sorry for tryin to protect your ass-....I do not play dungeons and dragons in my moms basement while watching harry potter-sorry have too much shit to do for the dumbing down effect.

[r0t8]

2. Sorry for tryin to protect your ass-....I do not play dungeons and dragons in my moms basement while watching harry potter
^ that's about the dumbest response i've read all day... and i've read some pretty fuckin' dumb responses.

[Mage]

Isn't it amazing how certain people always seem to end up being part of the posts that involve insulting others? heheh

Hackers really are a little different, Skizm. The guys who actually KNOW what they are doing, usually will never use their knowledge in a malicious form. Especially to someone who just get's on the internet to check their email and talk to friends. A true hacker is just constantly trying to learn how to get into a secure area and will usually just look around. Maybe add a file that says they were there.

Then there are the guys who read what programs to download in order to kick their friends off AOL. Heh. Those are the people that generally do malicious things, such as find a virus and send it to everyone they know in their email address book. They usually don't have a good grasp on how a computer works anyways.

Of course, I always used to think it was harmless, and even a little righteous to be a "True" hacker, though one of my professors in college put things into perspective. His example was that you own a house. You have a pretty good home security system, and you lock all your doors for the night. One day, a guy who just wants to see if he can get into your house without getting caught sneaks in. He walks around, taking a look at everything you have. He moves one of your vases just enough for you to notice. He then leaves, writing a little note explaining that he was in your home and dropping it on the floor. The next day you wake up, walk down stairs, and notice that someone has been in your house without your permission. Your sense of security has been destroyed, and you have to take the time checking everything in your home to make sure nothing has been taken.

This is why hacking is malicious, even if nothing is corrupted. In the world of business where time is directly proportional to money, checking all of your files, making sure that there haven't been any back doors opened, and notifying all of your customers that their information may have been stolen can be deadly for a company. So yeah, hacking may be innocent in the mind of the hacker, but there are sometimes consequences which can lead to people getting in a lot of trouble, including the seventeen year old who just wanted to have a little fun. I guess that's why a lot of them are turning white hat and working for security analysts.

Ack...sorry, that was a rant. And thanks for the warning, though the best way not to get viruses, is not to open any emails that seem suspicious. And under no circumstances open an attatchment unless you are sure that it's safe.

[r0t8]

hackers are why systems are secure. you can't have a secure system without someone trying to break into it.

[Mage]

^^^

Very true, but those are generally hackers that are actually hired and contracted by
companies to attempt to break in. I was talking about the illegal hacking.