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> The hackers who dominate news coverage and popular culture -- malicious, adolescent techno-wizards, willing and able to do great harm to innocent civilians an
by david_shaw 14y ago
> The hackers who dominate news coverage and popular culture -- malicious, adolescent techno-wizards, willing and able to do great harm to innocent civilians and society at large -- don't exist
Okay, look. I'll agree that the media, as with most issues, spreads fear, uncertainty, and doubt about computer hackers out to wreak havoc. That said, capitalizing on this "myth" and claiming that these malicious hackers don't exist is flat-out wrong.
I'll be honest and admit that I skimmed the rest of the article after this point. It only takes looking at the arrests made re: the LulzSec hackers and the stunts they pulled off to know that saying that these people don't exist is a falsehood designed to get readers interested. For me, it didn't work.
Look at Anonymous hackers on Twitter, or the AnonOps IRC channel if you want to see some real nefarious youths.
We should take media coverage designed to scare us with a pinch of salt, but we also shouldn't rest on our laurels that "oh, these threats don't exist." They do.