Security and Hackers

Hackers, whether they are whizkid teenages, spies, or criminals, are everyone's nightmare. This page looks at who they really are, and provides another point of view.







Security on the Internet, as you might imagine, was not a big issue in the begining. However, a band of smart and skilled young people, often teenagers, called hackers roamed the Net, breaking into private networks of varied entities from the Defense Department to several banks.

Of all the hackers, one of the most famous is Kevin Mitcick. He first gained notoriety when, at the age of 17, he broke into the military's NORAD air defense computer system. Following that, he broke into phone companies, cellular networks, credit bureaus, university and corporate computers. However, his luck ran out at the end of 1994 when he infiltrated Tsutomo Shimomura's computers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Shimomura has been described by The New York Times as one of the most skilled computer security experts in the country. He tracked the famous hacker through the Internet, identified him, and had him arrested two months later.

Hacking Ethics

When talking about hacking, cases like the one mentioned above come to mind. Too often, people link hacking to criminal activities. This is a misuse of the word. In the true sense of the word, hacking has to do with the belief that all information should be free. In fact, there is a

Security Compromise

According to the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), most FBI investigated computer crimes were perpetrated by hackers gaining access to internal networks through the Internet. This is possible since, once a local area network is hooked up to the Net, sensitive data in the system potentially becomes accessible to every computer on the Net.

The best way to protect one's system is to find security holes before hackers do by using such things as:

However, if the system has been compromised, there are ways to remedy the situation. Ohio State University has a site on the Internet that gives helpful hints on how to remedy security compromises by doing such things as: To keep abreast of current security issues, it is a good idea to visit security hacking list site where most current security information can be found.

Look Ahead

Government agencies, university systems, financial institutions, hospitals and other concerns, need to protect sensitive information. Never theless, no matter how secure the computer is, once it goes public, in a LAN or WAN, security breaks down. In addition, hackers appear to be mounting more aggressive attacks, using more sophisticated tactics. Users must select the best rated security system for their specific needs, both internal and external.


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This page was designed and developed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Baruch College, Graduate Course "Networks and Telecommunications" -- CIS 9350. The information provided in these pages is accurate and up to date (as of December 1995) to the best of our knowledge and abilities. The page was designed and created for educational purposes only. Any opinions represented on this page are from the students' perspective as they researched the opinions of the faculty or the Baruch College School of Business.

Security Project Members.

Please send comments about this page to Fritz J. Nau at xm2bb@cunyvm.cuny.edu.


Last modified 16 Dec 95