Hackers in training

[RDCKraken]

It has been released on cnn a some days ago, that a computer lab is training people to learn to hack, so we learn it before the bad guys does... what do you think, is this right or not? i believe its kind of wierd, why should we need hacking? but thats just my opinion..

for more info:
Check the video (http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/07/29/pkg.wian.knight.hacker.cnn)

[The_Silent]

Its a free country I guess. Let them have their fun.

[LordDz]

Sounds like a good thing for me, as long as it's used in a white way.

[Don-Para-]

sounds like a good thing for me, as long as it's used in a white way.

white way

Is that a computer term?

EDIT: JQEWIRKQWPLRWQ. enjoi you ninja editor.

[rysnt11]

Well, nowdays in my country all is illegal, even the goverment isn't care at all about hacking, illegal things, or even pirated items, they just 'sit and watch', and also, i agree with the 'white way', hacking into a virus maker's computer is a good things :p

[LordDz]

Is that a computer term?

Yes it is. But I'm still bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hat_%28computer_security%29

[enjoy]

Hacking is illegal, so no, not okay.
The bad guys are bad guys because they are hackers.. If they didn't hack, they would just be guys, with way too much sparetime.

[RDCKraken]

how can it be alright when its illegal?

[CMarket]

I always wanted to learn how to hack. Not because I want to steal people's info and money, but because I want to pull gags on people I know :D

On topic: Frankly, the more people know how to hack the greater the chance of a new "evil" hacker appearing.

[RDCKraken]

I was always in the start like " Omg i wanna learn to hack ".. then after a while i calmed down and realized i cant learn this shit..

[Urwaldbewohner]

u need hackers

how else should you test your protection programms?

[RDCKraken]

by someone hacking into me? no thanks, i think the firewall companies knows how to check.

[LordDz]

Guys, what they do is that they learn people to counter hacking, by knowing how to hack.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_testing

How can we counter people from doing bad stuff, if we don't know about their methods?

[RDCKraken]

why should we learn the bad methods? doesnt we be bad aswell?

[Rui]

u need hackers

how else should you test your protection programms?
I have a similar ideology. I'd like to learn how to hack really well so that I could spend a lot of time scanning programs up and down looking for ways to exploit them. This is useful for the government, and through them, good for you as well.

[GhostWolf]

Hack the pentagon. You'd get a job there. Or go to jail.

Anyhow, who do you think makes all your firewalls and anti viruses?
Why, without those lovely hackers, we'd all be left with crappy software.

Oh wait, we are still left with crappy software, just it's slower.

[LordDz]

why should we learn the bad methods? doesnt we be bad aswell?

Let's say I were to attack your computer, what could you do about it, if you wouldn't ever want to learn about my methods? Or let someone who knows about the methods, help you.

It's not a black and white world.

[RDCKraken]

We already got people that can help us, but they doesnt know how to hack?

[sunwarrior25]

Best defense against long-range hacking: Unplug your internet.

Best defense against short-range hacking: ... Uh... Unplug your internet?

Neither of these work if your internet is built into your computer (i.e. laptops).

[Magtheridon96]

Since when were hacking and warez illegal? :D

Then again, I'm lebanese so I can get away with anything :ogre_hurrhurr:

[Dr Super Good]

Hacking is not technically illegal in most places. Its the data you access when hacking however can be illegal for you to access.

For example, nothing is wrong with hacking into an account database system. However as soon as you access any of the data in it you are breaking the data protection act as the data owners have not given you permission to access that data.

Additionally, if you cause damages in the process of hacking (such as server shutdowns) you have commited a crime.

[Vengeancekael]

Google is basically paying people who hack chrome, the bigger the loop hole is, the more they get payed. They reveal the hackers sometimes on their blog. Kind of a neat idea.

[Steel_Stallion]

Hacking is illegal, so no, not okay.
The bad guys are bad guys because they are hackers.. If they didn't hack, they would just be guys, with way too much sparetime.

No it's not. That's a pretty stupid generalization, if I may. "Hacking" is too much of a broad term, you can't just pin the whole thing as illegal.

[Magtheridon96]

I wish I had the energy to finish my C++ book :p
Then I'd be having fun hacking >:D

@DSG:
Server Shutdowns are cool :p

[Luffy]

hacking is always a need for computer community

[D4RK_G4ND4LF]

I wish I had the energy to finish my C++ book :p
Then I'd be having fun hacking >:D

don't you need to know assembly for that?
also it surprised me that there was so much python code in the video but I don't know much about hacking anyway




there was a strong argument mentioned in the video:
"Would you hire a locksmith who doesn't know how locks are picked?"
I think it's more about buying a house with a lock by a locksmith who doesn't know how locks are picked but you get the idea

[Kercyn]

Offensive Security (http://www.offensive-security.com/) also offers training courses to professional pentesters or security enthusiasts. Hacking is one of the best weapons against electronic crime.

[WherewolfTherewolf]

As far as hacking training is concerned, it's just teaching someone how a computer works further then what the OS maker would like you to know - there's nothing illegal about having the knowledge of how to hack, it's putting it into practice.

You need to know how a hacker works to stop them anyway, at least as far as this is concerned you have a place to get started that's not going directly to potentially dangerous hackers or trying to figure it all out yourself.

[JetFangInferno]

You teach people to hack so that they can indirectly strengthen your security. Think of it this way: let's say you're trying to build a wall out of the sturdiest materials possible but how can you test its durability without having others attempt to destroy the wall? With each successful hack (destruction of the wall), the security department will find a way to rebuild the wall with a stronger material. It's also similar to the concept of calcification. Each time you damage your bones (as long as you don't completely obliterate it obviously), it strengthens itself through recalcification. This way of hacking is exactly that -- damaging the bone so that it can repair itself and become stronger (through the security department).

Also, enough with the stigmatization of the word "hacking." There are people who do it for a living, and do it for the better. Would you villify all the Kinect hacks that exist right now? (Don't answer it -- it's a rhetorical question).

[RDCKraken]

there is also people that steal stuff and release it :/...

[Don-Para-]

there is also people that steal stuff and release it :/...

But that's not what the training is for. It's for people who are serious about good protection. If we want good anti-hacking software we need people to understand what hacking is in the first place.

[WherewolfTherewolf]

there is also people that steal stuff and release it :/...

Ever heard of White hat hackers?
Not everyone who's hacking is doing illegal things with it, that's like saying all University students drink copious amounts of alcohol, those are the ones you hear about the most so you get the impression that's what all University students are doing when that's far from the truth.

[RDCKraken]

Did you ever heard about wiki leaks? that my great example..

[WherewolfTherewolf]

That wasn't hacking Bugz, that was leaked information from people within the government

[RDCKraken]

The owner is a old hacker. He have been sued many times for hacking.

[Don-Para-]

Ever heard of White hat hackers?

White

This again...

[JetFangInferno]

Bugz, you're missing the point here. What some of us are saying is that there are hackers who are getting training to help security. The bad hackers that infiltrate propietary information and distribute that stuff illegally is a valid concern, but it is not the point of this topic.

[LordDz]

Did you ever heard about wiki leaks? that my great example..

I think wikileaks is a good thing, as it stops governments from hiding their dark secrets.

[Luffy]

I think wikileaks is a good thing, as it stops governments from hiding their dark secrets.

ofcourse if it was true lmao

[RDCKraken]

Bugz, you're missing the point here. What some of us are saying is that there are hackers who are getting training to help security. The bad hackers that infiltrate propietary information and distribute that stuff illegally is a valid concern, but it is not the point of this topic.

How can you make sure they keep doing good things?, they might get corrupted when they find out they're skills

[Ignitedstar]

You guys, there are proper terms for this...

A Hacker is generally someone who knows a lot about the internal code of how computers work. One of the college textbooks that I owned went into lot of depth to divide what a real hacker is. They're really enthusiastic computer technicians that find loopholes in computer programs, applications, OSes, etc. then list their findings so people know that there are problems with the programs. Big rule of thumb though: It's never done for malicious purposes. They KNOW this. If they say otherwise, they're in the bottom category.

The ones who use hacking for all of the wrong reasons are called Crackers. Hackers aren't the ones who intentionally try to destroy your computer with viruses, it's these people who use their computer skills to hurt other users.

You don't use hacking to hurt other people-- against the law, obviously-- you use it to protect yourself if ever happens to you. If something is wrong with your PC, you can run and understand internal data to find out what's wrong. If someone else is hacking into your PC, you have the knowledge of "What should I do first" and you know methods of how to find the problem and make sure it goes away forever.

If you ask me, knowing how to hack a computer is a skill that should be taught in educational settings. Computer security is a HUGE business, and I see so much lobbying on their part to make sure this won't happen.

[Boris_Spider]

Hacking = good.

It keeps things interesting. I second that it should be taught in school. It would greatly improve student performence and ensure that everyone, at least in the US, is an A+ student.

//\\^^//\\

[JetFangInferno]

Bugz, you're being stubbornly pessimistic.

[RDCKraken]

Yeah i might be, anyways people do use hacking badly, but aswell they use it to protect

[D4RK_G4ND4LF]

How can you make sure they keep doing good things?, they might get corrupted when they find out they're skills

I've heard that people are trained to use GUNS to KILL PEOPLE!! (for self-defense)
They might get corrupted when they find out about their skills!

[RDCKraken]

I've heard that people are trained to use GUNS to KILL PEOPLE!! (for self-defense)
They might get corrupted when they find out about their skills!

That is two different things

[Urwaldbewohner]

That is two different things

true hackin does not kill people

[LordDz]

I've heard that people are trained to use GUNS to KILL PEOPLE!! (for self-defense)
They might get corrupted when they find out about their skills!

Actually, some countries have banned weapons for self defense.

[mrzwach]

You can't fix a weakness in your defense when you don't realize it exists.

The way you find weaknesses in a computer system is by attempting to bypass it. Which is exactly what hacking is.

Failing to recognize weaknesses and fix them means that they remain there for more truly malicious people to exploit.

[JetFangInferno]

You can never absolutely guarantee that they will use their training for good. That's why you should be as selective as possible in interviewing these trainee candidates. Skills can be taught, but attitude cannot. The trainers must screen candidates based on their ethics/morals.

[Luffy]

being good or evil is a much much wider and philosophic matter than "hackers in training" subject. It's irresistible, and unchangeable. I think it goes off-topic when people argue if it causes training for either good or evil hackers.

[The_Silent]

It doesn't exactly take a hacker to access another persons computer, as most doesn't even have the curtsy to use password.

[LordDz]

It doesn't exactly take a hacker to access another persons computer, as most doesn't even have the curtsy to use password.

When I bought my laptop, I got the one from the shop, including their wireless password. One day, I'm thinking I should... Just take a trip next to them and say hi from their computers.