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 Breaking
into computer systems to steal information or damage files
is definitely criminal. But that does not justify classifying
the art of hacking itself as illegal or undesirable, argues
Samir Kelekar, as he puts forth his case in defence
of hacking.
In
a world full of dos and don’ts, there are few things
that are good for the soul. And one such thing is hacking.
Hacking, the art of electronically breaking through the security
of a computer or a network, is much maligned, but for a true
hacker, it is almost the essence of his/her (haven’t
heard of too many women hackers though) life.
In a world full of hegemony of the biggies, and where the
small are almost trampled upon, hacking is the equivalent
of registering protest for the underpowered, the oppressed
and the helpless.
It is one way for the downtrodden to get back at the big bad
world. From a totally different perspective, hacking as a
technological challenge is almost unparalleled. It is the
technological equivalent of a climb to Mount Everest, the
climax of which occurs when one has broken into a computer.
Never mind the legality or the illegality of it, or the ethics
or the lack of it, I would like to put together here a defence
of an art which is so special and unique that it is almost
worthy of worship.
* Hacking advances technology
Today a whole new field of computer and network security has
arisen due to the ingenuity of the hackers. Remove the hackers,
and this field is bound to disappear. Keep them there, and
hey, there are more jobs for people, the economy is boosted,
and thus society is benefited. Estimates by Lehman Brothers
done recently indicate that publicly traded Internet security
companies are likely to grow as much forty percent in the
next twelve months.
* Hacking is good for your brain
Hacking is like playing chess, and one of the most mentally
stimulating exercises that one can think of doing today. In
a world increasingly inclined towards passive entertainment
such as watching television, hacking is something that challenges
the mind to be more active and alert.
A society of hackers would no doubt
be a society with a very high intelligence quotient.
* By itself, hacking is not harmful
The mere fact of breaking into someone else’s computer
is not harmful. If there is no malicious intent to harm the
computer that is broken into, and no harm comes to the data,
programs or hardware in the process of the break-in, then
what is wrong with it?
* Hacking is a creative endeavour
Hacking is not an easy job. The hacker has to pull the last
trick out of his bag to be able to break through. Creativity
is at its peak when a system gets broken into. Right from
the mathematics of encryption to befriending the pretty receptionist
of a company to get the passwords of the users, the hacker
resorts to a whole spectrum of techniques under the sun to
achieve his end. In that sense, a hacker is not just a nerd
but has to learn to understand the gamut of life itself.
* Hacking motivates
In the dreary world of the software industry, with five pages
of documentation to be written for every page of code, and
five managers to be kept satisfied at all times, few things
can be as motivating as a crack at a website. Hacking is so
motivating it can lure a true hacker away from the pubs, boring
dates and other distracting human activities, to the dizzy
heights of the cyberworld.
Case closed
In a world that is becoming increasingly full of rules and
legalities that urge you to do this and not to do that; where
lawyers, rather than software engineers, already rule the
roost, making hacking illegal would tilt the balance further
in the wrong direction. Also, hacking is equivalent to freedom
of speech in the cyberworld. A cyber user should have the
right to probe, inquire and explore his/her world freely.
Cutting off his freedom by making hacking illegal is equivalent
to gagging of his freedom of speech. If at all, it is technology
which should be advanced so that hackers cannot break into
networks; laws are no excuse for technological incapability.
Make breaking into computers tough, if not impossible. Hackers
will of course be ready to take up the challenge, and find
newer and more innovative ways to hack. After all, the hacker
loves nothing more than a smart adversary on the other side—for
ultimately that’s the test of how deep and true his love
for technology really runs, and how smart he really is.
The author is a Bangalore-based entrepreneur, with over 18
years of experience in companies like Motorola, Alcatel and
IBM. Among his varied interests is the area of network security
and its impact on society. He can be contacted at konkani_net@yahoo.com
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