Hacker

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Hacker is a term applied often to computer software or computer hardware programmers, designers and administrators, and especially those who are perceived as experts or highly accomplished. A hacker is also someone who modifies electronics, for example, ham radio transceivers, printers or even home sprinkler systems for extra functionality or performance. The term usually bears strong connotations, but may be either favorable or denigrating depending on cultural context (see the hacker definition controversy).

• In computer programming, a hacker is a software designer and programmer who builds programs and systems that garner the respect of one's peers. A hacker can also be a programmer who hacks or reaches a goal by employing a series of modifications to exploit or extend existing code or resources. For some, "hacker" has a negative connotation and refers to a person who "hacks" or uses kludges to accomplish programming tasks that are ugly, inelegant, and inefficient. This pejorative form of the noun "hack" is even used among users of the positive sense of "hacker" (some argue that it should not be due to this pejorative meaning, but others argue that some kludges can, for all their ugliness and imperfection, still have "hack value").

• In computer security, a hacker is a person who specializes in work with the security mechanisms for computer and network systems. While including those who endeavor to strengthen such mechanisms, it is more often used by the mass media and popular culture to refer to those who seek access despite them.

• In other technical fields, hacker is extended to mean a person who makes things work beyond perceived limits through their own technical skill, such as a hardware hacker, or reality hacker.

• In hacker culture, a hacker is a person who has attained the respect of one's peers.

Contents 1 Categories of hacker 1.1 Hacker: Highly skilled programmer 1.2 Hacker: Computer and network security expert 1.3 Hacker: Hardware modifier 2 Recognized hackers 2.1 Skilled programmers 2.2 Hacker media personalities 3 See also 3.1 General 3.2 Certifications 3.3 Other 4 References 5 Related books 6 External links

[edit] Categories of hacker

The hacker community, the set of people who would describe themselves as hackers or described by others as hackers, falls into at least three partially overlapping categories. Sometimes alternate terms such as "cracker" are used in an attempt to more exactly distinguish which category of hacker is intended, or when attempting to put a contextual distance between the categories due to the hacker definition controversy.

[edit] Hacker: Highly skilled programmer

This mainly positive usage of hacker refers to one who knows a (sometimes specified) set of programming interfaces well enough to program rapidly and expertly. This type of hacker is well-respected (although the term still carries some of the meaning of hack), and is capable of developing programs without adequate planning or where pre-planning is difficult or impossible to achieve. This situation gives freedom and the ability to be creative against a methodical and careful progress. At their best, hackers can be very productive. The technical downside of hacker productivity is often in maintainability, documentation, and completion. Very talented hackers may become bored with a project once they have figured out all of the hard parts, and be unwilling to finish off the "details". This attitude can cause friction in environments where other programmers are expected to pick up the half finished work, decipher the structures and ideas, and bullet-proof the code. In other cases, where a hacker is willing to maintain their own code, a company may be unable to find anyone else who is capable or willing to dig through code to maintain the program if the original programmer moves on to a new job.

Additionally, there is sometimes a social downside associated with hacking. The stereotype of a hacker as having gained technical ability at a cost in social ability has been observed by many individuals, including noted psychologist Phillip Zimbardo.^[1] Some researches have speculated on a possible link between hacking and conditions in the Autism spectrum, such as Asperger's Syndrome;^[2] for example, Bram Cohen, the hacker who created the Bittorrent protocol, is believed by many (including himself) to have Asperger's.^[3] While such social stunting from whatever cause is not universal among hackers, nor even only restricted to hackers, the difficulty in relating to others and the often abrasive personalities of some hackers makes some of them difficult to work with or to organize into teams.^[4] On the other hand, it is not uncommon for hackers to thrive on social interaction.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Hacker: Computer and network security expert

Main article: Hacker (computer security)

In the networking sense, a hacker is one who specializes in working with computers and network systems Confidentiality, Integrity, and Access. This includes individuals who work toward maintaining and improving the integrity of such mechanisms; however, the most common usage of hacker in this respect refers to someone who exploits systems or gains unauthorized access by means of clever tactics and detailed knowledge, while taking advantage of any carelessness or ignorance on the part of system operators. This use of hacker as intruder (frequent in the media) generally has a strong negative connotation, and is disparaged and discouraged within the computer community, resulting in the modern Hacker definition controversy.

For such hackers specializing in intrusion, the highly derogatory term script kiddies is often used to indicate those who either claim to have far more skill than they actually have, or who exclusively use programs developed by others to achieve a successful security exploit.

It is possible with some on-line games to modify the associated software to provide advantages in play; these modifications may violate the tacit standards of the on-line gaming community or the game EULA. Gaming community members use the term hacker when referring to those who are develop or use such modifications (or are strongly suspected of such), with meaning roughly equivalent to cheater

[edit] Hacker: Hardware modifier

Main article: Hardware hacker

Another type of hacker is one who creates novel hardware modifications. At the most basic end of this spectrum are those who make frequent changes to the hardware in their computers using standard components, or make semi-cosmetic themed modifications to the appearance of the machine. This type of Hacker modifies his/her computer for performance needs and/or aesthetics. These changes often include adding memory, storage or LEDs and cold cathode tubes for light effects. These people often show off their talents in contests, and many enjoy LAN parties. At the more advanced end of the hardware hackers are those who modify hardware (not limited to computers) to expand capabilities; this group blurs into the culture of hobbyist inventors and professional electronics engineering. An example of such modification includes the addition of TCP/IP Internet capabilities to a number of vending machines and coffee makers during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Hackers who have the ability to write circuit-level code, device drivers, firmware, low-level networking, (and even more impressively, using these techniques to make devices do things outside of their spec sheets), are typically in very high regard among hacker communities. This is primarily due to the enormous difficulty, complexity and specialized domain knowledge required for this type of work, as well as the electrical engineering expertise that plays a large role. Such hackers are rare, and almost always considered to be wizards or gurus of a very high degree.

[edit] Recognized hackers

These individuals listed could be included in more than one category. See also Hacker (computer security), which has a list of people in that category, including criminal or unethical hackers.

[edit] Skilled programmers

Main article: List of programmers

Many programmers have been labeled "great hackers,"^[5] but the specifics of who that label applies to is a matter of opinion. Certainly major contributors to computer science such as Edsger Dijkstra and Donald Knuth, as well as the inventors of popular software such as Linus Torvalds (Linux), and Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson (the C programming language) are likely to be included in any such list.

[edit] Hacker media personalities

Listed below are individuals who, while fitting in one or more of the above categories, are (especially among the general public) currently more widely famous for their media presence ("famous for being famous") than their technical accomplishments.

• Loyd Blankenship (also known as The Mentor) — Former LOD member. Author of The Conscience of a Hacker (Hacker's Manifesto).

• Eric Corley (also known as Emmanuel Goldstein) — Long standing publisher of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly and founder of the H.O.P.E. conferences. He has been part of the hacker community since the late '70s.

• CULT OF THE DEAD COW — A high profile hacker group that has both made news and been consulted by the media on numerous occasions.

• William Henry Gates III (Bill Gates) — is the co-founder and chairman of Microsoft Corporation. Although he personally demonstrated considerable personal coding skill early in his company's history ^[6][7], he is most widely recognizable today as the world's richest individual. Formerly CEO, in June 2006 he also stepped down as chief software architect, with the intention of stepping down as chairman in July 2008.^[8]

• Patrick K. Kroupa (also known as Lord Digital) — Former LOD member, co-founder of MindVox, author of Phantom Access programs, and MindVox: The Overture. Appears in over 20 books and hundreds of media and press articles.

• Gary McKinnon — accused of hacking into 97 United States military and NASA computers in 2001 and 2002. [6]

• Kevin Mitnick — A former computer criminal who now (since his release from prison in 2000) speaks, consults, and authors books about social engineering and network security.

• Neal Patrick and The 414s — teenage hackers who gained brief but widespread media coverage in 1983.

• Bruce Perens — Also one of the founders of the Open Source Initiative. He was the former Debian GNU/Linux Project Leader, and is the primary author of the Open Source Definition.

• Eric S. Raymond — One of the founders of the Open Source Initiative. He wrote the famous text The Cathedral and the Bazaar and many other essays. He also maintains the Jargon File for the Hacker culture, which was previously maintained by Guy L. Steele, Jr..

[edit] See also

[edit] General

• Hacker ethic
• Leet
• Computer crime
• Life hacking
• Hacker Emblem
• Biohacker
• Wetware hacker
• Information wants to be free
• Video hacker

[edit] Certifications

• Certified Ethical Hacker
• EC-Council Certified Security Analyst
• Licensed Penetration Tester
• ISSAF Penetration Testing Qualified
• ISSAF Penetration Testing Expert
• Certified Penetration Testing Professional
• Certified Penetration Testing Expert
• NSA's INFOSEC Assessment Methodology
• NSA's INFOSEC Evaluation Methodology
• Certified Information System Auditor

• Certified Information Security Manager * Not a hacker certification. This is a management credential.
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional * Not a hacker certification. This is a management credential.

[edit] Other

• Quick-and-dirty
• The Hacker Test
• The Snoopy Calendar program is the classic Fortran program referenced in the Hacker Test
• Hackathon

• Lists
  • List of fictional hackers

[edit] References

1. ^ "The Hacker Papers" in Psychology Today August 1980
2. ^ USA Today Article [1]
3. ^ Wired Article [2]
4. ^ For example, Theo de Raadt and Richard Stallman http://www.softpanorama.org/People/Stallman/prophet.shtml
5. ^ Graham, Paul (2004). Great Hackers.
6. ^ Article from The Register [3]
7. ^ Archive.org cache of discussion of Altair Basic source code [4]
8. ^ Microsoft Press release June 2006 [5]

[edit] Related books

[edit] External links

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• The Jargon File
• The New Jargon File: An effort to establish an open hacker culture document, in the tradition of the Jargon File
• How To Become A Hacker by Eric S. Raymond
• On Hacking by Richard M. Stallman
• The MIT Gallery of Hacks