Media and Hackers
The word media refers to communication vessels such as phones, televisions, and the internet through which news, music, education, and movies are circulated. It defines the various methods of communication in a society ranging from a phone call to the news on the television. Broadly, media has three groups, print media, broadcast media, and the internet. As the media evolves, so does the hacking subculture. The media has played a huge role in the development of the hacking subculture.
An article by the Frontline compares hackers to watchdogs that track down vulnerabilities in systems and point them out to improve security. The article acknowledges hacking as a very crucial skill set in society and further compares the hackers to astronauts and national resources. It refers to them as pioneers in the electronic frontier. They make hacking sound fun and a cool thing to do when they claim that hacking is like exploring. It further creates awareness of the hackers’ communities that young hackers might desire to join and how articulated and organized the hacking communities are. With all these praises placed upon hacking, who wouldn’t want to attempt it?
Despite the increased rate of cyber-attacks, some media houses still insist on viewing hackers as innovators. The case of Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide while facing felony charges, caused such an uproar. He was a pioneering internet technologist that was taking part in a good cause of making study materials available to other students for free at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The article claim that he intended to help other students and can’t be compared to that of a criminal that hacks into systems intending to extort people and expose their personal information.
Additionally, the media has over-hyped these young hackers as activists with a good cause. Youths are now using the data breaches to prove a political point, says Joe Gallop. They are hacking into politicians’ electronic devices to prove their real identity and intention to the public. They also hack into organization systems to check on the waste disposal systems in a bid to conserve the environment. Taking a look at an example of the Ashley Madison hack, that was hacked by a team called the Impact Team, it revealed cheating spouses that joined the dating website to continue dating despite them being married. This exposure led to a large number of suicide cases. However, one thing that the media is not emphasizing is how much hurt and damage these groups are causing. Some hackers insist that the media ought to create an awareness of the civic responsibility of hackers rather than just praising them.
References
Beall, G. (2017). How hackers are using social media to hack. The Next Web. https://thenextweb.com/contributors/2017/08/23/hackershackers-using-social-media-hack/.
Survey Results on Data Security – University of Phoenix. Phoenix.edu. (2016). https://www.phoenix.edu/news/releases/2016/04/uopx-social-media-hacking.html.
Schneier, B. Who Are Hackers – Are Hackers Outlaws Or Watchdogs? | Hackers | FRONTLINE. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/whoare/outlaws.html.
Sustar, L. (2015, September 3). Young hackers: Criminal or innovator? | SC Media. SC Media. https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/young-hackers-criminal-or-innovator-2/.