InformAction Forums

Is this an increasing threat?

Define 'threat'.

I just don't know how the distribution of any of these 'hacking kits' can be controlled or monitored. It's bad enough that organised crime uses well educated software engineers without putting malware software into the hands of any Tom, Dick or Harriet!

Davezilla wrote:I just don't know how the distribution of any of these 'hacking kits' can be controlled or monitored. It's bad enough that organised crime uses well educated software engineers without putting malware software into the hands of any Tom, Dick or Harriet!

I am reminded of the sign in JR High wood shop. "There is nothing more frightening then ignorance in action."

Jim Too wrote: I am reminded of the sign in JR High wood shop. "There is nothing more frightening then ignorance in action."

Yeah...& also a little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing!

Davezilla wrote:I just don't know how the distribution of any of these 'hacking kits' can be controlled or monitored.

Basically, it's impossible.

Davezilla wrote:It's bad enough that organised crime uses well educated software engineers without putting malware software into the hands of any Tom, Dick or Harriet!

There have been script kiddies before the WWW and before organised crime went online.

dhouwn wrote:Basically, it's impossible.

Yeah, I figured that.

dhouwn wrote:There have been script kiddies before the WWW and before organised crime went online.

Unfortunately it seems to be escalating out of control. I believe that some countries (China for one) have colleges dedicated to hacking. That's scary!

Davezilla wrote:
Unfortunately it seems to be escalating out of control. I believe that some countries (China for one) have colleges dedicated to hacking. That's scary!

Leaving the use of know exploits aside, College students have to things on their side that developers don't have:
1. They are not under time pressure to have something ready by a specific date.
2. They don't know that what they are trying shouldn't work.
Having time and not being constrained by restrictive thinking allows some crazy ideas to be pursued. It is the "who in their right mind would have ever tried that!" response when an exploit is found.

Should Colleges be encouraging outside the box thinking?

What about the activities at Bletchley Park during WWII?

I find no fault with the discovery of exploits, as an academic activity. It is what is done with the discovery that is of concern.

Davezilla wrote:Unfortunately it seems to be escalating out of control. I believe that some countries (China for one) have colleges dedicated to hacking. That's scary!

Define 'hacking'.

dhouwn wrote:Define 'hacking'.

I was using it as a generic term for colleges which teach about the use & application of forms of malware. Originally I believe the term goes back to the 1950s & described a computer programmer who would repair magnetic tape &/or devices utilised in early computers by hacking pieces of magnetic tape together.

Jim Too wrote: Should Colleges be encouraging outside the box thinking?

Of course they should. I was thinking of some colleges that have appeared in China for the express purpose of teaching about malware application use. Maybe I am wrong about this. I was under the impression that colleges like this were being encouraged by the Chinese government. Of course not everyone will want to use their knowledge for nefarious ends but I thought that it doesn't exactly help the situation if a government encourages it. I probably just misread the article I saw.

Jim Too wrote:What about the activities at Bletchley Park during WWII?

Yes, it helped us (the English) crack the Enigma code. Plus we invented the world's first programmable electronic computer. It was highly secret for a long time though. Churchill had a lot of equipment destroyed after WW2 to stop the Russians finding out about it allegedly. I think he was just paranoid...typical bloody Tory!

Jim Too wrote:I find no fault with the discovery of exploits, as an academic activity. It is what is done with the discovery that is of concern.

Yes, I agree.