School of Engineering and
Applied
Science Department of Computer Science CSci 1030 -- Technology and Society http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~mfeldman/csci1030/summer11 Prof. Michael B. Feldman, course instructor mfeldman@gwu.edu |
The Hacker Mentality & Computer Crime
Baase, chapt. 5, Spinello/Tavani, chapt. 5
The "Hacker
Manifesto" as presented by wikipedia
"Manifesto" text from Phrack magazine:
http://www.phrack.org/issues.html?issue=7&id=3&mode=txt
An interview with The Mentor:
http://www.elfqrin.com/docs/hakref/interviews/eq-i-mentor.html
A. Discussion Area -- Group progress of survey -- keep using your group e-mail addresses (group1@..., etc.)
B. Discussion Area -- Full-class Computer
Crime
1. Authorities have tapped into several electronic bulletin boards used
by hackers and crackers. They have raided the sites of the systems
operators of the bulletin boards and seized their computing equipment
and disks. They have also on occasion raided certain contributors to
the bulletin boards who they suspected of possible illegal activity and
seized all of their equipment. In some cases there was evidence of
illegal activity and in other cases there was none. Those who were
raided rarely get their equipment, which is confiscated as "evidence,"
returned to them. The rationale of the law enforcement officers is that
they hoped to "scare the kids" and they hoped to catch some notorious
crackers. Discuss the pros and cons of this type of activity.
2. Do you think that a hacker should be able to access a computer system when it isn't busy? Is a computer system with inadequate security an "attractive nuisance" the way a swimming pool is legally categorized as an attractive nuisance for small children?
3. In the book by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale, a group of religious fundamentalists take over the US government. Because everyone is linked into an electronic funds transfer system, the group is able to electronically cancel all accounts belonging to women, thus robbing them of their ability to work or purchase any goods and subjugating them to the authorities. If we go to a completely electronic monetary system, what safeguards do we need to prevent people (and governments) from electronic terrorism, electronic government coup, or electronic kidnapping?