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                Date: 2002-01-28
                 
                 
                Das rasante Altern der Hacker
                
                 
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      Schon ist der nächste - kaum einem jugendlich/delinquenten Dasein als  
Scriptkid und Defacer entwachsen - auf dem Weg mit einer Security Bude  
dorthin, wo Medien auf Stellungnahmen warten. Das Wording hat bereits  
etwas von einem Elder Statesman, bald ist das Pensionsalter erreicht. 
 
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Pimpshiz, the hacker who rose to notoriety in 2000 during a  Pro-Napster  
defacement spree, has gone straight. Although his case is still pending in the  
US judicial system, Robert Lyttle, as he is now known, is trying to make a  
break as a security expert. 
 
With a string of website defacements under his belt including military, FBI,  
and Nasa sites, Lyttle has started up a security company, Sub-Seven  
Software. He believes that the security industry could do with a word of  
advice from the dark side of the hat. 
 
"Only a hacker can defeat a hacker. The threat of digital malice seems only  
to grow. Reports show that, even when new security measures are deployed,  
computer crimes do not decrease; often they increase," he said. 
 
"The year 2001 catapulted to over 20,000 defacements from a mere 5,000  
reported in the year 2000. Figures shown should not be taken lightly  
considering that there are thousands of other incidents that aren't being  
recorded," he added, predicting that numbers will increase this year. 
 
[...] 
 
"It doesn't take a genius to launch a worldwide attack, but only a few easily  
acquired resources," he said. "With this in mind, some hackers are  
beginning to realise that they are already equipped with the knowledge to  
accomplish larger and more destructive missions. All of this is leading to  
nothing but more insecurity towards a secure digital space." 
 
[...] 
 
Apparently it's even possible to make a living from digital fraud.  "Making a  
profit, earning a buck from everything illegal done, is their speciality. Is it  
hard? No. Are we all possible victims? Yes.  What you should be worrying  
about are the companies that store your vital information," he warned. 
 
Lyttle claimed that "it is extremely hard to live a legal life on the internet and,  
because of this, people will become accustomed to illegal activities". 
 
[...] 
"The internet was not raised with super-strict legal guidelines in mind which  
makes it what it is today - a widely illegal locale," said Lyttle. "There is no  
remedy for this; re-establishing the internet is quite impossible. Only  
improvements and adjustments in the system can be applied to help its  
users live a legal digital life." 
 
The hacker reckons that living an illegal life on the internet is "no big deal".  
Bringing a website to its knees, stealing identities and snooping secret  
documents is so run of the mill that "the hackers you hear about in the news  
are the community that is in full control over the internet: the ones who are  
considered semi-smart but, in reality, do not possess any true knowledge or  
morals". 
 
But Lyttle said that defending yourself digitally is extremely easy.  "For the  
past five years I've used the same antivirus scanner. It's called my brain. It  
only takes common sense to make sure that you aren't about to step into a  
self-initiated catastrophic situation," he explained. 
 
He suggested that the vast majority of successful attacks happen because  
people don't think before they open strange files. "Don't watch your important  
documents get wiped before your eyes; instead use your judgement," he said. 
 
As a parting shot, Lyttle made a scathing attack on the hackers' adversary,  
the FBI. It was probably not a good move seeing as he hasn't been  
sentenced yet, but he insists that the authorities are not clued up enough to  
fight the hacker menace. 
 
Speaking from experience, Lyttle said: "I came into the room knowing what  
they were going to say to me. [They underestimated me], creating  
vulnerabilities in themselves therefore allowing me to have the upper hand at  
all times." 
 
Lyttle admits that he may not possess the upper hand in court. But it looks  
like he is the one "being beaten down, the one being hassled with court fees  
and other miscellaneous complications". 
[...] 
 
Mehr davon 
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1128657
                   
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edited by Harkank 
published on: 2002-01-28 
comments to office@quintessenz.at
                   
                  
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