Help computer buffs

[Mr Barguzin]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm... Worker has it right in a way, but there is also another reason as well but coming at it from another angle.

 

In the late 70's early 80's there were guys who would break through Ma Bell's security system and place phone calls anywhere in the world for free by reproducing the tones/pulses that the system used to generate and connect calls, ie the sounds you get nowadays when you key in a number on your phone. Don't forget that the phone service is a system of computers

 

Some of those guys then started hacking into mainframes again over Ma Bell on VERY SLOW modems, mainly for the fun of being able to say that they had done so.They would use unix I think or maybe basic... but don't quote me on that. Do know that the HDs were well shall we say ridiculously small in capacity, but extemely large in size. The floppy disc of choice was...... Five inches.

 

When windows came on the market it had more security holes in it than a piece of the finest Swiss Cheese. This wasn't a great problem because few folks connected to the net... and anyways, there were quite a few mail programs out there pre Outlook. As it spread (ummm Windoze, not the Swiss Cheese) and became the system of "choice" of computer users, hackers spread their wngs and started to look for holes in the system. With the spread of the internet (it became easier to get online... modem speeds increased... hmm new question coming up *grin*) and it becoming more available... hackers could go further and some did by diversifying.

 

Viruses, DoS attacks, Trojans, Malware, Spyware. All developed because folks wanted to see what they could do to the system and what they could learn of the users, other than just from site cookies. Remember that initially the net was a text based service, not what is has evolved into. As more folks have come online, more businesses, more websites.... so more information has become available to anyone who wants to look. The main residential apartments of the net are the Servers... with one hell of a lot of houses (home PCs). Now given that many folk like the idea that something for nothing is a good way to make a living..... and because folks think that the net is a "safe" place to play, well, some folks just leave their front doors open, or are so happy to hear from their 'bank' that they can't resist the urge to click and go.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I wonder if anyone will ever think of doing a fur scam?? WEG

 

Anyways.... from getting free phone calls, to hacking into NASA to sending viruses around the world to setting up an activeX control within a website that will note all your keystrokes and report them back to another puter. It can all be put down to one thing: Man's desire for knowledge of what is going on about him... be it personal, financial or whatever. They create the means to gather that info, but it is up to US to make sure that it is hard for them to acheive their aim.

 

Are they stupid? If creating an original worm/virus.... Nope, but by just reworking a formidable old virus they are definitely lazy. But in both cases they are malevolent and should be punished. Hmmmmmmmmmm removal of typing fingers?? *grin*

[Worker 11811]

By "stupid" I meant that they lack common sense, not lacking in intelligence. Obviously, if they have the ability to write a computer program that spreads itself and attacks peoples' computers they are intelligent. But, the common sense to understand that what they do is wrong on so many different levels eludes them.

 

Cretins!