Hire the hackers!
TED - Misha Glenny (2011)
Login to rate this video.
Embed this video
Send to a friend
Comments
13 comments posted so far. Expand all comments Login to add a comment.
27 
2. Comment rated too low. Show this comment andriy2991 244 days ago
to be a hackers you need to be well educated and smart you can't just be a hacker it is easy to get cough...
30
#1: hacker is NOT 100% illegal activity by definition. hackers are those people you talk about - they like what theyre doing, test their skills, and often leave some mark about what they did to prove it. those who harm others are crackers. they are those bad guys. its just media claiming hacker==cracker.
32
#1 I agree with you completely, but you missed one motivation.
There are some hacker groups out there and their drive simply is a result of the fact that they can hack. If you remember the group "Lulz Security", which got infamous by hacking Sony Pictures or taking down the C.I.A. homepage, was one of those. Additionally, they hacked "for teh lulz", just for the fun of it.
#2 I'm not quite sure, if education is really a barrier, since you acquire these skills on your own by testing, by playing around or by discovering your own limits. All what it needs is the right access and interest in the matter.
Since the title of this clip says "Hire the hackers!", I want to point out that this is oftenly the case. Remember Geohot? One of the hackers that jailbroke the Playstation 3? Microsoft showed great interest in the talented hacker by contributing financial aid and, according to rumours, an iPhone (to "play" around with).
25
#3 Well I'll elaborate to clear whatever misunderstanding there might have been.
First, hacker IS by definition illegal 'occupation'. Reason/motivation may differ but it's still illegal. Once you do it with authorization of your target (making it legal), then it's no longer being a hacker, just being computer geek. ^_^ I know personally many people who try their network/programming/OS skills this way.
Second, cracker is a person with malicious intent as well as certain set of methods used to achieve them, but they are still hackers... you could call it sub-division. To put it in simple terms: SOME hackers are crackers, but ALL crackers are hackers.
Hope this clears as much as possible.
#4 True that, although I was hoping it could be found under the "like what they are doing" heading. =)
The hacker ethic by Pekka Himanen.56
8. Sizzlik (admin) 243 days ago
#5 Nope..beeing a "Hacker" is not illegal itself..the actions you might perform can be. Like a weapons license..youre allowed to have it and own a gun..the crime then is to shoot somebody. And most people misunderstand the term "Hacker" ..in the beginning it was a compliment to smart programmers that find unusual and clever ways to solve a problem. Today its a shame for every real hacker that everybody thinks hackers are evil basterds trying to destroy things. And computer geek is nothing like hacker..a computer geek knows how to use a computer..a hacker knows how a system works and how to use this in-depth details to achieve things / solve problems a geek never would think of.
25
#8 What you described as "hacker" is what is called "IT specialist", he/she can be talented or even called genius - depending on how good he is at what he does, or solutions he provides...
The misconception of the term "hacker" is actually the other way around, apparently many people came to believe that it's automatically some heinous crime, which generated neo- idea that it's actually something completely legal, while both being extremes and neither correct. It's in fact really just minuscule violation, but it still is and was by default illegal activity... to give some idea of precision... legally it's very close to "breaking and entering", by itself the action is illegal, but it's not very serious offense. What usually matters is what you do ONCE you "break and enter" be it in virtual space or reality (only in reality you don't really come across people who just want to try out their lock-picking skills).
30
#9
IT specialist is just specialist, as gardener is agroculture specialist. He concentrates on a certain aplication / whatever.
hacker is person who knows his platform to the details (at this poing, it still could be it specialist). but hacker goes beyond that, he looks for posibilities, which could lead to breaking into computers. that is not illegal if it is his own computer. that breaks are then labeled as bugs and patch is made.
that is a positive meaning of word hacker. Negative meaning is not wrong simply because it has already spread around, but it is not the original meaning. therefore, hacker is not illegal by definition.
56
11. Sizzlik (admin) 243 days ago
True that #10 ...just imagine a locksmith #9 ..he knows how to open doors and COULD break into every home..or..give security advices (find bugs)..is that knowlege illegal? Its just a matter on how you use your knowlege. So dont call a hacker criminal..a locksmith that break into a home doesnt make all locksmith's criminal either.
25
So using #11 's analogy, you are saying that person who steals your TV after breaking into your home is not a "thief" but whatever his day job is (like a plumer, or LOCKSMITH). Hacker is the same thing (well I've spent unnecessary number of posts trying to explain that). Having the knowledge of doing something doesn't give you heading "hacker". Notice your analogy, you are saying that locksmith COULD break into (IT security specialist - the good one - COULD also break into...), yet hacker is someone who already did... so is thief who not only broke into, but also stole something.
#10 Now, you are describing IT security specialist. It's very well paid field (even in Czech Republic, actually one of the biggest salaries I have ever heard of in Czech Republic was one of certain IT security specialist... that guy was one of the reasons I started caring about this field, well a long time ago)... which means being very good is an asset. "he looks for posibilities, which could lead to breaking into computers" your quote is the nearly exact definition of what makes a successful person in this field. (to czech: Naprosto netykajici se tematu, vpodstate jen pozdrav. Je mile sem tam narazit na nekoho s ceskou vlajeckou. =)
Well this will be my last post in this thread. I tried my best, I'm sure that for those who are not satisfied with whatever I've written, there are tons and tons of literature on the topic covering far more than I could ever manage. Good Luck
(71 votes)
+12
1. Thanos 244 days ago
This was rather exhausting yet in the end interesting speech. It's not all that new idea to include hackers (by definition 100% illegal activity) in the industrial and legal side of the system, there were several attempts to facilitate such 'transfer', as well as few joke propositions... One I remember:
Certain enterprise posted "Hiring Hackers specialized in banking security. Please place a copy of your CV and motivation in the folder /xx/xy on my workstation. {Name of the poster}" I can't remember the name, but even though it was just a joke at the time, the idea spread further and talk on this matter became far less sarcastic afterwards.
There are also many types of hackers - not talking about their focus/specialization more of their motivation and drive. Some like what they are doing, some do it for money, some just test their skills, and finally some who do it to harm others. It's a rough grouping but the point is: except for the last group (harming) they all can be convinced to actually use their skills for something beneficial given right approach.
After stating that the speech was exhausting, I've done really great job keeping this comment short... well done me! =/