Full Disclosure mailing list archives
A different perspective
From: "Euan Briggs" <euan_briggs () btinternet com>
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 11:17:57 -0500
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi, there is an interesting point which everyone seems to be overlooking (perhaps because PHC were still in nappies at the time when the hacker landscape was going through major changes..*grin*). This is just my personal insight and comes with no warranty. Contrary to popular belief, the security industry is not responsible for the "rot" in the underground hacker scene which PHC seem to have an issue with. The decay began to set in as soon as the media spotlight was focused on hacking. As the whole thing was being glamourised, it caused things to start to open up to public eyes. Hackers initially were driven by their desire for technical understanding or the satisfaction of subverting the systems around them (A lot of these people had interest in lockpicking or the analogue cellphone network for example, not solely computer systems). As a result of the media hype, it turned hacking into something completely different. The media offered up its own idea of what constitutes hacking and what motivates those who partake in it. It became just another aquirable packaged lifestyle for teenagers everywhere. Ego became the new motivation for this second generation of media indoctrinated hackers. This is why, as some of you seem to have forgotten, it was not the security industry which started the idea of full disclosure. It was this second generation of pseudo-blackhats which began the process. They were the ones who were creating websites such as 'www.rootshell.com' which offered up exploits and tools to all-comers. Heres the punch line - An interesting yet unintentional side-effect of the media hype, was that it tricked the second generation blackhat community into crippling itself. Their teenage desire for notoriety, fame, to participate in something which was fast becoming the "in thing" led them to expose all the underground secrets publically. Hacking was dragged into the open, where it was vulnerable and ripe for evisceration, it became nothing more than a dead carcass being torn apart by the media, the second-generation blackhats, governments, and good old capitolist exploitation. It saddens me to see fresh-faced groups such as PHC ranting as if they speak for the real blackhat community. It saddens me to see people listening to them. Most of all, it saddens me that they attack the security industry, which is largely doing an honourable and socially responsible task. I don't deny that some industry players are responsible for manipulation of the available information and timing releases in order to maximise profit etc. But thats business, it happens in every sector. I think PHC is a sign that the security industry is making real in-roads at making the internet more secure. I think they feel cheated, that the lifestyle they bought into is coming to an end because of the inevitable improvements in computer security. What makes me smile, is that PHC and their peers helped bring about their own downfall, and they are blissfully unaware of this fact :) Euan Briggs -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 7.0.3 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com> iQA/AwUBPd5YskP0lBKBG8xoEQKT7gCg252Fz4j94V7vV7+n8d7dFUeBF8MAoOLc 9YqbYlbbJCIQf8IpFpfdCot1 =uvVo -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
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- A different perspective Euan Briggs (Nov 22)