The Ten Most Subversive Hacks

[mea culpa <jericho () DIMENSIONAL COM>]

http://home.cnet.com/specialreports/0-6014-7-1420567.html?tag=st.cn.1fd2.tlpg.6014-7-142056

The Ten Most Subversive Hacks
By Matt Lake
(10/27/99)

Hackers. You can't even use the word without ticking someone off.
Upholders of the status quo hate that the existing state of affairs is
being undermined by sociopathic cybervandals. Old-school hackers think of
their work as exploratory and prefer to call people who break into servers
for mischief crackers.

But it's those mischief makers who get attention. Their hacks make the
front pages of world newspapers and cause fear and hysteria. Among these
types of hacks, there are gradations of severity. Some hacks pose a threat
to national security; some hacks are merely an annoying form of political
activism.

For this retrospective, we selected some of the most creative, subversive
work by these Web "hacktivists." You'll find examples of mischief dating
from the early days of computing to the latest antiestablishment
outbursts. Rather than trying to cause any serious trouble, many of the
nouveau crackers we selected like to target Web sites they oppose for
political reasons, such as those of big government, business, or
organizations whose political views are at loggerheads with their own.
This breed of hacktivists raises a smile from many who share their
beliefs, even if their methods seem a little extreme.

One name you won't see here is that of hacker poster boy Kevin Mitnick,
who was indicted on 17 counts of computer fraud, wire fraud, damage, and
unauthorized access. The hacks he got caught for weren't merely public
displays of bravado; they were more like industrial espionage.

Of course, we don't endorse hacking of any kind. But it's an integral part
of Web culture, and like anybody else, we love a sensational story. So
read on for our favorite hacks of all time.

[snip..]

ISN is sponsored by Security-Focus.COM