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Forbes Offers a Sympathetic Portrayal of Hackers

Posted by kdawson on from the we're-not-the-enemy-and-they-know-it dept.

selain03 sends us to Forbes for a surprisingly tolerant article on the recent Defcon. The reporter spoke to several of the event organizers and faithfully conveyed their characterization of the community as motivated by curiosity about technology. The article quotes a Department of Defense cybercrime guy: "Run-of-the-mill individual hackers are just noise as we try to focus on the real problem. We have to investigate every threat, but we're often dealing with ankle biters." A refreshing perspective to read in the mainstream media.

6 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. "ankle biters"? by timmarhy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As shown in the past, it's often the very very simple hacks like finding an unprotected machine and installing sub7 on it that brings down the giants. A high level of technical experience is NOT a prereq. for a serious hack

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    If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
    1. Re:"ankle biters"? by iamdrscience · · Score: 5, Funny

      I understand your point, but c'mon, can you honestly tell me that if there were a fire convention, you wouldn't go? It sounds pretty awesome to me.

  2. I can see it... by thatskinnyguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Who better to design safes than professional thieves?

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    The game.
  3. The truth behind this article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some of the Defcon guys thought it would be hilarious to hack a major media outlet and place a sympathetic story about themselves on it. Mission accomplished!

  4. Not Daniel Lyrons by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Forbes article that isn't hyper-sensationalist and pro-status-quo?
    What, was Daniel Lyons too busy impersonating Steve Jobs to do the piece?

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    When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  5. Re:About Forbes by Animats · · Score: 5, Informative

    May be it is just me but I find Forbes to be like women's "Cosmo" magazine for dumb guys and wannabes.

    Forbes went downhill after Malcom Forbes Sr. died. Forbes Magazine used to do some hard-hitting investigative reporting. Malcom Forbes Sr's attitude was "Go ahead, sue me for libel. I'm a billionare". They've gone soft since the son took over.

    Business Week, which used to be the cheering section for big business, has improved a bit.

    It's not clear what will happen to the Wall Street Journal under Murdoch's ownership, but it's not looking good. The WSJ has gone downhill in the last few years, anyway. The fundamental problem is that its classic functions, stock charts and major stock-related events, are all on line now. Nobody on Wall Street needs to read the Wall Street Journal; anything that affects trading was on their Bloomberg long before.