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The Path From Hacker To Security Consultant
CNet has a series of interviews with former hackers who ran afoul of the law in their youth, but later turned their skills toward a profession in security consulting. Adrian Lamo discusses taking "normal every day information resources and [arranging] them in improbable ways," describing a time when he broke into Excite@Home's system and ended up answering help desk questions from their users. Kevin Mitnick, famous for gaining access to many high-profile systems, warns today's young hackers not to follow in his footsteps, saying, "A lot of pen testers today have done unethical things in their past during their learning process, especially the older ones because there was no opportunity to learn about security. Back in the '70s and '80s, it was all self-taught. So a lot of the old-school hackers really learned on other people's systems. And at the time, I couldn't even afford my own computer." Mark Abene explains how he got interested in phone phreaking, and how it led to a prison term and a career in computer security. Like Mitnick, he says that easy access to powerful modern computers removes part of the motivation for breaking into other systems.
And at the time, I couldn't even afford my own computer."
Don't do what I've done, do what I say. Things were also tougher for me. When I was a child I had to walk 20 miles to school everyday in a snow storm, through swamps and trying to avoid crocodiles. Things were tough. You kids today have it easy.
It is the exception, not the rule, that a hacker becomes employed as a highly paid consultant. A lot of jobs require security checks, which you will fail if you have a criminal record. Some places have the flexibility to allow exceptions. Most don't. Even if they do you have to prove you offer something so unique and worthwhile that an exception should be made.
It does happen. Hackers do sometimes get jobs. People also win the lottery. Doesn't mean it's smart to play against the odds.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
No, the best teachers really weren't the worst students. That's a silly idea.
The "worst behaved" students of my experience, and ossibly yours, are dead, massively crippled by their own foolishness, in jail, dying of AIDS or lung cancer, homeless, etc. Being homicidal, fundamentally stupid, a slut of any gender or orientation, constantly stoned, or spoiled does not help one as a teacher.
There are kinds of behaviors that are frowned on by authorities, for lots of understandable reasons, but help people be leaders or teachers. Curiousity, interest in others, love of particular types of knowledge, etc. can all hinder someone in school but pay off for teachers, true.