Internet Crime Focus of Black Hat Europe

kierny writes "'The Internet needs crime,' said renowned cryptographer Whitfield Diffie, kicking off the Black Hat Europe conference in Amsterdam. His analysis — that there can't be good guys without bad guys — helps explain not just the rise of black hat hackers and, more recently, hacktivism, but signals that the information security profession will continue to not just be relevant, but demanded, especially as the number of data-spewing devices increases exponentially."

Comments

every article needs a first post

[Nyder]

so then we can have replies.

Good can exist without evil

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes there can be good guys without bad guys.

Closed system.

A boy scout helps an old lady across the street.
Is the boy scout good? I would say yes.
Then, where is the bad guy in this example? The old lady?

The old argument that good needs evil to survive is wrong.

Re:Good can exist without evil

[Sneeka2]

Then, where is the bad guy in this example?

The car driver coming down the street at 200mph. Without him, there'd be no need to help the old lady across the street in the first place, she could do it alone.

QED.

Re:Good can exist without evil

[justforgetme]

The (inherent) bad guy in this situation is the danger of the street.
If there is no danger there is no definition for good.

Same goes for limitations, ignorance etc. You can't have it all so
in some respect you always are bad and good. It's like Schrödinger's
feline example with you being the poison.