I. Find in the text the English equivalents to:

Несанкционированный доступ, практический интерес, компьютерная безопасность, безопасность в сфере информационных технологий, процветающий бизнес, на вес золота, университетская обстановка, искусственный интеллект, совместная работа, взлом телефонных сетей, обход мер по обеспечению ограничения доступа, использовать прозвища с целью скрыть свою личность, научные круги, законопослушный, преступное намерение, обычное хулиганство, обнаруживать и раскрывать (обнародовать) информацию об уязвимости, повышать уровень компьютерной безопасности, мотивация хакеров, скрытая информация.

II. True or false?

1. Hacker is a person who gains unauthorized access to computer networks pursuing criminal goals.

2. Today IT security isn’t threatened by malicious hackers’ attacks.

3. The first hackers working on minicomputers created faster and more efficient programs.

4. The 1970s phone phreaks were forerunners of malicious hackers’ activity.

5. Hobby and network hackers work publicly and help increase information security.

6. As long as computers exist, malicious hackers will attack them.

III. Food for thought.

In the Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English by A.S. Hornby the word “ethic” is defined as “systems of moral principles, rules of conduct”. In 1984 the term “hacker ethic” appeared. It was coined by the journalist Steven Levy and used for the first time in his book “Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution”. In Levy’s account of the hacker ethic is in large part based on the values of the “old school” hackers at MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Among these hackers was Richard M. Stallman, whom Levy at the time called the last true hacker. In Levy’s codification, the principles of the Hacker Ethic were:

1. Access to computers – and anything, which might tech you something about the way the world works – should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-on Imperative!

2. All information should be free.

3. Mistrust authority – promote decentralization.

4. Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position.

5. You can create art and beauty on a computer.

6. Computers can change your life for the better.

1. Which rule appeals to you most of all?

2. Which rule seems unreasonable to you?

3. What else would you like to add to the existing rules?

4. Do modern hackers observe any ethical rules?

IV. Discussion points:

1. Do we need hackers?

2. Hacking for making money or gaining notoriety?

3. If I were a hacker, I would…

4. Are there any hacker’s professional superstitions?

5. A day in the hackers’ community.

Specific Aspect.

Do hackers wear hats?

According to encyclopedia “Britannica” the hat is a head covering of any of various styles, used for warmth, fashion, or religious or ceremonial purposes, when it often symbolizes the office or rank of the wearer. Since c. 1960 the wearing of hats by both men and women has greatly declined in Western industrialized countries. But hackers still wear hats and hackers “hats” also symbolize the so-called rank of the wearer. The distinguishing feature of the hacker rank is the color of his hat. So there are white hat, black hat and grey hat hackers.

Actually the reference to colored hats is just some kind of metaphor. It comes from Hollywood’s use of hats in old black-and-white Western movies to help an audience differentiate between the good guys (white hats) and the bad guys (black hats). The “hat” terms do not fall under common use. Even inside the computing field they are very controversial. The primary difference between white and black hat hackers is that a white hat hacker observes the hacker ethic. A white hat generally focuses on securing IT systems, whereas a black hat breaks into them.

A white hat hacker (ethical hacker) is a person who is ethically opposed to the abuse of computer systems. The term white hat hacker is also often used to describe those who attempt to break into systems or networks in order to help the owners of the system by making them aware of security flaws. Many such people are employed by computer security companies; these professionals are sometimes called sneakers. Groups of these people are often called tiger teams.

A black hat (a cracker or Darkside hacker) is a malicious or criminal hacker. Many black hats promote individual freedom and accessibility over privacy and security. Black hats may seek to expand holes in systems. In the most extreme cases, black hats may work to cause damage maliciously, and/or make threats to do so for blackmail purposes. Techniques for breaking into systems can vary from using advanced programming skills and social engineering to using semi-automatic software developed by others without understanding how it works.

Grey hat in the computer security community, is a skilled hacker who sometimes acts legally and in good will and sometimes not. They are a hybrid between white and black hat hackers. They hack for no personal gain and do not have malicious intentions, but may or may not occasionally commit crimes during the course of their technological exploits. A person, who breaks into a computer system and simply puts his name there while doing no damage, is usually classified as a grey hat.