0x800 CONCLUSION
Hacking tends to be a misunderstood topic, and the
media likes to sensationalize, which only exacerbates
this condition. Changes in terminology have been
mostly ineffective—what’s needed is a change in
mind-set. Hackers are just people with innovative spirits and an in-depth
knowledge of technology. Hackers aren’t necessarily criminals, though as
long as crime has the potential to pay, there will always be some criminals
who are hackers. There’s nothing wrong with the hacker knowledge itself,
despite its potential applications.
Like it or not, vulnerabilities exist in the software and networks that the
world depends on from day to day. It’s simply an inevitable result of the fast
pace of software development. New software is often successful at first, even if
there are vulnerabilities. This success means money, which attracts criminals
who learn how to exploit these vulnerabilities for financial gain. This seems
like it would be an endless downward spiral, but fortunately, all the people
finding the vulnerabilities in software are not just profit-driven, malicious
criminals. These people are hackers, each with his or her own motives; some
are driven by curiosity, others are paid for their work, still others just like the
challenge, and several are, in fact, criminals. The majority of these people