Evolution of Computer Hacking

Histories of computer hacking trace the practice back to the 1960s, when hackers started experimenting with large mainframe computers located on college campuses. Early hackers were generally concerned with improving computer systems and did not necessarily have malicious intent; indeed, the term "hack" initially had many positive connotations and was applied to a variety of intellectual activities and pranks.

By the 1970s, however, criminal and malicious hacking became more commonplace. John Draper, a pioneer in the hacking field, was arrested in 1972 for infiltrating AT&T's long-distance system. Draper used a toy whistle-- found in boxes of Cap'n Crunch cereal at the time--to generate a high-pitched 2600-hertz signal, which was the same frequency used by AT&T; the signal gave him free access to the long-distance system and, therefore, the ability to make free telephone calls. Throughout the '70s, other hackers refined methods of penetrating telephone systems and, through them, computer networks.

During the 1980s, hackers formed organized groups in order to share hacking techniques and, in some cases, stolen information such as computer passwords and credit card numbers. In 1984, a hacker magazine called 2600 (in reference to Draper's whistle signal) began regular publication, and another magazine, Phrack, followed in 1985. In 1986, Phrack published an essay by elite hacker Loyd Blankenship called "The Conscience of a Hacker" that was considered a highly influential statement on the culture of hacking. "Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity....You may stop this individual, but you can't stop us all," Blankenship wrote at the conclusion of the essay, which characterized hackers as highly intelligent and bored by traditional authority.

Also in 1986, mounting concern over hacker attacks against both government and private-sector computer systems prompted Congress to pass the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The act made it illegal to steal or tamper with information on computers, but it applied only to adults and not to juveniles, who made up a significant portion of the hacker community.

During the 1990s, the explosive growth of the Internet provided hackers with a wealth of opportunities to experiment with new hacking techniques. The '90s also saw the government intensify its efforts to suppress hacking. In 1995, for example, notorious hacker Kevin Mitnick was arrested by federal agents for stealing 20,000 credit card numbers and was ultimately imprisoned for about four years. Meanwhile, toward the end of the decade, a growing number of home computer users started using software designed to protect against hacker attacks.

Efforts to suppress hacking were not entirely successful, however. In February 2000, hackers launched massive denial-of-service attacks (which are aimed at slowing down or disabling Web sites and networks) against some of the most prominent Web sites in the world, including Yahoo.com, eBay.com and CNN.com. The hardest- hit sites were completely overwhelmed by useless data sent by the hackers, and had to temporarily shut down.

Sources

Corcoran, Elizabeth; Shannon, Victoria. "Battling Cyber Saboteurs." Washington Post (January 31, 1997): E1.

Freedman, David. "Easy Prey On-line." New York Times (February 11, 2000): A31.

Hafner, Katie. "In World of Hackers, Good Guys and Bad Guys Are Often a Blur." New York Times (February 12, 2000): A1.

Hamilton, David; Cloud, David. "The Internet Under Siege: Stalking the Hackers." Wall Street Journal (February 10, 2000): B1.