Hackers Video Assignment

1) A) To me, hackers are people who gain access illegally into others computers with the intention of gaining control of others information, files, etc.

B) Hackers hack because they want to show flaws in systems. Just as people used to cause public mischief by graffiti, etc, poeple hack just to cause mischief. Another reason is just because they are bored. They also hack because it can be "power at your fingertips."

C) To gain a true opinion, one would have to talk about what kind of hacker. Hackers who get into others computers to steal money, credit card numbers, etc are unhealthy for the internet. It is just another way to steal from people and it is fraud. Some hackers, who only hack to show flaws in systems and do nothing with the information they gain, can be good for the internet. As we move along in time, computers are going to be more prominent, and as we put more information in our computers, we need better security. Hackers who point out we need better security in our computers can help us. It is especially helpful with company programs such as Microsoft programs when they point out flaws before everybody has these new programs in their system.


2) A) If I was hacked, I would report to the FBI local office, the US secret service, or most probable, the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The phone number for the FBI local office is (217) 522-9675. The closest office is in Springfield.

B) The Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3 is a combination of the FBI and the Nationals White Collar Crime Center. Its job is to recieve, develop, and refer criminal complaints for the ever growing face of cyber crime.


3) "Hacked by a Corporation" by Kevin Callahan is a very informative article about interet and computer securtiy. Callahan goes about telling us abou the different types of web bugs such as cookies, and tells what they do. He tells us that cookies were put on our computers to help us. Cookies are what allows our computers to remember our passwords and even buy things off the internet. Of all the good things cookies do, they are also bad.

Cookies can be used by third party servers to track everything you do on the internet. Big companies can even track and learn your indentity on the internet. They know who you are, what you like, etc. This is a major violation of privacy, and if this was done without the internet as it has happened before, people would be very bad.

Callahan concludes by telling us how to help protect our computers. We can turn off our cookie applicator which could make it so we can't even buy someting via internet. We could use filters which could also make it hard to recieve things we want. We could even turn all scripting off but that will most likely make a lot of sites not work properly. Ultimately, he tells us there is no real way to stop cookies the right way.