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from New Straits Times-Management Times on Tuesday, February 11, 2003

WITH the rapid development of technology also comes the rampant development of hi-tech vandalism. News such as the virus threat by a supposedly Malaysian hacker towards the United States government if they were to attack Iraq, and the end of probation for Kevin Mitnick, one of the world's most famous computer hackers, have made headlines in the papers. I recently had the opportunity for a short chat with Mat Hacker (not his real name), a 22-year-old self-proclaimed, retired hacker. Here is his take on what make hackers tick.

"Cyber vandalism isn't new in Malaysia, but it is definitely on the rise. This is because there are so many weaknesses in existing systems. It is just too tempting to a hacker. "Let's explore the hacking world. Hackers are people who have a deep interest in computers and that is all they are interested in. They also have a set of ethics. Somewhere along the line, some of these hackers deviated. These are the ones who are dangerous.

"There are hackers and there are hackers. The least problematic are those who want to expand their knowledge in the art of computing. They break into systems only to look around and explore the technical information. Then there are the crackers. These break into computer systems with malicious intent. And then there are the phreakers who break into telephone systems and steal phone lines, normally to make free calls."

"Hacking is an offence in Malaysia under Section 5 of the Computer Crimes Act 1997, and if convicted, an offender can be fined a maximum of RM100,000 or jailed a maximum of seven years, or both.

"So this makes hacking a criminal offence. Yet there are two different points of view. The first viewpoint would be that a hacker is actually trespassing, therefore it is a crime. The second is that a hacker is actually testing the system to find out its weakness and by highlighting it, he or she is actually helping to strengthen the system. I am a strong advocate of the second point of view.

"A cracker's main targets are the computer systems of large organisations. The more significant an organisation is, the more attention it gets. What raises a hacker's hackles and makes them more attractive targets is that these large organisations feel that they are invincible to the small-time, home-based hacker.

"A little over a year ago, organisations such as the Malaysian Parliament Web site (www. parlimen.gov.my) and the University Teknologi Mara Web site (www. utm.my) have fallen prey. This is proof that security is lacking in today's cyberworld. This is where the ability of a hacker comes in.

"There are many ways hacking knowledge can be used to detect flaws and to improve present systems. My best advice to these organisations to protect their systems would be to put them at risk. Allow their systems to be penetrated by hackers and if the hackers are able to bust the system, it definitely shows that their security measures are not well implemented and the hackers can work together to design a system that is truly invincible.

"After all is said and done, I would like to give one final word of advice to aspiring hackers out there: The intense brain-cracking involved has forced me into early retirement at the tender age of 22. It's really heavy stuff. If you are really determined to be a successful hacker, be prepared to spend all of your time in front of the computer screen. And all the books that you have to read are going to be inches thick."

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