SOC 2070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Subculture, Cybercrime, Hacktivism

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2070
• Professor: Patrick Parnaby

Document Summary

Ha(cid:272)ke(cid:396)s: (cid:862)i(cid:374)di(cid:448)iduals (cid:449)ith a(cid:374) i(cid:374)te(cid:396)est i(cid:374) te(cid:272)h(cid:374)olog(cid:455) (cid:449)ho use thei(cid:396) k(cid:374)o(cid:449)ledge to a(cid:272)(cid:272)ess (cid:272)o(cid:373)pute(cid:396)s a(cid:374)d de(cid:448)i(cid:272)es (cid:449)ith ou(cid:396) (cid:449)ithout autho(cid:396)izatio(cid:374) f(cid:396)o(cid:373) the o(cid:449)(cid:374)e(cid:396)(cid:863) (cid:894)holt a(cid:374)d kilge(cid:396) Hacking is deviant but not always malicious: hackers are sometimes hired for testing security parameters of hardware and software, the challenge attracts them, some even share their knowledge to improve design and security. Malicious activity: development and distribution of malware. Software that will destroy/ corrupt files, steal data, deface websites, etc: usually just slows down our computers. Ea(cid:396)l(cid:455) (cid:1005)(cid:1013)(cid:1012)(cid:1004)"s (cid:272)o(cid:373)pute(cid:396) te(cid:272)h(cid:374)olog(cid:455) a(cid:374)d bb (cid:894)(cid:271)ulleti(cid:374) (cid:271)oa(cid:396)d s(cid:455)ste(cid:373)s(cid:895: dial up access and asynchronous bbs messages, explore the capabilities and limits of computers. Some youth started accessing and controlling government and private sector computers: many wanted to hack telephone companies, most did (cid:374)ot (cid:449)a(cid:374)t to (cid:272)ause da(cid:373)age. It (cid:449)as the (cid:272)halle(cid:374)ge a(cid:374)d se(cid:374)se of (cid:862)po(cid:449)e(cid:396)(cid:863) that mattered: others sought to exploit vulnerabilities, anxiety over youth and computer technology facilitated a hacker archetype: