Hackers have noble motives...!

By Nermeen Kamel
For JRMC 270 (Online Communication)
Dr. Rasha A. Abdulla
The American University in Cairo
Journalism and Mass Communication Department
Fall 2008

Computer hacking is the practice of trying to change or adjust a computer's software or hardware for purposes that are not of the creator himself. Everybody knows about computer hacking, but not everybody acknowledge that hackers are not only people who are out there to steal your personal information, send you viruses, hack your msn or hotmail, and destroy your computers' software completely. They are always viewed as evil people who break into peoples' computers for no apparent reason and obliterate it. Truth is, a great number of them actually do that and their only aim is just to hack any computer for the sake of fun or wasting time, however, not all of them are like that.

Some hackers have noble motives. Yes thats true. Because hackers are technology geniuses and they always are in search of any new information that would enable them to develop and enhance their knowledge about computers, softwares, hardwares and hacking, they sometimes are used by large companies to help out. Some companies do employ computer hackers in their technical support staff, they use their knowledge and skills to fix any flaws in the company's security system. And, they won' t find better than computer hackers to ensure a perfectly safe and protected security system. Such computer hackers who use their skills for noble and ethical purposes are called White Hat Hackers.

Computer hackers also contribute in the development of operating systems and the internet in general as they constantly learn more about computers and how they work and they choose whether to use their skills positively or negatively.

Some hackers choose to use their computer skills for harmful purposes and are specialized in accessing information systems illegally. These are called Black Hat Hackers. They can be hired to change a company's financial data for example or break security codes to have unauthorized network access, they also can steal confidential information or damage a corporation's operating and security systems. On the other hand, they can do such things but in a smaller scale and for less important reasons when they just hack an individual's computer for the sake of nothing but their desire to do so.

The last type of computer hackers are the Grey Hat. These are very skilled hackers that are between the two concepts of black and white. They sometimes use their knowledge and skills ethically and legally, and other occasionally times they use it for harmful purposes to damage and commit crimes.