Just another challenge

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Hacking, phishing, cyber crimes…they make news time and again. Unauthorised access into websites — corporate or otherwise — is common. With the IT industry broadening its horizon at a furious pace, security systems have also been beefed up to keep up. But there are people out there in the firmament who outsmart those security systems. They crack codes, break into corporate websites and personal e-mail ids, steal information and use your identity. But what is the psychology behind such voyeurism?

How does the mind of a hacker tick?

A US-based ex-hacker, now working in a reputed tech firm says: “It’s like finishing a new game. It gives you a high.” A person configures a website with a so-called world-class security system, and you manage to break into the website and deface it. That’s the challenge.

Another hacker, who is now pursuing a PhD in the US, says: “I’ve always liked solving jigsaw puzzles, and hacking, for me, is a giant puzzle.” But is that all? A cyber security expert and one-time hacker adds: “For bragging rights, what else? It would be no fun if the affected party did not know that their security has been breached.” So the hackers would also leave signs on the sites/accounts to make you aware that your security has been breached.

Rajat Khare, CEO and director, Appin Security Group, cited the example of a Pune-based hacker who broke into the website of a bank and carried on transactions for at least two years. He was caught only after the amount stolen from the bank crossed some millions. Another hacker group comprising IT students claims to have had (for the sake of enjoyment) hacked into the IP server of a leading telecom company which was providing service to a reputed call centre. The group had, supposedly, made numerous international calls and was never caught. The operation stopped only after they had passed out of college.

Whatever the hackers say, “hacking is after all an unethical practice” says Rachna K Singh, holistic consultant and lifestyle expert, Artemis Hospital. According to her, there are many teenagers and youngsters who enjoy surfing the net. It is an experiment for them. “They are always looking for new things to do. Teenagers suffer from boredom and hacking becomes an exciting diversion for them. However, hacking can never qualify as a game or an intellectual endeavour,” she says and adds that there are professional hackers too who indulge in it ‘merely for personal gain’

But how do security experts cope with these violators of social norms and ettiquettes? Outsmarting security systems isn’t something new. “To stop a hacker, it is essential to think like a hacker. After all, where the security experts stop thinking, the hacker starts thinking,” says Khare. So the security experts practice ethical hacking. “Ethical hacking” is a process wherein the security expert breaks into his own company’s website to find out the loopholes that might not be detectable when fixing the security system. Though this is one way of reducing the chances of hacking, it is not totally effective.

After all there are no set rules for hacking and there are numerous systems that can be hacked in numerous ways. However, “rootkits” are available for downloading, but most hackers prefer to create their own kits for hacking a system. So security experts are always at a disadvantage, they don’t know what mechanism would be used to jump the security measures.

Thus, there are a few things that each one of us can keep in mind to beat a hacker and undermine his intentions. Accessing your e-mail or bank account from a cyber café are ways to provoke a hacker. “A computer in the café can be installed with softwares like keyloggers, Trojans or sniffers that would capture your password and before you know it, your security system stands jeopardised,” says Khare.