Hacking, both as an activity and in its perception by the public, has evolved considerably over the past 20 years. Here’s an overview of the differences between hacking circa 20 years ago and now:
Hacking 20 Years Ago (Early 2000s) 🕰️
1. Motivations:
Hacking was often driven by curiosity, the desire for recognition among peers, or the challenge of bypassing security measures. Financial gain was less of a motivator than it is now.
2. Main Targets:
Many attacks targeted government agencies, large corporations, and sometimes university networks. These entities usually held significant amounts of sensitive data.
3. Complexity and Tools:
Hacking required more technical expertise due to less sophisticated tools. Hackers often had to write their own scripts and exploit code. Basic network vulnerabilities, such as those involving buffer overflows and SQL injection, were more common.
4. Types of Hackers:
The line between “black hat” hackers (those with malicious intent) and “white hat” hackers (those working ethically) was more pronounced. There was also a significant culture of “grey hat” hacking, where individuals would often seek to expose vulnerabilities for altruistic reasons or for the challenge, without malicious intent or formal authorization.
5. Legal Framework and Awareness:
Laws regarding cybercrimes were less developed, and many organizations lacked awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. As a result, prosecution for hacking-related offenses was less common.
6. Hacktivism:
This period saw the rise of hacktivism, where hacking was used as a tool for political activism. Groups such as Anonymous and LulzSec began to emerge.
