Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    Hacktivists: A Potential Talent Pool for Organizations

    Written by

    Fahmida Y. Rashid
    Published March 2, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Law-enforcement officials, IT security providers and executives at the RSA 2012 Conference were concerned about the kind of damage hacktivists can cause on networks and on a company’s reputation. Still, while some see chaos, others see potential, and a panel of experts worried about all this technical knowledge going to waste.

      Eric Strom, unit chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s cyber-initiative and resource fusion unit; Misha Glenny, a journalist; and Grady Summers, a vice president from Mandiant, joined Jeffrey Brown, a senior correspondent with “PBS NewsHour,” for a panel on hacktivism at the RSA Conference in San Francisco Feb. 29. The panelists agreed that many of the hacker collectives online, such as Anonymous, were primarily political movements rather than criminal organizations.

      For many of the members, the Internet is part of their lives, and computers and mobile devices integrate their digital and physical identities seamlessly. Hacktivism would be the preferred method of protest for a group comfortable with online life, Glenny said.

      The groups are full of “skilled young people who are persuaded to go to the other side,” said Glenny.

      Anonymous is primarily viewed by members as a political movement, and its methods are political tools of protest, much in the same way marches and sit-ins were part of civil disobedience in the physical world. While organized criminals do recruit individual members for criminal activity or attempt to direct campaigns in a way to benefit their interests, for the most part, groups like Anonymous are political.

      It is difficult to draw the distinction between what is a legitimate protest and what is illegal, said Summers. While launching distributed denial-of-service attacks are illegal, it’s not always clear how taking a site offline is more disruptive than physically protesting in front of an organization and preventing it from doing business, he said.

      For many organizations, last year was the first time information security was even mentioned in front of the board of directors. Hacktivists aren’t just a security concern for organizations, but also a public relations issue. Regardless of whether a cyber-incident was the work of Anonymous, and if it is an advanced persistent threat (APT) or something else, organizations still need to respond.

      Anonymous has no formal hierarchy or organizational structure. A small group of highly skilled individuals influence other members, who are usually less advanced and younger, panelists said. Much of the activity in Anonymous’ operations is carried out by younger members who are excited to be part of a political process.

      The symbolism of the name Anonymous is incredibly “powerful,” said Glenny, noting that the name shows there’s no accountability and there’s no way to trace the activities.

      “Most of them are minors. How do we prosecute someone like that?” asked Strom. FBI agents generally wind up talking to the parents, Strom said.

      A lot of people think hacktivists are just kids fooling around, but the bottom line is that they can cause a lot of harm to an organization, said Strom.

      There was “not a single person in the room” who didn’t know the kind of havoc hacktivists can wreak on an organization or feel “sick to the stomach” at the thought of being targeted, said Summers. But the amount of attention paid to groups may be overblown.

      Even though he doesn’t mean to make light of the issue, Summers is not expecting a zero-day attack from Anonymous.

      Regardless of their motivation, hacktivists have forced two major changes among organizations. Their activities have increased information sharing between organizations and law enforcement, but they have also increased senior management’s perception of the importance of security, said Summers.

      Glenny advocated “rehabilitating” hacktivists to use their talents for the organizations, instead of against them. Instead of arresting and jailing hacktivists for taking part in the political protests, they should be hired by companies to provide insight and real technical skills, said Glenny.

      “If your only skill is using a computer, and you’re not able to do that, I think that’s likely to put you back into the underground,” said Glenny.

      Summers didn’t think it was likely that organizations would take on the responsibility of bringing hacktivists on board. While some companies have hired hackers in the past, there are others with a clear policy against the practice.

      While hacktivists were for the most part young€”between 14- and 22-years-old€”there are professionals and IT employees also taking part in these activities, said Strom. The older members often have enough skills to be hired as professionals. The younger members have skills that could be transferred to other uses, and it is important that officials try to divert their interests while they are still young, said Glenny.

      “We have a lot of talent out there and we should start to think of developing methods so we can find incentives to channel those talents before it happens,” said Glenny.

      Fahmida Y. Rashid
      Fahmida Y. Rashid

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.