Study says most "black hat" hackers don't believe what they do is wrong

[Justin Kahn]

A recent study has come up with some interesting numbers regarding the way black hat hackers think of themselves and thier arguably malicious activities. A password security software company known as Thycotic conducted a survey during this year's Black Hat 2014 that says 86% of hackers do not believe they will ever have to face repercussions for their actions.

While many of them believe they are above the law, over 50% of those surveyed said they aren't in it for the money, but rather just for the fun of it. Only 18% said they were motivated by financial gains and 29% claimed to be hacktivists driven by exposing the truth regarding various issues. Just recently a group of hacktivists attacked the St. Louis Police Department and leaked dispatch tapes regarding the Michael Brown case.

Thycotic says many of attacks being conducted still make use of tactics that were used 10 years ago or more. Nearly all of the hackers the company interviewed said that basic phishing and spoofing techniques are still effective, but 47% say users are learning to avoid these techniques.

Whatever the motivation and tactics may be, according to Thycotic the particular 127 different individuals interviewed do not believe what they are doing is wrong. However, they don't feel invincible either, 88% of these hackers believe their own data and privacy is vulnerable to attacks from fellow hackers.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57742-study-says-most-black-hat-hackers-dont-believe-what-they-do-is-wrong.html

 

[TomSEA]

So what's the average age of a hacker and do they still live with their Mom?

 

[Xclusiveitalian]

New study shows 100% of hackers use computers.

 

[Guest]

Well I would rather see politicians thrown in jail, than hackers. They are allowed to fleece their own citizens of their hard earned cash, but it's fine, because they make the laws and loopholes to suit them.
Is that not a form of hacking, finding a weakness and exploiting it? So politics is social economic hacking?

A road may be dangerous, but no one spends money on lights, warnings, and safety aspects, until plenty of people have died.
Hackers, will be hunted like dogs when either, they kill plenty of people, or, more likely, when someone up high has his life threatened to be exposed.

 

[psycros]

Well I would rather see politicians thrown in jail, than hackers. They are allowed to fleece their own citizens of their hard earned cash, but it's fine, because they make the laws and loopholes to suit them.
Is that not a form of hacking, finding a weakness and exploiting it? So politics is social economic hacking?

A road may be dangerous, but no one spends money on lights, warnings, and safety aspects, until plenty of people have died.
Hackers, will be hunted like dogs when either, they kill plenty of people, or, more likely, when someone up high has his life threatened to be exposed.

Some of them are already hunted like dogs but when their caught you won't hear about it. Their usually given a choice: work for the government or never be heard from again.

 

[FF222]

"Study says most "black hat" hackers don't believe what they do is wrong"
Of course they don't. They make themselves believe that, so they don't have to hate themselves for doing it.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

 

[GeforcerFX]

Yeah we already knew thy were delusional tell s something knew. I still hate the white hat hackers more, every single one I have met is a prick, they all have massive ego's.

 

[Guest]

So what's the average age of a hacker and do they still live with their Mom?

You forgot to include "are they virgins?".

 

[tonylukac]

I think the militaries hack, including the us military.

 

[captaincranky]

Do ne'er do well hackers really wear black hats? What happens when a "white hat hacker" wants to infiltrate a "black hat hackers" group? Does he or she simply change their hat color?

 

[cliffordcooley]

Does he or she simply change their hat color?

Seems logical!

 

[tipstir]

Internet is free, so the logical sense was that what you upload was free domain. But in the past is was BBB with PKWARE and PKZIP days. Today things have change. New word is call Streaming. Storage is called Cloud.

 

[JudaZ]

Do ne'er do well hackers really wear black hats? What happens when a "white hat hacker" wants to infiltrate a "black hat hackers" group? Does he or she simply change their hat color?

Makes me think of old SPY vs SPY

 

[captaincranky]

Makes me think of old SPY vs SPY

Now that you mention it, me too.....