White and Black Hat Hackers: Re-evaluating the "Hacker" Community and Ethic
Advisor Information
Samantha Clinkinbeard
Location
UNO Criss Library, Room 112
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
7-3-2014 2:15 PM
End Date
7-3-2014 2:30 PM
Abstract
The term "hacker" has undergone a transformation over the past two decades. While the term held a positive connotation at inception, the prevalence of hackers in movies, news and other media has resulted in a shift towards notoriety. Yet, hackers claim to belong to a community with a clearly defined ethic. The hacker ethic emphasizes free access to and exchanging of knowledge and information, and resists malicious intrusion or theft or intellectual property. Within the hacker community, those who disregard this hacker ethic are supposedly shunned and labeled "black hat hackers." This study seeks to evaluate how the hacker ethic has evolved and the divide between white and black hat hackers blurred. Data was collected through secondary interview analysis of interviews collected from a variety of sources online, and through interviews conducted with current and former self-proclaimed "hackers." The study used a grounded theory approach to examine hacker mentalities and motivations, and how hackers differentiate themselves from their malicious counterparts.
White and Black Hat Hackers: Re-evaluating the "Hacker" Community and Ethic
UNO Criss Library, Room 112
The term "hacker" has undergone a transformation over the past two decades. While the term held a positive connotation at inception, the prevalence of hackers in movies, news and other media has resulted in a shift towards notoriety. Yet, hackers claim to belong to a community with a clearly defined ethic. The hacker ethic emphasizes free access to and exchanging of knowledge and information, and resists malicious intrusion or theft or intellectual property. Within the hacker community, those who disregard this hacker ethic are supposedly shunned and labeled "black hat hackers." This study seeks to evaluate how the hacker ethic has evolved and the divide between white and black hat hackers blurred. Data was collected through secondary interview analysis of interviews collected from a variety of sources online, and through interviews conducted with current and former self-proclaimed "hackers." The study used a grounded theory approach to examine hacker mentalities and motivations, and how hackers differentiate themselves from their malicious counterparts.