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Interview With a Dark
Hacker
Douglas Chick
 Last week a text document appeared on my desktop that was
named, “Hi Doug” I recognized it as a “Hacker” that contacts me
periodically. He caught me one time years ago trying to access his system.
He immediately cracked into my computer and stumbled upon a few funny
stories that I wrote and was entertained by them. He told me that this was
the only reason I still had a computer. I believed him, or her. In the past
5 or 6 years, he never made his gender clear. I only assumed it was a he.
With every exchange, and there
have been many throughout the years, Hacker, I call him hacker, has managed
to communicate in a way that I’ve never been able to detect or trace. Not
with packet sniffer or port monitor have I ever been able to find an
origination point. It always shows up as either an echo of my own IP or
nothing at all. This time I asked Hacker if he would consent to an interview
for the website and he agreed. I asked one question at a time on the text
document that was created on my desktop. I would type in the question and
hit F5 (refresh) to find the answer. (Although sometimes it didn’t happen
immediately). I should also add that there were questions that he didn’t
want to answer so he simply deleted them. And there were many questions that
I’ve already asked throughout the years and just repeated them for the
interview. The interview begins…
TheNetworkAdministrator:
How come you don’t use a hacker handle, like HackerD, or CaptainJack?
Hacker:
Names or handles are for people that need recognition. Recognition is
vain and vanity is the fastest way to get caught. It’s enough for me to
know that I can and have accessed impenetrable systems without having to
brag about my exploits. Or to be profiled with a name.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Do you make your living as a professional hacker?
Hacker:
Yes, I do.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
What does a professional hacker do exactly?
Hacker:
First of all, the term hacker is an insulting title. (We’ve had this
conversation before) It’s a label that is too often misused. But for the
sake of this interview, I’ll use it.
A professional “hacker” is someone that works
for the government or corporation. They are usually professionals in
gathering data for corporate espionage or just plan old stealing. Even in
the movie industry. This is why you see similar movie themes released at the
same time. The first movie is almost always the rip-off. Where there’s big
money you will always find a “hacker”. There are hackers and
counter-hackers too. Sometimes they work for the same organization and are
frequently stumbling over each other. I’ve known hackers that were
arrested one day and starting a new job the very next morning in Virginia.
I’ve also heard of the reverse. Where a government hacker catches a
corporate hacker, and then will apply for his job. There’s lots of money
to be made in data collections.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
I thought hackers were anarchist?
Hacker:
I think we all start out that way, but quickly go conservative when we
reach that 7-digit income. Not to say that there aren’t still anarchist,
but like I said; they don’t make any money so they have no reason to
change.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Who do you work for, the government or a corporation?
Hacker:
I serve many masters.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Have you ever worked for a software company?
(This question was deleted. I know why too. I’ve asked this question
several times throughout the years and he had told me that all software
companies employ hackers. This has always seemed to be a sensitive area
conversation. I never have gotten a straight answer.)
TheNetworkAdministrator:
How do you hack without leaving a trace?
Hacker:
Well, Duh, I’m glad that you asked. I’ve been waiting so long now to
spill my guts and give away my best trade secrets so your readers can
compete for my job. I will tell you this though: most hackers are talented
programmers. Most of the techniques I use are programs and algorithms that
I’ve written. Every hack is nothing more than a triggered response posed
by an inquiry. [If, Then, or Else] Basic programming. Once a certain
patterns or algorithms have been displaced, the program will load a niece
program onto the system. And it doesn’t matter the flavor of operating
system either. As long as the computer sports a microchip that can retain
data, (RAM, ROM, or Flash).
How’s your new book coming along?
TheNetworkAdministrator:
It’s doing okay. I’d give up the two I’m currently working on for
a shot at publishing what you know. I see a million dollar bestseller.
Hacker:
What would you do with that kind of money?
(I purposely left out this dialogue as it many consist of recreation that
would embarrass my family)
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Do you ever take on apprentices?
Hacker:
No, you either come to it by your own means or not at all. I’ve seen
people try, but what happens is they create bad hackers or good virus
makers. If there is such a term?
TheNetworkAdministrator:
What do you do with all the data you collect?
Hacker:
That’s kind of a dumb-assed question, Doug.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Look, I’m running out of things to ask here.
Are you a dark hacker or white hat hacker?
Hacker:
That’s an unfair question to ask, as most people are not all bad or
all good. I’ve done questionable things; I’ve also done things that
helped people. Like exposing a company that was stealing people’s
retirement money.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Like Enron?
Hacker:
No. Allot of people knew about Enron, but you don’t mess with Texas.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
So you consider yourself to be a modern day Robin Hood?
Hacker:
Not at all, Robin Hood wasn’t a real person, and I kept most of
everything I’ve taken.
TheNetworkAdministrator:
Ah, so you do keep stolen data?
(This was also a question that was deleted.)
TheNetworkAdministrator:
How exactly do you find employment for such a position?
(This wasn’t deleted, but he gave no answer either.)
TheNetworkAdministrator:
How did you catch me mucking about in your network?
Hacker:
It wasn’t my network. I was doing the same thing that you were. In fact, I
used your IP address and ARP the next time I went back
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