Interview with a Hacker
Blessed are the Geeks, for they shall internet the earth
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 Ive 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 didnt happen immediately). I should also add that there were questions that he didnt want to answer so he simply deleted them. And there were many questions that Ive already asked throughout the years and just repeated them for the interview. The interview begins
TheNetworkAdministrator:How come you dont 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. Its 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. (Weve had this conversation before) Its a label that is too often misused. But for the sake of this interview, Ill 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 theres 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. Ive known hackers that were arrested one day and starting a new job the very next morning in Virginia. Ive also heard of the reverse. Where a government hacker catches a corporate hacker, and then will apply for his job. Theres 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 arent still anarchist, but like I said; they dont 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. Ive 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, Im glad that you asked. Ive 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 Ive 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 doesnt matter the flavor of operating system either. As long as the computer sports a microchip that can retain data, (RAM, ROM, or Flash).
Hows your new book coming along?
TheNetworkAdministrator:Its doing okay. Id give up the two Im 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. Ive 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:Thats kind of a dumb-assed question, Doug.
TheNetworkAdministrator:Look, Im running out of things to ask here. Are you a dark hacker or white hat hacker?
Hacker:Thats an unfair question to ask, as most people are not all bad or all good. Ive done questionable things; Ive also done things that helped people. Like exposing a company that was stealing peoples retirement money.
TheNetworkAdministrator:Like Enron?
Hacker:No. Allot of people knew about Enron, but you dont mess with Texas.
TheNetworkAdministrator:So you consider yourself to be a modern day Robin Hood?
Hacker:Not at all, Robin Hood wasnt a real person, and I kept most of everything Ive 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 wasnt deleted, but he gave no answer either.)
TheNetworkAdministrator:How did you catch me mucking about in your network?
Hacker: It wasnt 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