Hackers often get a bad reputation. And often times, rightfully so. But there are time when hackers try to do the good things, like wise up governments. Or at least, that’s what they want us to think.
Nations like Malta, South Africa and South Korea are hiring hackers to break codes for several reasons. One main reason is security. Smaller nations want to know what bigger and more powerful countries are up to. Unfortunately, it’s rumored the NSA has hired hackers to help them spy on us. Hackers call these zero days: coding flaws in software that can be bought by a competitor or rival. Not long ago, companies like Microsoft would buy them off, but now, who can turn down the offer of a national government? A few years ago, the US and Israel attacked Iran technologically with a computer worm called Stuxnet due to concerns over their nuclear program.
A former White House security advisor says, “Governments are starting to say, ?In order to best protect my country, I need to find vulnerabilities in other countries’.” The biggest zero days buyers are Israel, Russia,?Great Britain, and India. The Middle East nations?use these tactics also. Hackers can charge anywhere from $35,000 to $160,000?for these services. I know that may ?sound cheap, but just 10-15 years ago, many hackers would do this just for the?thrill.
So what to make of this? On one hand, maybe this is a good thing to keep other nations in check. But the more cynical side of me is looking at the darker side. What if these hackers secrets?lead to intense conflict? What if a?nation finds out something so destructive about another nation that it decides it has to…ahem…take action? I’d like to think these hackers have good intentions, but the?road to you know where?is paved with good intentions. So is?’zero days’ an instrument of peace or a weapon just waiting to happen?