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Provide an essay about in the 21st Century, hackers have become a global problem.
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#21st Century Hackers – Documentary Review Essay (Movie Review)
Summary of the Documentary
In the video, the author first introduces the need for new technology: to make work easier. For increased productivity and work efficiency, internet usage has grown globally, and it has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry. However, with all this sophistication of technology, the issue of hacking comes up. According to the documentary, hacking is of three different types: white hackers, black hackers, and grey hackers. White hackers are classified as the so-called good hackers, whereas black hackers are the bad type. Lastly, the documentary outlines that grey hackers fall in between the good and bad hackers.
Initially, hacking was not meant for malicious or destructive purposes. To expound more on this term, the author introduces Samy, a white hacker who began his hacking journey through ‘My Space.’ Despite experiencing several challenges out of his hacking activities, such as being prohibited from using a computer for three years, Samy has joined a group of other white hackers to increase the security features of systems worldwide by detecting all vulnerabilities or loopholes and closing them down. The returns for such beneficial white hacking are called bounties.
On the other side, there are black hackers who use their hacking pedigree to extort money from innocent users of the internet and other technology devices. For instance, many black hackers use ransomware to demand ransom to reinstate people’s access to their personal files. Ransomware is mainly spread through emails, where the virus infects all personal files automatically when a person opens a link sent to their email. In return, the hackers encrypt all files with a key and demand ransom from their targets in exchange for the key, which allows them to gain access to their files again. Against such hackers’ actions, the U.S. secret services protect the Presidency and investigate such high-end crimes. The author gives different instances of how the secret services has tracked down the criminals.
Takeaway from the Documentary
In the presence of all these hacking issues, what stands out is that people increase the easy-access of hackers into their systems. Smartphones have penetrated into almost all parts of the world, regardless of the social stratifications, and for everyone that owns mobile phones, most of them are smartphones. Smartphone users give out their personal information, and companies globally are using this data for marketing purposes.
However, information sharing enables malicious uses by making it possible to devise ways of accessing different people in their circles and infiltrate their files; in other words, for monetary purposes. People must find out ways that these imperative devices are not used against them since it is impossible to live without them; for instance, the Tor browser is secure against being tracked by governments and companies, for whatever reasons that they may have.
Questions and/or Thoughts from an InfoSec Professional Perspective
From this perspective, several insights can be obtained to win or at least gain some ground against bad hackers’ malicious intentions. First, technology users must protect their data, for example, through frequent back-ups. Second, users must be the first line of defense against hacking or data insecurity, such as through a firm user policy of emails and other online sites. Third and lastly, it is essential always to be skeptical when dealing with new programs, tools, and projects.