"Yes, it is."
A response to Brian Martin's Is
it worth it? article.
By YTCracker (phed@felons.org)
This article was written in response to an article written by Brian Martin concerning
web page defacement, its risks, and its consequences. He asks the
eternal question "Is it worth it?" to those who
participate in these kinds of activities. Many of the individuals
I have talked to have mixed thoughts about the article. Some
individuals say it really taught them something valuable. Some
said it scared them into considering quitting. Others, including
myself, carry a somewhat apathetic attitude toward the whole
thing in general. Allow me to explain.
A few things need to be established about this defacement
culture. One, I believe that this in no way
constitutes as hacking. On any level, no matter how you look at
it, web page defacement is destructive. In some cases, it can
ruin the credibility of a company or a government agency. Two, I
believe that web page defacement should carry a
"message". When I spoke with Brian earlier, I tried to
make it clear that we [as third person onlookers to a defacement]
cannot determine this message in some cases. To us, "hack0r
x 0ens u in 9d9" probably means nothing at all. To hack0r x,
it may have. However, I personally believe that if hack0r x is
going to break into this page and disrupt their message, his
better be worthwhile. Thirdly, I believe that there is a
"whiter" side to defacement. This side operates within
definitive ethical boundaries and attempts to make web page
cracking as non-malicious as possible.
I do my best to have the ability to define myself under this
ethical side. I back everything up. I leave the administrator
information on how to fix the security hole. I don't disrupt the
flow of information - I leave a link to the original page in
plain sight. While these factors don't guarantee my immunity,
they surely aren't raising any eyebrows and leading people to
contemplate my threat to national security. I am not concerned
with leaving messages like "fuq da fedz in 9d9 suk0r my
nutsaq." That, frankly, is asking for trouble. It also
serves no purpose.
Why do I do it? There are a few key reasons. I am sure that
everyone out there that contributes to this scene has their own.
First off, I am seventeen [before I go any further, I am
referring to seventeen as "kid", not "a minor and
therefore will receive lesser penalty"]. As a young member
of society oftentimes I find that my voice goes unheard. In a
book titled Rise
and Fall of the American Teen by Thomas Hine [NPR
broadcast] , the theory is presented that the proverbial
"teenager" did not exist until the 1930s. Until that
time, teenagers were too busy supporting the family, getting
married, and having children. Nowadays, if I were to write my
senator, correct my teacher, or start a business, people
automatically assume that I am incapable. This is a stereotype
that I have not established for myself; other teenagers have
given me a reputation unbefitting of who I really am. By defacing
a website, people have to listen. The volume of
people that visit the site as it is defaced combined with the
volume of people that view it mirrored is immense. Therefore, I
have effectively gotten my message out, and people can choose to
listen to it or not.
If this sounds extremely selfish, I agree. The twist comes in
the questions that people ask themselves. For instance, one of my
motivations is enlightening system administrators. There has been
many a case where I have noticed a vulnerablilty, mailed the
admin, and his/her cockyness resulted in ignoring my warning. Two
or three days later, I see this admin's page on the mirror.
Sometimes, the best way to inform someone is to show them. Seeing
is believing. The point is, if I can get at least one of the
hundred people that see that site, including the administrator,
to realize that security isn't all its cracked up to be and
change their views, I have done my job. This line of thought is
very common in the heads of most defacement practitioners.
Second, I am a graffiti artist. I throw burners on walls and
trains. I have ran with some infamous crews. I do not represent
the "tagging" aspect [for the uninitiated, the
equivalent of "b0n3r oenz u" on a defacement]. I
strongly feel that graffiti can be very artistic and carry a very
strong message if done correctly. People will pass by your piece
and either love it or hate it. For that moment they take their
mind off of their jobs, their children, their lives and they
contemplate what they are looking at. This is very much so the
purpose of web defacement in my eyes.
Third, I don't care. I can't care. I haven't been raided,
haven't stared down a lawman's gun, and haven't been investigated
for computer crime. If any of these were to happen to me, I have
no doubt in my mind I will see things in a different light. This
ignorance is obviously not very healthy. I have weighed the
consequences and see very little in favor of me stopping. I will
most likely continue to deface until it gets old, I have nothing
else to say, or simply don't have time. I would argue that ninety
percent of web page defacements fall under this mindset. This is
sad, but true. This is not to say that I or anyone else isn't
aware of the rules. That assumption is far from the truth. What
it means is that we are basically carefree in the sense that we
could be arrested and still feel good about ourselves. ;)
In a sense, it isn't worth it. There are only a few of us
singlehandedly cracking with good intentions. The rest of the
scene is too busy talking shit to each other or rm -rfing
everything they can that there is a stereotype affiliated. As
aforementioned, stereotypes are the ultimate backpedal to
anything we accomplish. Just as teenagers are ignored and
pigeonholed, everyone who totes a computer and investigates
security will be labeled a threat.
What does make it worth it? Arguably, the few who carry on the
tradition. PHC
and Narcissus - using their defacements as a political tool. DHC
- putting an interesting poetic twist to their cracks. ULG
- for making BIG statements on BIG sites. Last but not least, v00d00
- for his cynical views and unique style. There are others, no
doubt, but these guys definately take the cake for originality
and style - they have my respect.
So next time you see my name or anyone else's pop up on attrition
and wonder why we do it, think back to this article.
Is
it worth it?
You decide.
YTCracker(phed@felons.org)
(c)1999 YTCracker andseven one nine