The Controversy of Hacking Books and Classes

When books on hacking first came out, a big controversy arose pertaining to whether this was the right thing to do or not. One side said that such books only increased the attackers’ skills and techniques and created new attackers. The other side stated that the attackers already had these skills, and these books were written to bring the security professionals and networking individuals up to speed. Who was right? They both were.

The word “hacking” is sexy, exciting, seemingly seedy, and usually brings about thoughts of complex technical activities, sophisticated crimes, and a look into the face of electronic danger itself. Although some computer crimes may take on some of these aspects, in reality it is not this grand or romantic. A computer is just a new tool to carry out old crimes.