Real hackers are few, highly skilled, and probably not
interested in you, but the fast growing "script kiddie" hobby
assures your systems will be attacked.
As "point and click" interfaces have "dumbed down" computer users and
administrators, the same has happened in hacker land, to the point the
"dumbed down" are not allowed the title, they are called "script kiddies".
Script kiddies download automated hacking tools from Internet sites and
launch them against random blocks of IP addresses - looking for unprotected
computers to play with. Then they use similar low skill tools to do whatever
they please with your computer. Problem is, there are many thousands of
script kiddies, and more every day.
RULE: Security through Obscurity no longer works - at all. Not against an
intense, but totally random attack. If you are vulnerable, someone already
knows, perhaps many people, they just haven't had time for you yet.
All this is not to say real hackers aren't still hard at work. Someone
creates those easy to use tools, after all.
Hackers vs. Crackers - In the nerdy culture, a "Hacker" is a highly
skilled computer geek who does "great hacks" (generally clever computer code).
You will be told in no uncertain terms that the people who break into
systems are called "crackers", that "hackers" are honest folks who would
never, never do such a thing (even though they have no respect whatever
for authority, business, government, laws, property, "suits", grooming,
personal hygiene, mom or apple pie). OK, some wouldn't. Of course every
"cracker" referrs to himself as a "hacker". Common usage lumps the whole lot
under the term "hacker".
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