Hacking is easier than ever. Now, that fact can be either reassuring or disturbing depending on what side of the fence you sit on. If you are a hacker, or would-be hacker, then you are likely breathing a sigh of relief right now. If you are a regular person with a bank account, then you are probably quaking in your boots. But before you start feeling relieved or terrified, we should probably examine the truth of that statement. Is hacking easier than ever or am I simply attempting to garner clicks with a clickbait title? Let’s look at some facts. I’ll be viewing this issue from two periods of time, the year 2000 will represent the past while the year 2015 will represent the present. So, is hacking easier than ever, I’m just as curious as you are. Let’s find out!
First, let’s look at the way hacking has become easier over the years. In recent years, there was has been an explosion in the availability of hacking tools and that one tool critical to any hacker’s arsenal, the computer. Computers, once only a luxury, are now the cornerstone of most households. In the early 2000s, the computer was something that most families aspired to own, while most families didn’t own one. And the families who did own a computer owned an average computer, for the time, at that. Back in 2000, it was common to find a computer that had only 128 MB of hard-drive space and only 64 MB of RAM. Quite a difference compared to today where the average desktop computer will have around 1 terabyte of hard-drive space and 8 GB of RAM. Of course, these boosts in processing power make hacking all the easier, but what of the other hacking tools on the market?
Truly, it’s impossible to say just how many “pentesting” tools there are on the market. If I were to guess, I would say there are around 500 officially recognized hacking tools available to the average person, paid or free. Kali, a free GNU/Linux distribution, offers over 300 tools built-in upon install. So it would seem the would-be hacker has plenty to choose from. But what good is a tool if the owner doesn’t know how to use it? Not to worry, though, in the year 2015, hacking tutorials abound without seeming limit. All a person needs to do is Google “How do I use [insert pentesting tool]” and they’ll be taken to at least 100 tutorials, some far better than others. It would seem that, these days, just about anyone with a little patience, time, and effort could become a hacker. Free knowledge is out there for the taking, all a person has to do is reach out a grab it. These days, there are no excuses for ignorance.
And what about the fact that we are surrounded by technology? With all the laptops, desktops, tablets, readers, and phones (don’t get me started on the phones) in common use among the populace, our environment has become the hacker’s playground. Next time you leave your house, take note of how many devices with WIFI capabilities you see. I bet you will be surprised. With all this technology chatting it up on busy radio frequencies, hacking opportunities abound. The Internet of all things is a wonder to behold.
This is all well and good, but let me introduce a counterpoint. How has hacking become more difficult over the years? But, you may say:
How could hacking have become more difficult; didn’t you just flawlessly list and explain the reasons it has become easier than ever?
Yes, it is true, hacking tools, tutorials, and opportunities are more common and accessible than ever, but defenses against hacking are also exceedingly more sophisticated than they were back in 2000. In 2000, tech-security just wasn’t as much of a priority as it is today. Not because the business-folk didn’t care about security, it was just assumed that most people didn’t have either the knowledge or tools required to hack into their systems, which was true. However, those folks who did have the knowledge and tools found it surprisingly easy to break into systems. Compared to today, routers were easy to confuse and overwhelm, databases were full of exploits, programs were often buggy and poorly reviewed, websites didn’t thoroughly parse data, data was often sent over unencrypted channels, buffers overflowed, and the rivers and seas ran with milk and honey. I guess, in this way, hacking was easier back in the day. But it was only easier for a small group of technophiles. The vast majority of would-be hackers were just out of luck.
So, I’ve listed some good arguments as to why hacking is both easier and harder than it was in the past. But has hacking in 2015 become easier overall? Is hacking truly easier than ever? My final argument will prove that, once and for all, hacking is far easier than it was in the past. Are you ready for this?
Hacking is easier than ever for the reason that most people are still as knowledgeable about computers as they were in 2000. In fact, I would venture to guess that most people’s knowledge of computer’s doesn’t extend outside of Facebook, email, and other social media. While security has been seriously amped up since 2000, the average person is still living in the past. In the hacking underground, it is often said that people are the biggest vulnerability to any system. Even with all the training employees receive, they are only marginally more prepared against cyber-attacks than they were 15 years ago. And this isn’t even mentioning the average person on their home computer. Otherwise intelligent people can be completely fooled when the topic of computing is brought up. Especially if the person is older. I’m a young guy with some tech background, and older folk along with most of my younger peers are convinced I’m a technological genius, when I know that that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
It seems that security professionals are fighting a losing battle, when the biggest wildcard in that battle is the average person. A security professional who designs and implements security measures must strike a balance between security, accessibility, and ease of use. When the average person isn’t at all technologically inclined, this spells disaster for most security implementations. It’s a completely uphill battle for the security professional. Though, it probably doesn’t hurt his job security.
All in all, abundant and accessible tools and information, coupled with most people’s ignorance about computing, have made hacking easier than ever. Thanks to all of the aforementioned, it truly is a hacker’s paradise. So rejoice or cower. The future is here and it is terrifying. But it doesn’t have to be. The average person can, by following a few simple rules, greatly minimize the chances that his information will be stolen and exploited. All the average person needs to do is proceed with caution. Don’t be reckless on the Internet. Use strong passwords. Don’t give out any more information than is necessary. And don’t download anything shady. By following these simple rules, the average person can greatly reduce the chances of something bad happening.
With that said, I wish you happy browsing or happy hacking. Or, if you swing both ways, happy…doing both.
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