The video is called “Adrian Lamo’s Hacking”; it consists of six parts available from YouTube. As it usually happens there are two different opinions that can be suggested in this case. The first opinion suggests the idea of knowledge that can exist for knowledge. The example of Galileo introduces a theory about the construction of the Solar System that was the target of interest of the well-known scientist.
In this case, he was regarded as a hacker because he explored the earth and its movement. This does not mean that he wanted to use this knowledge to raid a bank or crack security software of the governmental organisation. I find it interesting to compare the hacking activity with the cowboys of the Wild West when all people lived in accordance with their own lows and there was no universal punishment for some sort of crime.
So, contemporary hackers that explore computers, telecommunications, and other complicated mechanisms of communication have established their own rules of ethical decision-making. In this respect, curiosity that makes a hacker crack the system is claimed to be of little danger whereas people that rob banks with the help of hacking should be punished.
Telephones and their development from the hard-wired phones to the cell phones have become the reason for development of hacking skills necessary to hack the phone and to call somebody for free. This can be considered one of the damage-brining factors considering the hacking activity.
Having access to all automated systems that store some information can be really dangerous in terms of consequences of those interventions. As hackers do not always know what type of information they change, they can alter some minor facts in the system causing environmental and even military catastrophes.
So, hacking has become one of the most effective weapons for terroristic organisations in the contemporary global society.
Being engaged into terrorist organisations’ activities makes hackers’ exploration of cyber-space unethical because they perform that for the only reason only; this reason includes cooperation with terroristic organisations for the purpose of cracking various security systems of strategic targets and various governmental organisations. So, as every concept in the world, hacking activity has its pros and cons.
Pros stand for mere exploration of some construction, structure, the way something operates and finding some ways to improve its operation or increase productivity whereas cons include actions that are aimed at gaining personal benefits or at destructive activities that can be really damaging.
However, some hackers try to cooperation with the national security offices that are in charge of the national security programs and various preventive methods. The only thing that ruins this light image of cooperation is that hackers warn the organisations responsible for security about vulnerability of some parts of the security network while they did not listen.
To conclude, hacking as it appears to be performed by Adrian Lamo is absolutely safe and can be used to improve various security systems. Besides, hacking can be peaceful if a person does something out of curiosity. However, hacking can be dangerous if some information goes to wrong people that present the radical movement or want to do something destructive.
In other words, it is better not to explore the way some machine works if you are not ready to be responsible for that intervention and cannot suggest any alternative for that security system.
On the other hand, people 9governmental agencies) should cooperate with hackers to master their skills in this area and be ready to parry hostile hackers’ attacks aimed at destruction of the governmental network and providing terrorists with their assistance.