On our most recent episode, we spoke to Marcia Hofmann, senior attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, about an ages old law called The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The act, passed in 1986, was originally meant to prosecute criminal computer hacking, but in recent years it has expanded to cover everything from wiping information from your work hard drive to violating the terms of service agreements for sites like MySpace. Advocates have called for serious reforms for the law, and at least in the case of terms of service violations, it appears the Senate is listening.

Passed in 1986, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act was specifically meant to target hacking. But in recent years it's been used to prosecute a much wider swath of behavior, some of which has nothing to do with hacking. Marcia Hofmann of the Electronic Frontier Foundation talks to Brooke about the perils of having such a vague law on the books.

This year we've heard stories about hacking, from The News of the World scandal to the exploits of groups like Anonymous and Lulzsec. But the way the media uses the word hack diverges sharply from the way it's used by actual hackers. On the Media Producer Alex Goldman explores the history of the word and how its meaning has shifted over time. 

The motivations of hackers are often obscure. The motivations of the handlers at the Internet Storm Center—the people who stand ready to battle the latest internet malady—are a little easier to understand.  Bob spoke with Alan Paller, the Director of Research at Sans Institute, home to the Internet Storm Center.  Paller says they do it to feel like they're making a difference, for personal pride...and a for leather jacket.

There's an air of alchemy and mystery that surrounds the world of hacking, because it's perceived as being so technical. That's part of what makes hacking seem so illicit to non-hackers. But some of the most well known hackers have obtained information using an incredibly low-tech method. That method is called "social engineering."

This week has been hack week here at On The Media. We've written about the Paleolithic history of hacking: the jargon file and phone phreaking – but to round out the week, it’s time for some up-to-the-minute hacking news.

Earlier this year, Bob interviewed Emmanuel Goldstein (the pen name of hacker Eric Corley), the editor of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. Bob spoke to Goldstein about organizations like Lulzsec and Anonymous, specifically about their habit of leaking the personal information they obtain by hacking big corporations. Both of these groups are adherents to the "antisec movement," believe that the computer security industry is the emperor that wears no clothes, which they demonstrate time and time again by showing system vulnerabilities. Corley says that the antisec movement is just making us aware of very serious security issues that affect our personal data. Have a listen.

Think you're 31337? Ever produce a hamster, or are you only producing crock? Do you have any idea what I'm talking about? If the answer's yes, then you're probably familiar with the dictionary of hacker slang called The Jargon File. 

All week we've been obliquely referencing what author Steven Levy calls "the hacker ethic" - the notion that information wants to be free, and the more information sharing, the better. This concept covers not only programs and ideas, it covers lingo. Enter the Rosetta Stone of the hacker world: The Jargon File.

Phreak

intr.v.
phreaked, phreak·ing, phreaks

To manipulate a telephone system illicitly to allow one to make calls without paying for them.

ETYMOLOGY:
Alteration of freak¹ (influenced by phone)

You can’t always trust the dictionary.

This is pretty cool. Reporter (and sometime OTM guest host) Rick Karr filmed a short doc about hardware hackers in NYC. 

There's the one aspect of the hacking world that everyone's familiar with - the world of finding software vulnerabilities and breaking into systems via the internet. But there's a whole world of hacking going on out there that shares the same name, but is different in several ways. This is the world of open source hacking.

The concept of hacking entered the American popular imagination through a fairly unlikely medium – the Hollywood blockbuster. Specifically, the 1983 film Wargames, about a high school hacker whose computer tampering nearly starts a nuclear war.

Journalist Misha Glenny has written extensively about global organized crime, and in his travels he's met quite a few "carders" or hackers who steal credit card information. Glenny recently gave a TED talk about the proliferation of hacking (criminal and otherwise), and proposes a novel solution -- instead of sending these hackers to jail, we should "engage and find ways of offering guidance to these people because they are a remarkable breed."  

While doing research for hack week, we ended up reading a ton of books and articles about hackers. Below are just a couple of our favorites.

Starting Monday and culminating with some stories in next week's episode, On the Media is going to be all about hacking. We're going to explore hacking's history and culture. We'll bring you interviews with hackers, and stories about how hacking is represented in the media. Check in every day with the blog or follow this link, which will bring you all a feed of all of our upcoming hacking stories. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to let us know in the comments.