People and the Internet - The Rise In Computer Hacking

There has been a disturbing rise in the number of computer attacks, and experts expect that the numbers will increase. One study by the Omni Consulting Group showed that out of 3,000 surveyed businesses, security gaps cost between 5.7-7.7% of their annual revenue. Most losses come from viruses and worms and e-mail, although the cost in equipment and wasted hours can be enormous. Collins Consulting Group estimated the damages done by viruses and computer "cracking" in the U.S. at $266 billion in 1999. They estimate worldwide losses due to downtime from security breaches and virus attacks at $1.6 trillion.

From 1997 to 2001, the number of reported incidents skyrocketed from 2,134 in 1997 to 52,658 in 2001. Some of the monikers of these bugs and viruses will surely ring some bells: The Love Bug (2000) is estimated to have had $8.8 billion in economic impact worldwide; Code Red (2001) had about $2.6 billion; Melissa (1999) had roughly $1.1 billion.

During this same period the Internet took off. More homes steadily gained Internet access. Electronic commerce blossomed. We became a "global marketplace" and sensitive information was increasingly distributed electronically. The graphic shows the number of hosts as a way of showing how quickly the Internet grew to accommodate a population that was increasingly coming online: the number of Internet hosts increased from about 16.1 million in January 1997 to 109.5 million in January 2001.

How are we handling this growing threat? The research firm International Data Corp. reported in USA TODAY that companies and organizations are expected to spend $14 billion by 2005 to fend off threats to their computer networks, a 180% increase over spending in 2000. The nation drafted its first infrastructure-protection plan in 1999, a program to protect vital systems in case of a cyber attack. E-mails are regularly distributed about some new potential virus making its way through networks.

But we don't always take the message so seriously. Software giant Microsoft reports that downloads to fix a bug in their new XP operating system have been slow; the glitch leaves users with high-speed access vulnerable to a hackers.

One final observation: hackers have their own culture and vocabulary to explain (justify?) their actions. A PBS report points out that there is a code of ethics for hacking. A hacker will explore a computer system, but will not steal or vandalize; many actually feel it is their duty to identify security holes and report them to systems administrators. One who enters a computer system with the intent to vandalize it is considered a cracker.

Sources: Acohido, Byron. "Agency Raise the Bar On Tech Security." USA TODAY, February 27, 2002, p. 7B; "Internet Domain Survey." Retrieved February 28, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.isc.org; "Enterprise Security Solutions to Combat Cyber-Terrorism." Retrieved online: http://www.collinscg.com; "Hacker Profile." Retrieved online: http://www.pbs.org.