Chapter 5: Crime

Name Victoria Terhaar Class time: 12 pm
KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (EXCLUDING REFERENCE PAGE)

Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: The Gift of Fire
Sections read: 5.1-5.3

1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:

a. On page 253 Baase states that, “the average loss from a computer fraud is more than $100, 000,” and I thought with the amount of news I hear about the number would be much larger including white collar crimes.

b. A sentence Baase wrote that truly made me think was, “We have the freedom to speak but not the right to compel others to listen.” (pg. 264)

c. On page 274 Baase explains that phishing is, “sending millions of emails fishing for information to use to impersonate someone and steal money and goods.”

2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?

The first part of this chapter goes through the life of hacking and how it started back in the 1960’s as a positive term to what it has been developed to today with its negative light. With each phase of the development there are numerous examples of how hacking has been portrayed and how it has shifted. (pg. 253-263) The next sections are about political hacking which is primarily used to send messages to government agencies of countries, the penalties of young hackers which have included nothing more than probation, community service, financial restitution, or detention and the security measures that go hand in hand with hacking. (pg. 263-273) Lastly, Baase talks about identity theft and credit card fraud and different techniques used by hackers to get and use people’s information (273-282).


3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?

A specific example that I have experienced is on my laptop before I’ve clicked an advertisement on the side of a website page and received a virus just from clicking that. The virus that downloaded on my computer was a message that would pop up in a window and every time I clocked exit on the window a new one with the same exact message would pop up. Clearly the advertisement had a virus in it. Baase states on page 261 that, “banner ads can contain viruses.” To get rid of the virus my father had no run an anti-virus software on my computer. Now to help my laptop from not getting any more viruses I have McAfee Security Scan Plus that regularly checks and protects my computer from getting a virus.


4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.

In the chapter Baase talks about hacktivism, or political hacking. This is the use of hacking for a political cause. An example that Baase used was how someone posted a pro-drug message on a U.S. police department antidrug website. (pg. 263) Actions like this remind me of protests in past years, except now people are using the internet and technology to relay their message. In previous years, methods of activism didn’t involve any type of technology. Protestors would have sit-ins, or rally’s, or march’s to convey their political message to the government or whomever they were “speaking” to. A famous example of this type of protest would be Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and how he staged speeches and march’s to protest civil rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life to speaking out towards civil rights and doing so in a nonviolent way (http://www.mlkonline.net/bio.html)

5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?

I do agree with everything that’s being said within this chapter because hacking, whether it isn’t harmful or it is completely devastating, is something that people who live in this day and age have to deal with. Every day in the news you hear about people who have gotten their identity stolen or a major virus that is going around businesses etc., and as this technology keeps changing people have to keep changing the way they deal with it as well. Hackers find new ways so the government has to find new ways to stop them.

6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?

This topic is obviously relevant in today’s society because hacking wouldn’t be around if we didn’t have the technology we’ve worked up to in this society. This issue is one that will keep expanding as technology keeps growing, and governments and protection agencies are going to have to find alternative routes of stopping the hacking and potential hacking. They will have to find a way to always be one step ahead of the hackers.