In the context of the new milieu created by computers and networks, a new form of threat has emerged – the computer criminal capable of damaging or disrupting the electronic infrastructure, invading people’s privacy, and performing industrial espionage … A significant number of these hackers may go on to become serious computer criminals. To design an intervention that will discourage people from entering into criminal acts, we must first understand the hacker culture since it reveals the concerns of hackers that must be taken into account. We must also understand the concerns of companies and law enforcers. We must understand how all these perspectives interact … Teaching computer ethics may help.
Predictor: Denning, Dorothy
Prediction, in context:In a 1991 article for Communications of the ACM [Association for Computing Machinery], Dorothy Denning, a computer security expert and professor at Georgetown University, writes: ”In the context of the new milieu created by computers and networks, a new form of threat has emerged – the computer criminal capable of damaging or disrupting the electronic infrastructure, invading people’s privacy, and performing industrial espionage. While the costs associated with these crimes may be small compared with computer crimes caused by company employees and former employees, the costs are growing and are becoming significant. For many young computer enthusiasts, illegal break-ins and phreaking are a juvenile activity that they outgrow as they see the consequences of their actions in the world. However, a significant number of these hackers may go on to become serious computer criminals. To design an intervention that will discourage people from entering into criminal acts, we must first understand the hacker culture since it reveals the concerns of hackers that must be taken into account. We must also understand the concerns of companies and law enforcers. We must understand how all these perspectives interact … Teaching computer ethics may help.”
Biography:Dorothy Denning was a professor and chair of Computer Science at Georgetown University in the 1990s, by which time she had been in the field of computer security and cryptography for two decades. Previous to her arrival at GU, she worked at Digital Equipment Corporation, SRI International and Purdue University. Her books include “Cryptography and Data Security” and “Information Warfare and Security.” She authored many Internet research studies. She was the first president of the International Association for Cryptologic Research. (Research Scientist/Illuminator.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1991
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: Cyberpunks/Hackers
Name of publication: Communications of the ACM
Title, headline, chapter name: The United States vs. Craig Neidorf: A Viewpoint on Electronic Publishing, Constitutional Rights and Hacking
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.cs.georgetown.edu/~denning/infosec/Neidorf.txt
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney