ght with it a need for greater security consciousness amongst its
             users and systems operation managers. Technology needs to be
             constantly updated in the war against the ever-growing insidious and
             Precis of 'Hackers: Taking a byte out of computer crime' by W. Roush.
             Roush discusses the changing face of computer crime with the advent of
             the modem and stricter laws. The article touches on the effect these
             changes are having on hackers themselves, and the measures that are put
             in place to deal with the problem. It also explores the common ground
             which hackers and computer security experts agree on.
             In the 1960's the dictionary definition of a hacker was that of a
             "computer virtuoso". Hackers comprised of young, computer literate and
             rebellious gangs vying for the status symbol image and thrill of
             This all changed with the popularity of the modem and an increasing
             number of computer users. The number of hackers exploded and thus the
             image of being a hacker became passe. The tougher security measures
             put in place, combined with more stringent laws (including
             imprisonment) had the effect of weeding out all but the keenest of
             Firms and security enforcers are now dealing with elite hackers whose
             intent is now focused on sinister revenge, malicious damage, political
             and defense corruption; and monetary greed. The cost of these types of
             computer crimes could run into the billions, but an accurate measure is
             unavailable. This is due either to the reluctance of corporations to
             report any break-ins (because they may feel guilty about their lax
             security), or because the information systems are so massive that the
             scale of corruption may be too difficult to detect.
             There are also a select few who choose to label themselves as hackers
             with moral ethics. These second types of hacker prevalent today are
             assisting companies and law enforcers in the fight against dangerous
             hackers in a number of w...