The Blame Game

As we enter into a new era, we can't help but reflect on an old problem, one that's been at the core of our existence for as long as we've been around.  The hacking community is far too often cast as the villain and is constantly blamed whenever things go wrong.  This hurts not only our community, but all of society.

In this mercifully ended presidential campaign, hacker demonizing was a recurring news story.  Hackers were blamed for everything from broken websites to stolen funds.  And, of course, for the last however many years, we've been hearing about how elections and voting machines could be hacked, whether in theory, other countries, the past, or the future.

The threats to and imperfections of our technology are very real.  We've always said this.  What we take issue with is where responsibility for that is pointed.  Let's look at a few examples:

• A television host and would-be presidential debate moderator had a tweet on his account appear which seemed to indicate an ongoing conversation with an adversary of one of the candidates.  Rather than own up to this (the tweet was apparently meant to be sent as a direct message instead of a publicly viewable one), the host decided to simply blame it on hackers.  It quickly became obvious that this wasn't the case and eventually he admitted he had lied.  This kind of false accusation is hardly unusual, having happened numerous times recently on Twitter, as well as on other social networks.
• Databases are constantly being uncovered that contain a great deal of personal information on all of us.  Whether they're run by telephone companies, credit reporting agencies, election boards, or hotel chains, the amount of data they hold is staggering - and intrusive.  Yet, rather than focus on the validity of their very existence or the shoddy security that often accompanies them, the media is far more likely to point the finger at hackers as being the real threat, even if the databases haven't been compromised.  They could be in the future and, if they are, hackers will undoubtedly be the culprits.
• We constantly hear about evils like malware and ransomware, which take advantage of people and institutions, resulting in great financial loss, systems held hostage, and wasted productivity.  Again, hackers get the blame for this when it's actually a crime committed by people simply interested in stealing, people who have the most basic of technical skills - and sometimes not even that.

We could go on.  Virtually any crime that involves a computer - even straight-out theft from a bank account or Bitcoin wallet - is by default blamed on hackers.  Just like it's always been.  Never mind the fact that hackers are the ones designing better systems and providing the knowledge that helps people become better secured and more educated.  Or that you don't need to be a hacker to commit crimes with technology.

We've been complaining about this for decades.  While the technology has changed dramatically in that time, the attitudes remain almost exactly the same.  Basically, people fear the unknown.  And they resent anyone who may have an advantage in that unknown and imagine that such people will try to victimize them in some way.  It's not an attitude that's confined to the world of hackers, by any means.  We see this borne out in every conspiracy theory, as well as in recent current events we all witness on the news.  People with knowledge, whether they be journalists, scientists, college-educated people, or simply different in some other way, are looked upon with suspicion and hostility.  And those who aren't the same - whether they be immigrants; supporters of an opposing political party; living an alternative lifestyle; or from another race, religion, or background - are frequently seen as a threat to what's normal, oftentimes even categorized as enemies.  All without any actual evidence, other than the accusers' own fears, hostilities, and doubts.

These attitudes can destroy lives and even societies.  Such conflict and destructiveness is in the interest of people who rely on fear to either maintain a status quo, sell a product, or engage others in some sort of platform.  We can't solve the world's problems but we can look within our own community and see how we can avoid falling into these traps - or being pushed into them.

Categorizing a group of people in such general terms is always wrong.  We've seen the word "hacker" used as a synonym for "criminal" far too many times.  Years ago, people tried to separate good hackers from bad hackers by using the word "cracker" when referring to the bad hackers.  But again, coming up with an overly-generalized category for a new word doesn't help anything if you don't understand the people you're defining.  In this case, it simply ensured that labeling someone as a "cracker" instantly demonized them regardless of what it was they actually were doing, which was the exact problem that had happened with the word "hacker."  Labels like "black hat" and "white hat" also don't help because they pass judgment before giving any details.  There are simply too many variables that need to be understood before someone can have their entire existence labeled in such a way.  Even the word "criminal" leaves you wanting to know more about what particular crime was involved.  More labels aren't the answer unless they carry actual meaning that speaks to intent.  And one word just isn't enough for that.

Since hackers are seen as people who can make technology work the way they want it to, they're seen as both the answer and the threat.  Which means they're equally the magic bullet and the source of the problem, depending upon what's needed at the moment.  So if your machine suddenly stops working or if something strange happens to you online, it's tempting to blame hackers.  And if you want either of those things to magically get fixed, summoning a hacker might seem like your best course of action.

This is fantasy, of course.  Hackers don't work magic like in the movies or on TV.  But, as the great Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."  This is quite true, unless of course you have a rudimentary understanding of what the technology in question is capable of.  The more you shut yourself off to that, the more inaccessible you make it, so that the results do indeed appear like magic.  And that can have the effect of both deifying and demonizing those who actually understand.  They are the solution - but they also cause all the trouble.

So how do we get past this?  Or is that still even possible?

We believe it is, but it will take work and determination.  We have to be willing to question all that is put before us.  That means whenever there's new technology introduced, we should be looking for the problems, not simply accepting what we're told without question.  And if we're aware of someone who is, in fact, questioning, testing, and occasionally breaking this technology, think of that as a good thing - and even necessary.  Of course, this isn't limited to technology.  It's a fundamental ingredient in any free society to push boundaries and test strength, no matter how inconvenient it may seem.  This is an essential part of the hacker mindset, but you can find it in anyone who believes in freedom.  And that's what we're all fighting for.