intmon
July 12th, 2005, 11:23 PM
Long-lived hacker mag shuts down
Hacker magazine Phrack is to close its doors after almost 20 years serving the darker side of the Internet and communications community.
Yet the antivirus and security industries are coming out to say they will be sorry to see the back of the title that was run by, and for the benefit of, those they seek to thwart.
In its earliest days, the magazine dealt with issues such as phone "phreaking," or cracking the telephone networks to make long-distance calls, for example. In later times, it became a community space for those writing malicious code and sharing exploit information.
Its popularity was a bonus for those involved in the war against cybercrime, and its disappearance will remove the most immediate insight into the thinking of the hacker community.
Pete Simpson, ThreatLab manager at security company Clearswift, said he is very surprised to see Phrack disappear. He added that a world without the journal is actually less secure.
"Phrack's visibility was a blessing in disguise, pretty much in the same way as the Full Disclosure community," Simpson said, referring to the unmoderated Full Disclosure forum for disclosure of security information.
In the past, some hackers have brought about their own downfall by feeling the need to brag about what they have done and what they are capable of. The loss of Phrack will certainly remove a coveted platform.
But Simpson believes something else will inevitably come in to fill the gap left behind.
"If Phrack as an organ does disappear, then I would expect new outlets to pop up and fill the information void," Simpson said. "There must be younger hackers able and willing to take up the mantle."
Simon Perry, a security strategy executive at Computer Associates International, said: "Phrack closing its doors does reduce some visibility into the thoughts of the 'dark side.'"
read the rest of the article here:
http://news.com.com/Long-lived+hacker+mag+shuts+down/2100-7349_3-5783383.html?tag=nefd.top
Hacker magazine Phrack is to close its doors after almost 20 years serving the darker side of the Internet and communications community.
Yet the antivirus and security industries are coming out to say they will be sorry to see the back of the title that was run by, and for the benefit of, those they seek to thwart.
In its earliest days, the magazine dealt with issues such as phone "phreaking," or cracking the telephone networks to make long-distance calls, for example. In later times, it became a community space for those writing malicious code and sharing exploit information.
Its popularity was a bonus for those involved in the war against cybercrime, and its disappearance will remove the most immediate insight into the thinking of the hacker community.
Pete Simpson, ThreatLab manager at security company Clearswift, said he is very surprised to see Phrack disappear. He added that a world without the journal is actually less secure.
"Phrack's visibility was a blessing in disguise, pretty much in the same way as the Full Disclosure community," Simpson said, referring to the unmoderated Full Disclosure forum for disclosure of security information.
In the past, some hackers have brought about their own downfall by feeling the need to brag about what they have done and what they are capable of. The loss of Phrack will certainly remove a coveted platform.
But Simpson believes something else will inevitably come in to fill the gap left behind.
"If Phrack as an organ does disappear, then I would expect new outlets to pop up and fill the information void," Simpson said. "There must be younger hackers able and willing to take up the mantle."
Simon Perry, a security strategy executive at Computer Associates International, said: "Phrack closing its doors does reduce some visibility into the thoughts of the 'dark side.'"
read the rest of the article here:
http://news.com.com/Long-lived+hacker+mag+shuts+down/2100-7349_3-5783383.html?tag=nefd.top