Wow, Marcus Ranum calls someone a sociopath. Well, usually in my experience the only people who call other people sociopaths are either psychiatric professionals and other sociopaths. To limit this, we can say that the only people who call other people sociopaths are sociopaths. To limit this further, we can also say that Marcus Ranum isn't a psychiatric professional, if he had been he would know it's now referred to as anti-social personality disorder proper. However Marcus Ranum, is not the issue here, it is simply a point in fact that Marcus isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. On one point, he is correct to an extent. Many hackers are "sociopaths", this is an extension of their inability to properly communicate with people on many levels, hence the reason they became "hackers" to begin with. If we continue in this line of reasoning, not all sociopaths are deadly serial killers bent on the destruction of society. So again Marcus is wrong.

The decision to prosecute in the past, has been that one of fame and glory for most aspiring District Attourney's and wanna be cyber cops. In most cases, the actual understanding of the incident and the actual real investigative work done is oft times shoddy at best. Many good and innocent people have been jailed and sentenced over crimes they didn't commit, or crimes that were not worth punishing or spending tax dollars on punishing. Don't believe, that this stops at just hacking. This is just the new tool to generate press and give careers a boost. In many cases people do have honorable intentions. Keep in mind, that many hackers are also the users of commercial services. Yes having a higher degree of skill is terrible for them sometimes. To have to sit back and watch incompetence and even pay for it, would make anyone's skin crawl. However, these people are able to do something about it, and they do. We should be thankful to them to be as proactive about security as they are. This all goes back to helping yourself, before others will help you.

I would like to delve now, into hackers in companies and hackers in the government. I'm notiticing now an awful lot of jobs cropping up for "ehtical hackers with secret clearence". This is both ridiculous and obsurd. Anyone worth their salt, is not going to march in with a CISSP, 4 year degree, and secret clearence. To even begin to think so, is tragic. Let's assume for a moment the government does find these harvard hackers. Are they the ones you want protecting your country against hackers in other countries? I can tell you with absolute certainty, if your being faced with a horde of hackers from other countries like China or Isreal, your in for a rude awakening. These people are VERY dangerous, in most cases they are very hardened criminals or at least of criminal mindset. In alot of cases these people are not only hackers but also vicious killers. I'm not going to delve farther into how I know these facts. I am going to say, we need to begin taking a look at such folks for the same positions. I'm not saying we go find child pornographers and use them to defend our countries infrastructure. I am saying that people who are highly skilled are not going to be found with a 4 year degree and secret clearence. In fact the people we REALLY want you can't have because they will never be found. So, I'm thinking a better alternative would be, instead of prosecuting everyone that comes to the door, to give these people a shot. For alot of them, this might even turn their lives around. I am constantly shocked and amazed at the way the system works in this country.

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