Hack, hack, hack

Two of the last victims are the Belgium-based banks ING and Dexia : those two banks' websites were hacked. The hacker did not alter the database but he had access to names, addresses, and -last but not least- customers' passwords. That means he still can try to hack their accounts.

Did you say "computer crime" ?

As you probably know, cybercriminality includes a broad range of illegal activities involving an information technology infrastructure (sic. Wikipedia). Many kinds of computer crimes have been experienced on the web so far. Different sectors have been victims of hackers so far, and the financial one is one of the recurrent targets of hackers.

ING's and DEXIA's websites have been closed temporarily just after being hacked. This is a good example of what happens on the web. The Belgian Banking and Financial Commision has recorded only 3 similar frauds in 2009, which is far less important than in 2008 (37 frauds recorded). However, the number of victims of hackers keeps increasing and laws don't seem to be able to regulate those frauds.

Indeed, it seems hard to control everything that happens on the internet : it's such a huge network ! In the 1970s, when the idea of a global network appeared, people saw it as a way to connect everyone, to share things, and especially to be FREE : it corresponded to an ideal of equality among people, sticking with the hippie movement ideal. Nowadays, hackers seem to be in that very state of mind. They are even useful to optimize security on the internet : they find the weaknesses of the web and, even if they use them, they indirectly make people aware of what they've found by hacking.

That's why I think hackers are essential to the web, though they must be sued and punished when they go to far.