Hacking and hackers really should not be regarded as "heroes." The invasion of privacy and the

[glennward]

danger they pose to all of us is no small matter. The same hacking skills, encryption, codes etc. are and can be used to disrupt energy grids, air traffic control, medical equipment and systems, not to mention what the potential for harm to financial and banking systems is possible.

I never regarded these folks as "heroes" I always believe that Snowden could have used handled his discoveries in a different manner. It appears to me that Wikileaks, Manning and Snowden were more intent of doing harm rather then protecting us from government intrusions. It appears now that it's all out of our control and the Russia now has and is using hacking inroads at will.

https://www.wired.com/2016/01/everything-we-know-about-ukraines-power-plant-hack/

[Peacetrain]

1. You beat me to it.. I was just getting ready to post on the dangers to the grid

How hackers could literally push us in the dark ages.. everything is connected to the grid.. and seeing a report the other day on how 80% if American grids are not goverment but private industry.. is just scary.. you could fry a generator and it takes over a year to build one of those things.. it was mind boggling.. so yeah.. there are thorns on that bush of hacking

[riversedge]

2. Yes. I agree.

[Dem2]

3. Agreed

[MADem]

4. They aren't heroes, any more than thieves, who necessitated the invention of the lock, are heroes.

They're people who work in the milieu of the worst of human nature. They go on the attack so that they make defense necessary.

If people were decent to one another, we'd never have to fear a thief or a murderer. But we're not, so we have locks and guns and, for our elites, body armor and bulletproof glass.

Human nature....it sucks sometimes.

[Thinkingabout]

5. "Hacking" is another word for a thief. Just as breaking and entering into my home and taking

items is the same as hacking. In my book anyone who steals will do anything, not cute, no different than the common thief on the street. In the case of hacking they are too damn lazy to do the leg work of one who breaks into a home.

[MichiganVote]

6. Enough with the fun and games. Hacking is now risky for all of us.

[LeftRant]

7. I'm trying to imagine what we'd be saying about hackers if only Trump's emails were leaked by them.

And I'm not pro-hacker. This stuff is scary to me too. I just think we'd be singing a different tune here :p

[duncang]

8. It's not just the info they steal

There are built in costs for everyone to try to prevent hacking and the after effects of it. People all over the world pay the cost. Most consider just the cost to the organization or company. But those costs are carried through to everyone who has a computer relationship with them. End result they hurt millions of people every day.