Should Hackers Help the F.B.I.?
The United States Justice Department announced this week that it was able to unlock the iPhone used by the gunman in the San Bernardino shooting in December, and that it no longer needed Apple’s assistance. F.B.I. investigators have not said how they were able to access the smartphone, but a law enforcement official said that a company outside the government had helped them hack into the operating system. Should hackers help the government?
* Justice Department = 법무부/ unlock = (열쇠로) 열다; (비밀 등을) 드러내다/ gunman = 무장 강도[범인]/ assistance = 도움, 원조, 지원/ access = 들어가다, 접근하다; 이용하다/ law enforcement official = 경찰관, 사법 사무관/ hack into ~ = ~에 침투하다
해커들은 정부를 도와야 하나요?
1. Nothing Like a Challenge to Bring Out the Hackers
Not all hackers are bad guys or anarchists. In fact, some are patriots; many want to do good, not harm; and all of them love a puzzle.
2. It’s How Hackers Help That Matters
The emphasis should be on data security, and now the F.B.I. should work with Apple to make sure the vulnerability in the iPhone is fixed.
3. Hackers Can Be Helpers
Programs like the Defense Department's "Hack the Pentagon" is a green light for hackers to come forward and a much-needed recruiting exercise for Uncle Sam.
4. Constantly Bolstering Security Is Vital
The F.B.I. is inclined away from reporting what they exploit, but they must realize that crime prevention is as important as crime solving.
Sample Essay
It’s How Hackers Help That Matters
Hackers help the government all the time; it is how they do so, not whether they do so, that should be the subject of rigorous public debate.
We all rely on secure systems every day, whether we realize it or not. That is why my organization, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, supported Apple in the recent dispute over changing the software that protects the contents of an iPhone. A government-induced vulnerability places all users at risk.
Strong encryption is essential to data security, which is essential to both individual and national security. But data security requires constant vigilance. We rely on companies, technical experts and computer hackers to find flaws and help fix systems.
So what does this mean for the hacker community? It means hackers should promote data security. It also means that the government should disclose vulnerabilities to companies to help patch the security holes. The White House acknowledged this when it responded to "Heartbleed," a widespread vulnerability to one of the key security protocols used by Internet servers, but the statement was only the beginning of this larger conversation.
The President's Review Group on Intelligence also recommended that "U.S. policy should generally move to ensure" that vulnerabilities are "quickly blocked" in order to protect citizens and critical infrastructure. In the iPhone case, for example, it is now on the F.B.I. to work with Apple to make sure the vulnerability in the iPhone is fixed. That will reduce the likelihood that innocent people whose phones are stolen will suffer from identity theft and financial fraud.
So the question is not whether hackers should help the government, the question is how can the government help improve security for its citizens. We are all “dancing madly on the lip of a volcano,” and we could use a hand now and then to pull us back from the edge.
