Hacking Back A Recipe For Digital Arms Race
Posted by Admin at 2017-06-06 04:00:52


Malicious hacking—using technological means to penetrate or manipulate the networks, data, or devices of others without permission—is a threat to the Internet and to the health of the Internet infrastructure companies (i.e., hosting companies, data centers, registrars and registries, software services providers, and related tech firms) that serve as its backbone. Malicious hacking can impact just about anyone, from individuals to institutions to governments—even presidential campaigns. According to a recent estimate by Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime will continue to rise and cost businesses globally more than $6 trillion annually by 2021. With so much at stake, it is understandable that some businesses and other stakeholders are looking for new ways to protect themselves. But investigating, defending against, and responding to malicious hacking are extremely complex activities in their own right, and the methods used to do so can sometimes resemble the very nefarious activities trying to be prevented. So-called hacking back—using active countermeasures to respond to malicious hacking, generally leveraging methods similar to those favored by attackers themselves—is highly controversial. It should be. Internet infrastructure companies, which play a critical role in building and maintaining a robust, free, and open Internet, are deeply concerned with the implications of such activities. The best defenses should not be offensive to others.