Professionalism

what is Professional?

                  The word professional traditionally means a person who has obtained a professional (doctoral) level degree.T he term commonly describes highly educated, mostly salaried workers, who enjoy considerable work autonomy, economic security, a comfortable salary, and are commonly engaged in creative and intellectually challenging work. A Professional is a person who possesses a personal body of knowledge and of know-how which is recognized and valued by the market. Because of this market recognition, the Professional benefits from an advantage not available to other workers: he or she can personally manage internal or external professional mobility, in a specific firm or in the international market. A person who is recognized as a Professional possesses a social standing which is larger than the specific job he or she holds down.

          The difference between Professional and Non-Professional.

                  If someone accuses you of being unprofessional, they are typically referring to offensive behavior such as an inappropriate comment at the wrong time or inappropriate attire. One definition of being professional is not to do anything "unprofessional" that violates reasonable expectations. A big problem is not only can these expectations be non explicit, but they are likely to vary among individuals. So, being professional is not behaving offensively to the expectations of what the majority of people in the workplace or profession consider being reasonable behavior. Furthermore, because it is subjectively based (likely on opinion), it means that the definition of being professional will fluctuate as the expectations of reasonable behavior(s) shift.

          Define Professional.

                  The term commonly describes highly educated people, mostly salaried workers, who enjoy considerable work autonomy, economic security, a comfortable salary, and are commonly engaged in creative and intellectually challenging work.
                  In my own point view, I can set some criteria to define what is “Professional” and that includes the fallowing; First, Academic qualifications – These are the people who has obtained professional level of degree (doctoral and etc.) from any universities or institute. Second, a high standard of professional ethics, behavior and work activities while carrying out one's profession as a teacher, employee, self-employed person or any particular fields of job.
                  A professional is someone who has practiced and studied so much, that he/she can be relied upon to do the right thing and say the right thing, automatically, confidently and spontaneously, while under the pressure of the moment and do it without conscious forethought or effort.

Hackers

Kevin Mitnick

He is a computer security consultant and author. The most wanted computer criminal in United States history.

1. WHAT WAS THIS CASE ABOUT?

He was a world-famous controversial computer hacker in the late 20th century. Mitnick gained unauthorized access to his first computer network in 1979, when a friend gave him the phone number for the Ark, the computer system Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) used for developing their RSTS/E operating system software. He broke into DEC's computer network and copied DEC's software, a crime he was charged and convicted for in 1988. He was sentenced to twelve months in prison followed by a three year period of supervised release. Near the end of his supervised release, Mitnick hacked into Pacific Bell voice mail computers. Mitnick fled after a warrant was issued for his arrest, becoming a fugitive for the next two and a half years.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice while a fugitive Mitnick gained unauthorized access to dozens of computer networks. He used cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copying valuable proprietary software from some of the country’s largest cellular telephone and computer companies. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer passwords, altered computer networks, and broke into and read private e-mail. Mitnick was apprehended in February 1995 in North Carolina. When arrested he was found with cloned cellular phones, over one hundred clone cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification

2. Who are the parties involved?

a. Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)

He broke into DEC's computer network and copied DEC's software

b. IBM minicomputer

c. Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Sun Microsystems and Fujitsu Siemens

-He used cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copying valuable proprietary software from some of the country’s largest cellular telephone and computer companies.

3. Did any prosecutions result?

Illegal cases that Mitnick involved (confirmed):
1. Using the Los Angeles bus transfer system to get free rides.
2. Evading the FBI.
3. Hacking into DEC system(s) to view VMS source code (DEC reportedly spent 160,000 in cleanup costs)
4. Gaining full admin privileges to an IBM minicomputer at the Computer Learning Center in LA in order to win a bet
5. Hacking Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Sun Microsystems and Fujitsu Siemens systems
Alleged Criminal Acts
1. Stole computer manuals from a Pacific Bell telephone switching center in Los Angeles
2. Read the e-mail of computer security officials at MCI Communications and Digital
3. Wiretapped the California DMV
4. Made free cell phone calls
5. Hacked SCO, PacBell, FBI, Pentagon, Novell, CA DMV, USC and Los Angeles Unified School District systems.
6. Wiretapped FBI agents according to John Markoff,although denied by Kevin Mitnick

Raphael Gray

1. WHAT WAS THIS CASE ABOUT?

At the age of 19 he hacked computer systems around the world over six weeks between January and February 1999 as part of a multi-million pound credit card mission. He then proceeded to publish credit card details of over 6,500 cards as an example of weak security in the growing number of consumer websites.

Plead guilty to theft and hacking offences which fall under the Computer Misuse Act and six charges of intentionally accessing sites containing credit card details and using this information for financial gain.

2. Who are the parties involved?

He was dubbed the Bill Gates hacker when he sent Viagra tablets to Gates' address and then published what he said was the billionaire's own number.

3. Did any prosecution result?

Three years of psychiatric treatment after evidence emerged that he was suffering from a mental condition which needed medical treatment rather than incarceration.

Master of Deception

1. What was this case about?

MOD's initial membership grew from meetings on Loop-Around Test Lines that led to legendary collaborations to hack RBOC phone switches and the various minicomputers and mainframes used to administer the telephone network.

2. Who are the parties involved?

• RBOC phone switches and the various minicomputers and mainframes used to administer the telephone network.

3. Did any prosecutions result?

As a result of a major nationwide investigation by a joint FBI/Secret Service task force, five of MOD's members were indicted in 1992 in federal court. Within the next six months (in 1993), all five pleaded guilty and were sentenced to either probation or prison.

MafiaBoy (Internet alias of Michael Calce)

1. What was this case about?

A high school student from the middle-class suburban area of the West Island in Montreal, Canada who launched a series of highly publicized denial-of-service attacks in February 2000 against large commercial websites including Yahoo!, Amazon.com, Dell, Inc., E*TRADE, eBay, and CNN

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police first noticed Mr. Calce when he started claiming in IRC chatrooms that he was responsible for the attacks. He became the chief suspect when he claimed to have brought down Dell's website, an attack that had not been publicized at that time

2. Who are the parties involved?

Yahoo!, Amazon.com, Dell, Inc., E*TRADE, eBay, and CNN

3. Did any prosecutions result?

The Montreal Youth Court sentenced him on September 12, 2001 to eight months of "open custody," one year of probation, restricted use of the Internet, and a small fine.

Legion of Doom

1. What was this Case about?

LOD published the Legion of Doom Technical Journals and regularly contributed to the overall pool of hacking knowledge and information, while causing no direct harm to the phone systems and computer networks they took over. On the other hand, many LOD members were raided, charged and in some cases successfully prosecuted for causing damage to systems and reprogramming phone company computers (Grant, Darden and Riggs, etc). While the "Bellsouth" case could be construed as exploration of the phone system, with claims that no real damage was done, there are other former LOD members such as Corey A. Lindsly (a.k.a. Mark Tabas) who were clearly interested in for-profit computer crime, with no goal except personal gain.

2. Who are the parties involved?

Sprint Corporation, Southwestern Bell and GTE

3. Did any prosecutions result?

United States Attorney Paul E. Coggins announced today that Corey Lindsly and Calvin Cantrell were sentenced today in federal court by the Honorable Chief District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer for hacking into computer systems belonging Sprint Corporation, Southwestern Bell and GTE, illegally obtaining long distance calling card numbers and selling these stolen calling card numbers.

United States Attorney Coggins stated, "This is a big victory for the privacy rights of all citizens. Hackers who steal consumers' personal information for harassment or profit will be vigorously prosecuted." United States Attorney Coggins further explained that "this case is important because it is the first time that government authorities successfully used a highspeed data wire tap in a criminal case, essentially capturing the keystroking of the hackers and leading to their convictions."

Robert Morris’ Internet Worm

1. What was this case about?

On November 2, 1988, Robert Morris, Jr., a graduate student in Computer Science at Cornell, wrote an experimental, self-replicating, self-propagating program called a worm and injected it into the Internet. He chose to release it from MIT, to disguise the fact that the worm came from Cornell. Morris soon discovered that the program was replicating and reinfecting machines at a much faster rate than he had anticipated---there was a bug. Ultimately, many machines at locations around the country either crashed or became ``catatonic.'' When Morris realized what was happening, he contacted a friend at Harvard to discuss a solution.

2. Who are the parties involved?

• Harvard to discuss a solution
• University of California at Berkeley and MIT (came up with steps that would help retard the spread of the virus)

3. Did any prosecutions results?

Morris was later named in The New York Times as the author (though this hadn't yet been officially proven, there was a substantial body of evidence pointing to Morris). Robert T. Morris was convicted of violating the computer Fraud and Abuse Act (Title 18), and sentenced to three years of probation, 400 hours of community service, a fine of $10,050, and the costs of his supervision. His appeal, filed in December, 1990, was rejected the following March.