Guessing passwords = hacking?

[format]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8574259.stm


It seems guessing someone's facebook password now makes you a hacker.

Who pays people to write stories like this?!

Oh wait it's the BBC

[MadduckUK]

president of the Society for the Policing of Cyberspace.

[scaryjim]

OMFG HAXX!!!

Depends on your definition of hacking. But going with a fairly loose "attempting to bypass a security measure" then yeah, I'd say trying to guess someone elses password just about qualifies. And the article doesn't refer to any of the respondent to the survey as "hackers", it simply describes their activity as "hacking", which (IMNSHO) is a much looser description...

[Singh400]

No guessing isn't hacking at all. Which muppet wrote that article?

[Lee H]

Well if they all want to use either the name of one of their kids, their pets name or their 'pet name' for their partner as a password then they deserve to be hacked in all honesty.

I bet 1/2 that information is visable on their facebook page so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to read their profile and have a good guess at their password.

[peterb]

OMFG HAXX!!!

Depends on your definition of hacking. But going with a fairly loose "attempting to bypass a security measure" then yeah, I'd say trying to guess someone elses password just about qualifies. And the article doesn't refer to any of the respondent to the survey as "hackers", it simply describes their activity as "hacking", which (IMNSHO) is a much looser description...

And is almost certainly an offence under the computer misuse act. Successfully guessing a password and then using it to cause disruption would be a further (more serious) offence.

[format]

OMFG HAXX!!!

Depends on your definition of hacking. But going with a fairly loose "attempting to bypass a security measure" then yeah, I'd say trying to guess someone elses password just about qualifies. And the article doesn't refer to any of the respondent to the survey as "hackers", it simply describes their activity as "hacking", which (IMNSHO) is a much looser description...

In my not so humble opinion?

Quality

[finlay666]

And is almost certainly an offence under the computer misuse act.

This

If you aren't authorised to have access, any method that gets you access is hacking, even watching someone type their password can be classed as this

[IBM]

Of course it's hacking. What are brute exploits if not guessing (repeated lots of times)?

[Russ]

of course its hacking..

[Singh400]

Well if they all want to use either the name of one of their kids, their pets name or their 'pet name' for their partner as a password then they deserve to be hacked in all honesty.

I bet 1/2 that information is visable on their facebook page so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to read their profile and have a good guess at their password.

This. A colleague of mine was off, and we needed to get into her laptop. I just asked what were her sons names, and bingo...I was in...

[MadduckUK]

This. A colleague of mine was off, and we needed to get into her laptop. I just asked what were her sons names, and bingo...I was in...

the Society for the Policing of Cyberspace are coming for you, you should be able to hear the e-sirens in the distance

[peterb]

This. A colleague of mine was off, and we needed to get into her laptop. I just asked what were her sons names, and bingo...I was in...

I guess it wasn't her personal laptop, but a corporate one - andf you were authorised to to try it, in which case...

the Society for the Policing of Cyberspace are coming for you, you should be able to hear the e-sirens in the distance

they won't.

[MadduckUK]

they won't.

yes they will, they already are

[scaryjim]

In my not so humble opinion?

Quality

My opinions are never humble - so I might as well be up-front about it

[TheAnimus]

the main stream never got the distinction between hacker and cracker.

they never will, the word has entered common useage as cracker so it now means that. End of debate.