• Articles About Computer Technology

International Journal of Cyber Criminology -orlyivol2is2dec2008International Journal ofCyber CriminologyVol 2 Issue 2Copyright© 2008(IJCC) ISSN: 0974 – 2891 July-December 2008, Vol 2 (2): 382–396This is anOpen Access article distributed under the terms of the, w hi chpermits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, share alike, for non-commercial use, provided the originalwork is properly cited. Thislicense does not permit commercial exploitation or the creation of derivativeworks without specific permission. This study analyzes the ways in which hackers interpret their lives,behavior, and beliefs, as well as their perceptions of how societytreats them. The study was based on unstructured, face-to-faceinterviews with fifty-four Israeli hackers who were asked to tell theirlife stories. Analysis of the data reveals differences in the hackers’self-presentation and the extent of their hacking activity. VariableFrequencyGenderFemale5.5%, Male 94.5%AgeRange14-49 years, Avg. Age 24Commonage group 20-30Marital statusSingle78%, married 13%Education12years and above 74%IncomeAboveaverage 74%OriginEuropean or American 74%ReligionSecular 83%Fifty-one of thefifty-four interviewees were men (see table 2).

Articles About Computer Technology

Only six reported having acriminal record, five of which were computer related. The interviewsprovided an opportunity to study successful lawbreakers outside aninstitutional context (uncaught deviants).

The interviewees tended to beyoung, single, educated, above average income, of European or Americanorigin, and secular. This profile is consistent with the literature, whichreports that hackers are mostly non-violent, white, young, middle or upperclass men with no criminal record (e.g. Hollinger, 1991).

The Journal of Computer Virology and Hacking Techniques is an independent academic and technical journal dedicated to viral and antiviral computer technologies and hacking techniques (software and hardware).