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H2K2 Conference Encapsulates Controversial Cyber Activity
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posted by justfred
on Monday July 15, @10:13AM
from the online-and-offline-networking dept.
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Encompassing panels and discussions, workshops and education, computer workstations and hacking, the H2K2 Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) Conference reviewed the history and projected the future of hacktivity. Attracting about 2,000 security professionals and computer activists to New York this past weekend, the conference also provided a forum for professional networking and for releasing new programs, which will most probably heat up the cyber-speech and cyber-security debates.
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On Saturday, the international hacker group Hactivismo released a free software program to promote anonymous Web surfing in countries where the Internet is censored. The Camera/Shy program allows Internet users to conceal messages inside photos posted on the Web, bypassing most known police monitoring methods. "Mixter," an internationally known German hacker, said Hactivismo was also preparing to launch a program titled "Six/Four" that would allow anyone to create grassroots, anonymous networks where Internet users worldwide could access and share information without a trace. The technology would allow ordinary computer users to set up a decentralized version of virtual private networks (VPNs), systems that are currently used by governments and many companies to create secure networks that are fenced off from the public Internet.
While these programs will provide a spark for the debate between free speech activists and government censors, others are concerned that the technology could be used by criminals to swap child pornography, or by terrorist groups to plot new attacks.
H2K2 itself sparked controversy, concerning the legitimacy of an AT&T memo advising employees to be on guard against hackers attending the conference. Many believed the memo was a hoax, due to its resemblance of one released about Defcon, another hacker conference, in 1998. Wired and Reuters have reports on the conference.
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