PERSBERICHT: 10 december 2010

Hackergemeenschap veroordeelt platleggen sites, draagt ethisch hacken
uit.

(English translation below)

In reactie op de recente berichtgeving rondom de aanvallen op
verschillende websites en de arrestatie van een tiener uit de regio
Haaglanden organiseert het lokale hackerhonk 'Revelation Space' in Den
Haag op 18 december 2010 een bijeenkomst over ethisch hacken. Dit met
medewerking van o.a. ICT-jurist Arnoud Engelfriet (adviesbureau
ICTRecht), hacker van het eerste uur Hans van de Looy (Madison Gurkha)
en internet-journalist Brenno de Winter (nu.nl, webwereld.nl).

De gearresteerde tiener, die betrokken zou zijn geweest bij de
aanvallen op websites van MasterCard en andere bedrijven die WikiLeaks
tegenwerkten, liet zijn gezicht wel eens zien op bijeenkomsten van de
hackerspace en is een vaste gast op het online chatkanaal van de
hackerspace. Dit is voor de deelnemers van Revelation Space aanleiding
om extra aandacht aan het onderwerp 'ethisch hacken' te besteden.

Het platleggen van websites door middel van een 'Distributed Denial of
Service'-aanval (DDoS) of op wat voor andere wijze dan ook, past niet
in de ethiek van de hackergemeenschap. Koen Martens, oprichter van de
hackerspace, zegt over de eigenrichting van "Anonymous": "een denial
of service, het platleggen van een site, vergelijk ik met iemand een
klap verkopen als je geen argumenten meer hebt om zijn ongelijk te
bewijzen".

Een hacker is iemand met een gezonde dosis nieuwsgierigheid en
creativiteit, die graag uitzoekt waarom dingen werken hoe ze werken en
eventueel op zoek gaat naar zwakke schakels in het ontwerp ervan. Een
ethisch hacker gaat vervolgens op een verantwoorde manier om met de
bevindingen en zal deze niet gebruiken voor persoonlijk gewin. Hij of
zij zal de verworven kennis niet misbruiken. Een ethisch hacker is
zich bewust van de gevolgen van zijn acties en het vrijgeven van de
bevindingen, en zal zich altijd maximaal inzetten om binnen de grenzen
van de wet te opereren.

De uitgevoerde aanvallen op sites als die van MasterCard hebben als
zodanig niets te maken met hacken. Iedereen kan een computerprogramma
downloaden, installeren, op de juiste knop klikken, en zodoende
onderdeel worden van een gecoördineerde  online-misdaad. Er is geen
sprake van creativiteit: er wordt slechts gebruik gemaakt van
bestaande gereedschappen zonder te hoeven nadenken over hoe deze
werken. 

Hoewel strafrechtelijke vervolging een gepaste reactie is op de acties
van deze minderjarige 'script kiddie', moet ook erkend worden dat
iedereen in zijn jeugd wel eens kattenkwaad heeft uitgehaald waar hij
of zij minder trots op is.

De betreffende jongeman en zijn handlangers zouden dan ook niet moeten
worden verstoten uit de gemeenschap, maar hen zou juist getoond moeten
worden hoe het beter kan. Een van de deelnemers van de hackerspace,
die toegeeft zelf als tiener ook niet altijd stil te hebben gestaan
bij de gevolgen van zijn acties, zegt hierover "Wat voor mijzelf erg
heeft geholpen is contact met echte hackers, mensen met gevoel voor
ethiek. Wij kunnen op het gebied van hackerethiek veel meer voor die
jongen betekenen dan de mensen die 'm opvoeden."

De bijeenkomst zal plaatsvinden op zaterdag 18 december van 12:30 tot
18:00 in Revelation Space, Binckhorstlaan 172, Den Haag. De
bijeenkomst wordt georganiseerd met medewerking van Stichting Hxx, het
Utrechtse hackershonk 'Randomdata' en de Nederlandse poot van
internationale hackerbeweging 2600.

Bijdragen worden geleverd door internet-journalist en hacker Brenno de
Winter (NU.nl, Webwereld en de podcast De Beveiligingsupdate),
ICT-jurist Arnoud Engelfriet (adviesbureau ICTRecht), hacker van het
eerste uur Hans van de Looy (Madison Gurkha), Jurre van Bergen
(ethisch hacker met bijzondere interesse voor overheidssites) en
Walter van Holst (ICT-jurist bij adviesbureau Mitopics en bestuurslid
van Europese koepelorganisatie van burgerrechtenorganisaties EDRi).

Iedereen is welkom om deze sessie bij te wonen. Ook pers wordt
nadrukkelijk uitgenodigd om aanwezig te zijn.

Revelation Space is een 'hackerspace', en is deel van een wereldwijde
beweging. Een hackerspace is een ruimte ('space') waar nieuwsgierige
en creatieve mensen ('hackers') bijeen komen om ideeën uit te wisselen
en te werken aan projecten. Veel van die activiteiten zijn van
technische aard, en betreffen ICT, computernetwerken, electronica en
hout- en metaalbewerking, maar de bezoekers houden zich ook veel bezig
met, en debatteren over, maatschappelijke vraagstukken.

'Script kiddies' is ICT-jargon voor mensen, meestal tieners, die
gebruik maken van vrij beschikbare computerprogramma's ('scripts') om,
in hun ogen, stoere acties uit te halen. Dat contrasteren wij met
'hackers', die op basis van kennis en vaardigheden creatieve
oplossingen of trucs verzinnen, en met 'crackers', die zich richten op
het (illegaal) binnendringen van computersystemen. Zowel de
activiteiten van script kiddies als die van hackers en crackers zijn
aan continue veranderingen in geaccepteerde ethiek onderhevig.

Niet voor publicatie: Voor vragen kunt u contact opnemen met Koen
Martens, gmc@revspace.nl, 06-24707813

-

Hacker community condemns denial of service attacks, advocates ethical
hacking.

In response to recent press covering of denial of service attacks on
numerous websites and the arrest of a teenager from the metropolitan
area of The Hague, the hackerspace Revelation Space in The Hague, The
Netherlands, calls for a meeting about ethical hacking. Present at
this meeting on December 18th 2010 will be, among others, IT lawyer
Arnoud Engelfriet (legal consultancy firm ICTRecht), veteran hacker
Hans van de Looy (Madison Gurkha) and internet journalist Brenno de
Winter (nu.nl, webwereld.nl).

The arrested teenager, who was allegedly involved with the attacks on
websites of MasterCard and other companies that obstructed Wikileaks
activities, was known to visit the hackerspace and was a regular in
the online chat room for the hackerspace. This motivated members of
Revelation Space to bring attention to the subject of 'ethical
hacking'.

Disrupting websites with a 'Distributed Denial of Service'-attack
(DDoS) or by any other means, does not align with the ethics of the
hacker community. Koen Martens, founder of the hackerspace, responds
to the actions of "Anonymous": "I liken a denial of service attack to
slapping someone in the face when you run out of arguments to prove
someone wrong"

A hacker is a creative and curious individual, someone who wants to
find out how things work and perhaps tries to find flaws in their
design. An ethical hacker will act responsibly with the  knowledge
gained and will not abuse this knowledge. An ethical hacker is aware
of the consequences of his or her actions or the sharing of the gained
knowledge, and will always strive to operate within the boundaries of
law.

As such, the attacks on sites such as MasterCard have nothing to do
with hacking. Anyone can download, install and start a computerprogram
and then become part of a coordinated online crime. There is no
creativity involved: DDoS attackers generally use existing tools
without realising how these function.

Although legal action is part of a proper response to the action of
this minor 'script kiddie', it must be acknowledged that everyone has
made mistakes in their youth that they are not proud of.

The young man and his accomplices should not be excluded from the
community. They should be shown a better way to reach goals. One of
the participants of the hackerspace admits that as a teenager he also
did not always consider the consequences of his actions, and explains:
"What really helped me was the interaction with real hackers, people
with a sense of ethics. We can do much more for this young man, in the
context of hacker ethics, than the people who raise him."

The event will be held on Saturday, December 18th, from 12:30 till
18:00, CET, in Revelation Space, Binckhorstlaan 172, Den Haag, The
Netherlands. The meeting is organised in cooperation with the Hxx
Foundation, the Utrecht hackerspace 'Randomdata' and the Dutch chapter
of international hacker collective 2600.

Contributing to the meeting are internet journalist Brenno de Winter
(NU.nl, Webwereld.nl and podcast 'the security update'), ICT-lawyer
Arnoud Engelfriet (legal consultancy firm ICTRecht), veteran hacker
Hans van de Looy (Madison Gurkha), Jurre van Bergen (ethical hacker
with a special interest in government sites) and Walter van Holst
(IT-lawyer with consultancy firm Mitopics and board member at European
umbrella organisation for civil rights EDRi).

Everyone is invited to this session. Members of the press are
explicitly invited to attend. Please note that the main language will
be Dutch.

Revelation Space is a 'hackerspace', and is part of a world-wide
movement. A hackerspace is a space where curious and creative people
('hackers') meet to share ideas and work on projects. Many of these
activities are in the area of technology, and deal with IT,
computernetworks, electronics and wood- and metal-crafting. But
visitors also concern themselves with and discuss society in general.

'Script kiddies' is IT-jargon for people, usually teenagers, who use
existing and freely available software ('scripts') to perform
mischievous pranks they perceive as admirable. We contrast this with
'hackers', who on the basis of knowledge and skill come up with
creative solutions and tricks, as well as with 'crackers' who
(illegally) break into computersystems. Both the activities of script
kiddies as well as those of hackers and crackers are considered in a
constantly changing ethics.

Not for publication: for details and questions, please contact Koen Martens on +31 6 24707813.

-
References:

http://www.revspace.nl/
Tweets by revspacenl
https://foswiki.sonologic.nl/RevelationSpace/EthischHacken
http://www.hackerspaces.org/
http://www.randomdata.nl/
http://www.2600nl.net/
Home

http://www.madison-gurkha.com/

Revelation Space
Binckhorstlaan 172
2516 BG Den Haag

Miami Beach, the closest thing to paradise I have yet experienced. Sea, sun and shirtless skaters. I have a new goal in life: to live in Miami. Well. Maybe. Anyway, I seem to have messed up my hotel booking, it is from 13th – 14th of December instead of 3th to 4th. A quick call with the booking agency has the matter resolved, albeit in a somewhat more expensive hotel. It is still at the beach though, so I’m not complaining. It is good to have an entire room and bathroom to myself for once!

After dumping my luggage, I take a stroll along the beach. It’s around 22 degrees Celsius, but under the glare of the sun it feels like at least 30. I could live with that, walking around in shirt and shorts in early December. Now, there is no hackerspace in Miami. But, I used to watch a lot of Miami Vice when I was young, so I had to stop by. It’s all there, the palm trees, the wide roads flanked by pastel-tinted art-deco low-rise buildings. I don’t seem to detect any of the vicious crime and drug-smuggling though, but no doubt if I had looked it could be found.

After a good nights sleep, it is time to start my journey back home. Starting with the return of the rental car at Miami International Airport. It is an emotional goodbye. After 8762.8 miles, this car feels like home. In fact, it is the closest thing to home I have had for 6 weeks. It has served me well, never asking for much and always ready to take on endless roads through cold and hot weather. Never complaining when I revved up the engine to swerve through the armadas of crazy Boston drivers or insane New York City cabbies. Thank you Ford Focus with Nevada license plate 402WUM. I shall miss you.

I manage to get through security without too much groping or invasive body scans, and end up having 3 hours to kill. T-Mobile is letting me down again, so I purchase some crappy wifi and check my mail. I feel a bit depressed. It is really over now. I will miss this country. I think I might have fallen in love with it. I had never expected this!

By the time we lift off night has fallen. It is a dark but clear night. Miami is a sea of orange lights below. Soon, the lights thin out into lines demarcating the strip-malls and occasional suburb along the highway. Until it is pitch dark down there. The only light coming from the flash-bulb on the wing and the interior cabin lights.

A 22-hour layover awaits, so I collect my bags and walk out into the cold Washington DC air. I wait for the hotel shuttle. Wait some more. And some more. By now I have seen all of the other hotels’ shuttles 3 times it seems so I decide to give the hotel a call. Should’ve done that earlier, the clerk says “I’ll send the shuttle right over sir!”.

Well, anyway, safely in the hotel room I enjoy the complimentary chocolate-chip cookie as I zap around American television. No Sonic & Knuckles at this hour (I do love that Knuckles character!), but I fall asleep to some family guy and American dad. Forgot to turn off the heating though, which I regret as I wake up that morning with a slight headache.

After checking out I order some lunch in the hotel restaurant. The two handsome young waiters compliment me on my dreads, making my day again! I wish people in Europe would notice the awesomeness of my dreads some more.

It seems the TSA personnel at Dulles International Airport is not really into it. The naked body scanners are all switched off, and apart from taking of my shoes and veering through the metal detector I can go through security without too much hassle. Not even a quick pat-down. Should I feel less secure now??

When the plane lifts off, it is dark again. Looking out the window I see the lights of Washington DC grow more distant as the plane climbs to cruising altitude. I silently say goodbye to America. I’ve had a wonderfully good time down there. I miss it already.

Thanks so much to all and everyone who made this trip possible. Whether it is by putting me up for a night or two, by engaging me in fun activities at the various hackerspaces or just by pointing out fun and interesting things to do. If I can ever reciprocate the favor, you know where to find me!

So long and thanks for all the fish, Americans.

From Philadelphia I head for Norfolk. I arrive on this coastal city at night, and meet up with the guys from 757labs. They have a Dr Who pinball machine, so the first thing I do is play a quick game. They have a neat setup there, with a central control for lights, camera’s and other gimmicks. I learn about workshop88’s ‘hackerspaces in space’ challenge, to which they participated by sending a weather-balloon into near space and taking pictures from the earth and the blackness of space.

The next day, before I head off to Charlotte, I drive by the beach. I stroll along the shoreline of the Atlantic ocean. It’s cold, but clear. The sun is beating down on the peer jetting out into the Atlantic. A nice place for breakfast, so I get the bread and Nutella.

As I head into Charlotte, I’m a bit wary of what I’m going to find. This is the south, you know. And indeed, before long the southern federation flags start making their appearance along the highway. I hope people will not shoot at me, I do have a strange accent and dreadlocks. I’m getting hungry, and need some more bread. Time to pull off the highway. I go into a local shop, and although they do look at me as if I’ve come from another planet, they are very friendly. They don’t have any bread though, but kindly point me to a place that might have. There, I indeed find some as well as some bananas. I’m good to go again, and continue the 8-hour drive.

When I first get into Charlotte, I wonder what I have gotten myself into. I need some batteries for the voice recorder, so I pull up into a mall. The parking lot proves to be an obstacle course, with deep holes and wide cracks in the asphalt. A police car keeps watch over the crummy shops, and as I walk into a ‘Family Dollar Store’, people start shouting. Apparently, I can’t go in to the store with my bag. Ah well. I do find some batteries though, and moments later I drive into town.

The hackerspace folk welcome me with open arms! They are about to have the grand opening about a week from now. I can only stay for a night so I have to miss that. But what a fun-filled night! Not only can I help here and there with straightening out the place, we go on the roof to do some spying on the high-rise office buildings in downtown Charlotte. And if that is not enough, we drive around finding a supermarket that sells dry ice! Having found it, we attack it with a jig-saw and later with a table-saw to create evenly-sized Jamendo pieces (blowing the fuse on a lab-psu while at it).

Now, after sleeping in an entirely empty apartment it is time to head out again on an 8-hour drive into Alabama. The radio speaks of sins and savior and penance and assassination of Julian Assange. Friendly.

I’m glad I did not skip Huntsville though. Makers local 256 is one hell of a hackerspace. Located in their own dedicated building not far from the highway, they are an interesting bunch. My attention is drawn to a nice mixing-desk on one table, and after inquiring it turns out they have started their own podcast under the working-title ‘the hackerspace digest’. Of course, I want that on Signal!

I leave Huntsville under a stark blue sky. All of a sudden, a huge Saturn V rocket attracts my attention. Someone just parked his launch vehicle next to the highway, it seems. I take the exit to investigate, and end up on the parking lot of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (ussrc.com, ain’t that funny domain name for a museum portraying one of america’s greatest feats?). Inside, there is more Saturn V, also a moonlander and a space buggy. Outside, a whole park of rockets and missiles. Even a bunch of German v2’s, the once deadly WWII weapons that inspired the whole American space program.

There is a difference between SW Metropolitan Parkway and Metropolitan Parkway. Most importantly, one is 10 miles from Atlanta, the other is in Atlante. Anyway, I do arrive before my host has to leave for work. At first, I wonder whether I have the right address, as this looks like an industrial complex. With my host on the phone, I drive through the gate and enter the repurposed former corn processing plant.

Inside the gates I find a thriving artistic and creative community. People live in the old industrial buildings, and there are literally dozens of workshops to be found. The hackerspace, Freeside, is also located on the terrain. It is huge! They’ve got everything, from a classroom to a car workshop. There are several rooms, each with a purpose of their own. I’m still very much tired though, and sink in a chair behind my laptop to catch up with email and edit the last episode of ‘gmc does america’, which airs tomorrow.

There is one more space to visit on my trip: Familab in Orlando. It is sort of the opposite from freeside. In terms of surface area that is. But first I meet up with my host of that night, who is a student at Full Sail University. The campus turns out to be too complex for my exhausted brain, and we decide to meet up on the McDonalds parking lot. At the space, which is a storage/workshop unit, I meet several people with interesting projects. We don’t stay long though, everyone is tired and it is getting cold.

And with that, I conclude the visit of my last hackerspace on this tour. I have one final destination: Miami! Stay tuned for the wrap-up.

I somehow expected New York City to be something else, but really it is just a smelly city with badly maintained roads where people are rushing to-and-from lost in their own world. For a badly needed dread-maintenance I go into Manhattan, where a full-time dreadologist keeps shop. On every corner and frequently in between, people harass me asking for money or trying to shove a leaflet into my hands, doubtless advertising for more ways to get their hands on my money. The buildings are clad with advertisement.

The dreadologist (his salon is called dreadology) is not too worried by the state of my dreads, in fact compliments me and is jealous of the way the gray mixes with the brown. He knows dreads, and when I leave I’m not only glad my dreads look sharp and vibrant again, I also have learned a lot.

The next day, I wake up late. I spent too much time watching tosh.0 on the tv-on-demand appliance in my temporary bedroom. I have some time to kill before heading out to

I’m getting tired. I’m ready to go home. Yet I have some spaces to visit before I end in Miami. Driving up to Philadelphia, my t-mobile 3G internet decides to not load several sites. Among which the site of hive76, as well as hackerspaces.org. And I did not make a note of the address. I get off at a random exit to regroup, and drive into a ghost-town. Here and there the suggestion of people, but mostly abandoned industrial buildings and fallow plots. Interesting, but not all-together an inviting place. I decide to get to a McDonalds for the free wifi (and “dinner”).

Meanwhile, I have the t-mobile rep on the phone and try to work through the scripted diagnostics guide with her, not really paying attention to the surroundings when ordering some MacCrap with a medium coke. It is only when I sit down and take out my laptop, that I notice the large proportion of shady people in the restaurant. It doesn’t take long before a guy sits at my table and starts asking me for money. I hand over some change, but now he wants my fries. In the back, I hear shouting. I decide to shove my BigMac into my mouth and eat the rest in the car. Meanwhile, the police and an ambulance arrive. By that time, I have the address for hive76 and quickly make my escape.

At hive76 I arrive together with a small group which looks like to be a father-and-son type of situation. As we walk up the stairs, it turns out they are also heading to hive76. Coincidentally, Jerry Ishdale and family arrived at the same time as me! I was planning to meet up with Jerry in Philadelphia, he has been involved with the founding of crashspace in LA, and is now working on Maui Makers, an Hawaiian hacker/maker-space! We have a good chat, and make arrangements for an interview on Signal sometime soon. When they leave, Far and me adorn the ceiling of hive76 with small carton battle ships and a fort. After a bit of party, I go to sleep in the cat-filled house (human occupancy: 3, feline occupancy: 5).

Next up in this last leg of the trip the south. I’m even heading into Alabama, something I promised I would not do. But well, the people from makers local 256 can be quite convincing! More on all that in a later post.