Book Excerpt
In a matter of minutes, the entire transaction was complete, and the calls had ended. It had taken less than ten minutes for Fry Guy to secure $687 from his friend in Kentucky. The very next day, he executed another successful move, this time acquiring $432. Throughout that summer, he repeated this process as needed to fund his purchases of computer equipment and chemicals. Surprisingly, Fry Guy didn’t pilfer large sums of money. Instead, the amounts he took were relatively small, just enough to meet his own requirements.
However, Fry Guy is just one among countless adolescent computer prodigies worldwide. This legion of tech-savvy youngsters possesses the ability to breach high-tech security systems, bypass access controls, and infiltrate files containing sensitive data. Such actions pose a significant threat to our computer-dependent societies. This technology-obsessed subculture of electronic renegades exhibits various behaviors – some engage in theft, while others seek information, and some merely enjoy tinkering with computer systems.
United by their passion for technology, these individuals may very well represent the future of our computer-dependent society. Welcome to the exciting world of the com-savvy generation.
Approaching Zero
The Extraordinary Underworld of Hackers, Phreakers, Virus Writers, and Keyboard Criminals
by – Paul Mungo