Computer hacking really results in financial losses and hassles. The objectives of terrorist groups are more serious. That is not to say that cyber groups can't access a telephone switch in Manhattan on a day like 9/11, shut it down, and therefore cause more casualties.

The intent of the individuals who created the DDoS attacks has nothing to do with hacking, and they are vandals, not hackers.

It doesn't work the same way everywhere. The Americans are the most gullible, because they don't like to deny co-workers' requests. People in the former Soviet bloc countries are less trusting, perhaps because of their previous experiences with their countries' secret services.

No company that I ever hacked into reported any damages, which they were required to do for significant losses. Sun didn't stop using Solaris and DEC didn't stop using VMS.

So the ethic I was taught in school resulted in the path I chose in my life following school.

My actions constituted pure hacking that resulted in relatively trivial expenses for the companies involved, despite the government's false claims.

I was pretty much the government's poster boy for what I had done.