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.

Back in my day, I would probe by hand. Now you can get commercial software that does the job for you.

I obtained confidential information in the same way government employees did, and I did it all without even touching a computer. ... I was so successful with this line of attack that I rarely had to go towards a technical attack.

Garbage can provide important details for hackers: names, telephone numbers, a company's internal jargon.

Choosing a hard-to-guess, but easy-to-remember password is important!

Social engineers veil themselves in a cloak of believability.

I'm still a hacker. I get paid for it now. I never received any monetary gain from the hacking I did before. The main difference in what I do now compared to what I did then is that I now do it with authorization.