1. Social Informatics (8571)
Review on literature review “Why Computer Talents Become Computer Hackers”
By Billy Lu
Leo Li

2. Summary of the Article
The article has looked into the issue that computer hackers start out not as delinquents or social outcasts but often as talented students who are fascinated about computer technologies.
The three main findings in the article are:
how computer hacking emerges in young people
why talented computer students become hackers
how grey hats (computer hackers) become black hats (computer criminals)

3. Summary of the Article (cont.)
Based on several studies conducted around hackers, including examples like sociology of hackers and minds of hackers, the authors combined the findings with theories from criminology, namely routine activity theory (RAT), social learning theory (SLT) and situational action theory (SAT), trying to explain the rationale behind the hacking behaviour.
The conclusion that the authors have drawn was that although the theories had given some explanations of hacking behaviour, the evolution of certain critical elements were unsolved.

4. Key Points Addressed in the Review
The majority of hackers are derived from talents individuals
Schools play a key roles in guiding or misguiding the talents, as well as the parents.
Currently schools lack of enough justifications on hacking behaviours, which to some extent, have created tolerance for “potential” hackers.

5. Weaknesses and Limitations
As stated in the article, the research had conducted mainly in mainland China, therefore it has its limitation when it comes across western societies
The article has spent too much words on explaining the evolution of the hackers yet to come across a sound solution other than raising awareness.

6. Views from Other Scholars
the evolution of certain critical elements in the hacker process:
Motivation,
Knowledge and skill,
Opportunity,
Moral values and judgment,
and the Environment.

7. How the Public Perceives Hacking
Video One
Hacking Facebook: don't log on public wifi! From 1:05 to 2:40
“Householdhacker”, 2010, Hacking Facebook: don't log on public wifi! , online video, 25 October, viewed 9 September,
Video Two
Amy's Baking Company Owners: 'We Were Hacked!’ 0:01 to 2:45
Fox News, 2013, Amy’s Baking Company Owners: ‘We Were Hacked’, online video, 10 May, viewed 10 September,

8. The Controversies White hat?
White hats are on a quest for knowledge, discovering and alerting security weaknesses in organizational systems and developing better, more secure computer systems.

9. Where to go forward?
The hacking behaviour is very natural to human beings, which means it is impossible to stop the behaviour from happening (Young, 2007).
The most effective way of prevention is educating the younger generations. According to Young and Zhang 2007, one of the key motivation for hackers is to impress their circle of friends. Therefore it is important for every teen to understand, regarding being the talented ones or their friends or even bystanders, to discourage the behaviour from the beginning.

10. Some Suggestions
Look at the hacking behaviour at a different angle, such as privacy invasions and financial crimes, because sometimes hackers hack due to self-interests and revenges, so they may leave behind the vulnerable private information for other criminals.
Clear regulations regarding the cyber-environment will also be essential for mitigating the hacking behaviour. The current jurisdiction system is somewhat lacking of defining the online versions of the traditional crimes (e.g. voyeurism, cyberbullying), which creates gaps for offenders.

11. Reference
Xu, Z., Hu, Q. & Zhang, C., Why Computer Talents Become Computer Hackers. Communications Of The ACM, April, p. Vol. 56 No. 4.
Bowles, M. (2012) The Business of Hacking and Birth of an Industry. Wiley Online Library, Retreived from
Young, R. Zhang, L. (2007) Illegal Computer Hacking: An Assessment of Factors that Encourage and Deter the Behaviour. Illegal Computer Hacking. Retreived from
Fox News, 2013, Amy’s Baking Company Owners: ‘We Were Hacked’, online video, 10 May, viewed 10 September,
“Householdhacker”, 2010, Hacking Facebook: don't log on public wifi! , online video, 25 October, viewed 9 September,