The Several Methods for Cyber Security

In the controversial book published by Robert Anton Wilson in the early 80’s, Prometheus Rising, Wilson, among other things, predicts that the world will be largely connected via cyber technology by 2010. At a time when the primary means of communication was the sole telephone inside one’s home, Wilson’s prediction was gutsy. However, as any competent human being of today should be able to deduce, Wilson’s expectation was accurate. Seven years ago, you may have been surprised to see a touch screen computer take the place of a mall’s directory, or a classroom full of powerful tablets. Now, sights of this nature are common. The world is no longer connected by telephone lines and fax machines. Wilson was right: the cyber age is upon us, and with it comes a number of benefits, but also some drawbacks.

Cyber security has been a topic of discussion for governments, institutions, corporations, and small businesses. With information now being stored and shared on vast networks of interconnected computers – the internet – cons and thieves must adapt in order to keep up with the times. Just as infamous diamond-looters, like The Pink Panthers, master the art of organized crime for their own benefit, cyber hacking groups like Anonymous and LulzSec accomplish their goals and push their agendas. Groups like Anonymous “get theirs” in a different way: from behind the displays of their computers. By altering code, breaching internet security barriers, and employing their flexible set of skills, internet hackers can do virtually anything (pun intended).

While there is the threat of identity theft and fraud from small-time hackers at home, threats of a greater magnitude lurk in the murky, unforgiving sea that is the internet. With the required amount of skill, the necessary resources, and a window of opportunity, adept hackers have the potential to override the controls governing a nuclear power plant. The idea of outsiders gaining access to things like satellites, power plants, and even the servers that govern the Wall Street trading room, is not implausible.

Nominated for a 2015 Webby, the Rolling Stone article “The Geeks on the Front Lines” takes readers through an interactive journey, detailing the stories of rising underground hackers, and cyber security as a whole. It enlightens readers on the interesting lifestyles lead by experienced hackers. Written by David Kushner, the beautifully produced article lets readers peek through the keyhole into the always-active, ever-changing world that cyber hackers call reality.

HackMiami, a conference held annually for code-warriors from all across the world, allows hackers to test what they’re really capable of. They test their skills in a realistic simulation, aiming to attract the eye of governments and corporations who could use a cyber superhero. Many of the individuals at conferences like HackMiami make an unorthodox living by selling their skills. Some are convicted felons, some are muscular and intimidating, some are fat and tattooed. One of the featured individuals, going by the name of th3_e5c@p15t, says how, in spite of the fear that the media plants into the minds of individuals with regard to cybersecurity, many adepts are “fighting the good fight.” Instead of trying to wreak havoc by gaining access to a powerful government intelligence, they are prepared to stop hackers with bad intentions.

The article goes on to tell the interesting stories of more individuals like th3_e5c@p15t. It brings up aspects of the ongoing cyber war between countries, and how governments are learning to adapt. A lengthy article, it accomplishes its goal of showcasing the “geeks on the >front lines.” Instead of warning the elderly of the possibility that their bank accounts could be breached by digital trolls overseas, Rolling Stone illustrates the issue in a modern fashion, and with a positive attitude. Although Kushner warns of the disasters that cyber attacks have the potential to cause, he softens the article’s message by displaying the quirky lives of those who aim to win the cyberwar.

The article is presented in a fashion unlike anything else. When taken to the article, the reader is presented with a picture of hackers gathered around a round table. Scrolling down, the screen pans into one of the computer screens on the table. From there, the article begins. There are digital animations, interactive pictures, and flashy pixels that add to the article’s presentation.

Kushner appeals to the audience via the rhetoric of pathos by inspiring the reader to continue.When presented with interesting graphics that relate to the article’s topic, it is hard to turn away from the piece. He also adds to the credibility of himself, and of Rolling Stone, by making it easier for readers to perceive the people behind the article as experts on the issue. Because it is clear that the article required a lot of work from all sorts of creatives at a well-known company, the audience gains more of an affinity towards the work as a whole.

“Sitting here under the dormant red warning lights, there’s a sense of being at the center of the matrix – and this is plenty tantalizing for some, including th3_e5c@p15t, winner of the cyberwar contest back at HackMiami. With his skills, he can write his own ticket, which he hopes to cash in with the feds. He says he wants to be as close to the front line as he can get: ‘I see it as a righteous cause.”” The article closes with this optimistic quote from Kushner.

Descriptive, this excerpt successfully concludes the author’s piece in the fashion that he aimed for. After blasting readers with a solid ten-minute read, Kushner subtly reiterates the point he’s trying to make: all of this cyber buzz isn’t as bad as it seems.
Via the several methods he employed – a fancy layout, descriptive explanations, and a soft sense of humor – David Kushner accomplishes his goal. By brilliantly illuminating the dark tunnel in which the deep web resides, Kushner makes the central nervous systems of cyber sceptics relax. His rhetoric, at first unclear, peeks out from behind its curtain later in the long article. It is clear that David wrote the article with a noble, informative purpose, and for this reason, it received acclamation.

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