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Comment by zoover2020 | Hacker News Reader

zoover2020

Shame their talent couldn't be used to do good indeed.

Although posts about relatively young hackers who went the rogue black hat route always intrigue me.

I used to be a super curious script kiddy but fortunately found my solace in programming (relatively unharmful) scripts for games and private servers that'd only affect virtual economies.

But I also used to stroll gray/black hat forums out of curiosity and always wonder where I would've eventually end up if I did go down that path.

Fortunately, I'm in FANG now and make good bucks to never have to consider black hat again.

It's just in the back of my mind: what if ...?

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There wasn't much talent involved in this hack. The CEO and solo self-taught developer of the psychotherapy place left a test server running on the public internet with the username and password root / root.

You would probably make more money if you were any good at gray/black hat stuff. Further, if you were less blatantly evil than this individual, you'd probably be able to finagle a slap on the wrist followed by a stable career in civilian street if/when you got busted.

One of the things that you learn as you grow older is that you can't be successful and have a conscience at the same time in this world. Software developers are fortunate enough to be able to scrape out a comfortable existence without stooping too far, but don't kid yourself: the large TechCos that sign our paychecks and buy our startups are not paragons of virtue.

Slight problem though: a slap on the wrist is still a criminal record, and if you're unlucky your 'slap on the wrist' may end up being a much harsher sentence and if you piss off the wrong person other kinds of retribution.

Large TechCos can - for now - not be jailed but you can and you will, see TFA.

Less blatantly evil doesn't mean you're going to walk away free, besides, you'll be a blackmail target for life.

Oh, and it is quite possible to both be successful and to have a working conscience.

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