The Social Organization of the Computer Underground

Abstract

This paper examines the social organization of the "computer underground" (CU) . The CU is composed of actors in three roles, "computer hackers," "phonephreaks," and "software pirates." These roles have frequently been ignored or confused in media and other accounts of CU activity. By utilizing a data set culled from CU channels of communication this paper provides an ethnographic account of computer underground organization. It is concluded that despite the widespread social network of the computer underground, it is organized primarily on the level of colleagues, with only small groups approaching peer relationships.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA390834

Entities

People

  • Gordon R. Meyer

Organizations

  • Northern Illinois University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Classification
  • Communication Channels
  • Communication Systems
  • Computer Crime
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Crime
  • Cybersecurity
  • Law
  • Mainframe Computers
  • Operating Systems
  • Security Personnel
  • Social Networks
  • Social Problems
  • Societies
  • United States

Readers

  • Computer Science.
  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Materials Science and Engineering.