British Computer Society members have warned film fans not
to try to emulate the realistic depiction of computer hacking seen
in hit film The Matrix Reloaded.
The society said many experts were sufficiently concerned about the
accuracy of some of the computing scenes that they have alerted
young enthusiasts about the illegality of hacking and the tough
prison sentences handed out to perpetrators of this crime.
"Hacking is a criminal offence and the Metropolitan Police is
targeting those who gain unauthorised access to computer systems.
Courts are increasingly handing out stiffer sentences to those
convicted," said detective constable Andy Cookson of the Scotland
Yard Computer Crime Unit, whose members all recently joined the
BCS.
Cookson said organisations had to be proactive in securing their
networks. "Although Hollywood likes to glamorise hacking, and this
movie would appear to be more accurate than many in its portrayal
of network mapping software, it is not as simple as it appears.
Effective monitoring of all applications and ensuring they are all
patched to the latest version should deny easy entry."
Some forms of hacking are almost impossible to prevent but
organisations can employ simple security methods, said Phil
Phillips, spokesman for the BCS Information Security Specialist
Group.
"Hackers seek to exploit weaknesses in systems, operational
procedures and user awareness. Suppliers offer updates that can
minimise many common methods, but these have to be applied
correctly, tested and maintained. This can often be a difficult
business challenge. Operational procedures should also be tested
and maintained as business and technology evolves," he said.
"In the face of the rising tide of assaults on systems, it is
essential to recognise how and where risks can occur and to address
measures to prevent, detect and minimise the impact on your
business and your customers.
"A regular, thoughtful review of your business risks, coupled with
the adoption of simple and obvious protective measures, mean you
can go home comforted by the thought that any risk of hackers has
been addressed."
Charlotte Walker-Osborn, IT lawyer for the BCS Information Security
Specialist Group, said, "The Computer Misuse Act has always had
teeth, as was shown when a hacker was recently sentenced for two
years - the strictest sentence yet. Legislation currently being
debated seeks to further strengthen this law.
"In the past, there has not been a high number of prosecutions
under the Computer Misuse Act and this has generally been
attributed to insufficient resources for investigations and a lack
of reporting. The lack of resources is currently being addressed
and prosecutions in this area are becoming more common."