By Justin Madubuko, 26 September 2001 15:30
NEWS Organisers in the US plan to air a TV plea to US computer hackers with a direct message, 'Uncle Sam wants you to help fight the war on terrorism'. The TV public service announcement is to warn patriotic hackers that misguided nationalistic efforts from them can harm the cause. Vinton Cerf, senior VP at WorldCom, who is scheduled to appear in the televised announcement said: "Computer attacks and hate speech do not contribute in any constructive way to dealing with many problems our global civilization faces." The message is the first of its kind to address the issue of hacking. Cyberangels - an internet safety and help organisation sponsoring the advertisements for "Hackers Against Terrorism" will attempt to channel US computer security gurus into productive rather than destructive action, according to the executive director Parry Aftab. He believes the hacking community is a very important element in the fight against terrorism. Since the 11 September attacks, hackers have defaced several websites with both pro and anti-American messages. The high-tech industry and the US government are worried that well-meaning US hackers may launch denial-of-service attacks, release worms or viruses aimed at disrupting terrorists, and in the process damage the internet overall.
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