What hackers are and whether we should give them the character of an established profession are questions that arise quite often.
In this controversy, two fundamentally different views are generally identified: the first one is that romantic idea of a single cyber hacker, passionate about information security technology that seeks to make things different or just make them better. And the second is the modern vision of an Information Security Consultant that, in his professional definition, unifies and prepares himself/herself to act in a coordinated and cooperative way inside a well-established market.
To counter the model of the individualist Hacker created by the cinematographic industry, the serious journalism, the yellow press, and some opportunistic characters, we must ask ourselves whether our society needs individual heroes or villains, or does it need groups of trained information security professionals able to move with ease and naturalness in all „Cyber scenarios“ (i.e, -crime, -defense,-war, -hacktivism).
Cyber Attacks by Countries
Source: hackmaggedon
Given the dependence of modern society on the provision of information systems and digital storage, any attack on western countries spinal cord is an attack on the whole society and its effects can be devastating. See Cyber Attacks Stats for 2015
The fear to everything “Cyber“ and its reiteration in mass media channels augur a sweet future not for hackers, but for those hacking professionals called Information Security Consultants who work in groups, standardize their modes of action, adequately communicate their results, and demonstrate even more loyalty and commitment to a collective than many professionals in other fields.
The problems we encounter today, and which we will face tomorrow, are not the work of a single shy hacker, a little misfit, slightly cyclothymic, sometimes brilliant, and very creative who thinks of himself as „Unique“.
In fact, what we are seeing nowadays is the work of well-organized groups, with quasi-military guidelines and discipline; therefore, the civil response should be of the same nature.
Sources:
http://hackmageddon.com/2015/01/20/1-15-january-2015-cyber-attacks-timeline/
https://paulsparrows.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/august-2013-countries.png