Johnny Long takes a wry look at hacker movies and calls for support for charity HACKER AND AUTHOR of Google Hacking for Penetration Testers Johnny Long entertained ITWeb Security Summit delegates with Hollywood`s most "leet" (elite) hacks, while raising awareness for his charity campaign.

One of Long`s objectives in speaking at the summit was to promote a humanitarian effort called Hackers for Charity, aimed at providing technology learning centres for impoverished children.

In conjunction with Telspace systems, Long handed out T-shirts that would be counted by an official, with each shift worn resulting in a donation to the charity organisation.

"Even in the world`s most remote areas, computer skills (especially word processing) provide an extremely viable source of sustainable income. By providing relevant, marketable skills training, students are empowered, providing them with a bright future in which they can support themselves and their families, without the need for charitable hand-outs," said Long.

Another aspect to the charity was to engage volunteer hackers and use their skills in short projects to help charities that could not afford technical assistance from larger organisations. The idea, he said, was to build the credibility of hacker skills and to advance the technical abilities of the charities supported.

HOLLYWOOD HACKS

Long took delegates on a ride through Hollywood`s most ridiculous ideas of what security technology, or the hacking community, is about.

From films like Hackers, made in 1995, to screen super hits such as Swordfish, Long discussed the possibilities - or impossibilities - of what movie producers perceive as security technology. Using the most interesting and sometimes far-fetched examples, the hacker urged delegates to decide whether the screen-scripted security breeches were good or bad.

Long works for the penetration testing team known as the Strike Force at Computer Sciences Corporation. However, according to an earlier interview, he has his sights set on a job consulting to movie studios.

"Hollywood gets quite a bit wrong, and that`s frustrating, especially to those in the know," he said.

"Insiders know that truth is much cooler than fiction, but Hollywood thinks it needs to be `dumbed down` or spiced up to be cool. Modern movies are getting better, but there`s a lot of room for improvement. Hollywood should hire technology consultants that have credibility, and pay them lots of money."