Hacker for hire: Cyber guardians a growing trade

JAKARTA: In Indonesia, the term "hacker" is often viewed negatively, with most people linking it to criminal activities and other problems, but some hackers want to assist hacking victims and prevent future cybersecurity threats. The members of this group identify themselves as ethical hackers or white-hat hackers, which implies the use of their hacking skills for good, rather than for malicious purposes. Agus Setya Rahmaddin, a cybersecurity consultant at Vantage Point Security Indonesia told The Jakarta Post yesterday that interactions within the ethical-hacker community had become more frequent after a rise in cases related to cybersecurity issues in the country. Agus, who is an active member of IndoXploit and Ethical Hacker Indonesia, said some cases in the country were linked to online gambling and illegal peer-to-peer lending platforms. During the first 10 months of last year, ...