Spies & Spying Personality Profiling: Hackers

From The Psychology of Spies and Spying by Adrian Furnham and John Taylor.

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There is a notoriety about hacking, largely because it is in the news as a result of criminal or hostile state activity. The Second World War was, however, significantly swung in favor of the alliance because of the breaking of the Nazi Enigma code through the work of Bletchley Park. 

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Spies & Spying: Hackers

Governments continue to attempt to gain access to the communications systems of their potential enemies. They break through passwords and codes so they can read data. They do this remotely or by using Technical Operations Officers (TOOs) to gain access to the computer’s hardware and install a device on the computer itself.

Their work is heavily dependent on being able to exploit powerful computers linked to the internet or directly plugged into a communication link. 

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Spies & Hackers: Psychological profile notes on Hackers‍

Typically, Hackers are super-bright, mathematical boffins. They are code breakers, program writers, and statistical modelers. Sometimes they are called geeks because of their low social skills and obsession. 

They have to be conscientious and reliable with great attention to detail. They also need to keep up-to-date and a step ahead of their competitors.

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Spies & Hackers: Essentials‍

The three essentials for a Hacker include:

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Hackers in books‍

David Omand’s Principled Spying describes the work of Hackers and Analysts. The work of Bletchley Park is now legendary, and they have their own museum. It does not get much better than that in reality or in fiction.
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‍Excerpt courtesy of The Psychology of Spies and Spying by Adrian Furnham and John Taylor.

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