Questão 663804

This text refers to items 21 through 30

1 When we think of the people who make our lives

miserable by hacking into computers, or spreading malicious

viruses, most of us imagine an unpopular teenage boy,

4 brilliant but geeky, venting his frustrations* from the safety

of a suburban bedroom.

Actually, these stereotypes are just that —

7 stereotypes — according to Sarah Gordon, an expert in

computer viruses and security technology, and a Senior

Research Fellow with Symantec Security Response. Since

10 1992, Gordon has studied the psychology of virus writers.

“A hacker or a virus writer is just as likely to be the guy next

door to you,” she says, “or the kid at the checkout line

13 bagging your groceries. Your average hacker is not

necessarily some Goth type dressed entirely in black and

sporting a nose ring: she may very well be a 50-year-old

16 female”.

The virus writers Gordon has come to know have

varied backgrounds; while predominately male, some are

19 female. Some are solidly academic, while others are athletic.

Many have friendship with members of the opposite sex,

good relationships with their parents and families; most are

22 popular with their peers. They don’t spend all their time in

the basement. One virus writer volunteers in his local library,

working with elderly people. One of them is a poet and a

25 musician, another is an electrical engineer, and others work

for a university quantum physics department.

Hackers and virus writers are actually very different,

28 distinct populations. “Hackers tend to have a more thorough

knowledge of systems and a more highly developed skill

set,” Gordon says, “whereas virus writers generally take a

31 shallower approach to what they’re doing.” Hackers tend to

have a much deeper knowledge of individual applications

and are still regarded as being somewhat “sexy” in today’s

34 counterculture, while virus writing is looked down upon,

mostly for its random damage and lack of required skill.

*venting his frustrations – getting rid of feelings of anger or resentment.

Neil Anderson. Active skills for reading: Book 4.

Thomson/Heinle, 2002, p. 17 (with adaptations).

Based on the text above, judge the following items.

Sarah Gordon has been studying virus writers’ behavior for more than a decade.