Is Hacking Software Illegal To Own?

ShawnSMB · May 17, 2015

I am looking into different hacking software, I don't intend to use the software I would like to study them to see what someone would be up against if they where attacked by these programs and maybe make my own security system that will prevent these attacks. I know that there are some great Anti-Virus programs and Firewalls out there already but I am primarily doing this as an experiment and I feel that the best way to rid a virus or malware is to know how it works. So I want to know if I download any of this software will I automatically be committing a crime? Also I live in the United States if that may make a difference.

mcnumpty23 · May 17, 2015

illegal to own probably not

illegal to use against a network other than yours or where you have explicit permission from the network owner

ie to test their security--yes thats illegal

Sammyjo20 · May 17, 2015

It is illegal to use them. I would seriously recommend staying well away from them as they could horribly attack your computer.

- Sam

WildCard999 · May 17, 2015

The software itself is not illegal from what ive read, its more or less what you do with it that may be seen as illegal. Now if your trying to hack your own software to find security issues or to make your own system security that should be fine but if you start to break into other ppl's wifi, games (that dont allow modding), websites you dont own, then yes its illegal.

WildCard999 · May 17, 2015

You may want to read this: http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/computer-hacking-and-unauthorized-access-laws.aspx

Pretty much everything thats listed in the article can be listed as hacking and depending on the state they may be able to charge criminal actions against you based on how you use the software.

Charles A Peirce · May 20, 2015

No it is not illegal to own or use hacking software - as long as you are only using it on system where you have permission to use it, and your use is not with the intention of depriving a person or organisation of profit, income, or property.

There is a huge community of people doing this, and some manage to make a living by selling their services to organisations who want their security checked.

There are a lot of tools available to use. Some are commercially sold, and some are free. If you are serious about wanting to do this, a good place to start is with the free REMnux.

REMnux is a lightweight, Ubuntu-based Linux distribution for assisting malware analysts with reverse-engineering malicious software. It incorporates a number of tools for analysing malicious executables that run on Microsoft Windows, as well as browser-based malware, such as Flash programs and obfuscated JavaScript. The toolkit also includes programs for analysing malicious documents, such PDF files, and utilities for reverse-engineering malware through memory forensics.

There are on-line and sit-in courses available at many institutions. One option is the SANS Institute which is highly recommended if you are thinking of turning this into a career, but many others exist.

Whatever you choose, just for your own learning or something more serious, I wish you good luck. This world needs more people who are prepared to step up from just being a user, to being someone who is prepared to do something to change it.

Hat In The Cat · May 23, 2015

No it's not. People put hacking software for ethical hackers also known as white hat hackers.

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Is Hacking Software Illegal To Own?

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