Hactivism

A 20-year-old Missouri hacker confessed that he had broken into the computer systems of two major corporations, collected passwords, and changed files. Prosecutors connected the hacker to the Internet Liberation Front, a group of hackers who oppose the commercialization of cyberspace.

What motivates hackers?

Are they idealistic heroes, intellectual adventurers, malicious busybodies, or high-tech thieves?

Are their motivations different from those who create computer viruses?

What, if anything, should be done to deter hackers?