Tuesday, June 13, 2017
A well done New York Times article recently re-introduced this topic to the masses. Being “owned” isn’t new, but the term is not becoming part of popular culture. If you use the internet or are often on social media, odds are good that you have been OWNED. Whether you are called out for a misspelling on your latest Facebook post, or you were proven wrong after sharing a “fact” or post from another site…you have probably been owned.
The word “owned” comes from the hacker world, and real “ownage” is not just about proving you wrong. You might also see it as “pwned,” which is pronounced “poned.” It is actually about stealing your private information, and then shaming you or diminishing your worth as a person. The best at “owning” can actually control your virtual presence.
Take a look at the email hacking scandal that Hillary Clinton went through during the 2016 presidential campaign. Though there was nothing of consequence found in those emails, the act of being hacked, or owned, alone, could have been the reason she lost the election.
Take a look at President Trump, too. You have surely noticed that he is doing his best to own as many people and even foreign governments as he can. Owning is a form of “one upping” and it can get nasty.
Getting owned is nothing new. In fact, Aristotle even talked about similar acts. Today, we just do it virtually.
In the case of hacking, when a hacker owns someone, they are showing that they have superior abilities. The word is also used in the gaming community to describe the act of mastering game play or besting opponents. Of course, we also use the word owned in the real world, when we drop a well-timed joke or have the opportunity to prove another person wrong. You might have even owned someone yourself.
Ownage equals power, and the concept of ownage is constantly evolving. The most successful owns are those that target the know-it-all; people who think they know more than they actually do. However, if you start owning, you simply set yourself up to be owned…and that really SUCKS.
Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.
About the Author
ROBERT SICILIANO, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com is fiercely committed to informing, educating, and empowering Americans so they can be protected from violence and crime in the physical and virtual worlds. His "tell it like it is" style is sought after by major media outlets, executives in the C-Suite of leading corporations, meeting planners, and community leaders to get the straight talk they need to stay safe in a world in which physical and virtual crime is commonplace. Siciliano is accessible, real, professional, and ready to weigh in and comment at a moment's notice on breaking news.
Similar Posts
- Why Everyone Should Learn to Be A Hacker
I know enough about hacking to make all of my software un-usable, mess up my operating system, and crash my PC. I also know enough about hacking to re-install my operating system, re-install all my software and get my PC running fresh and relatively secure. I’m no criminal hacker. And I am not suggesting that. - Hacker isn’t a bad Word
Did you know that the original meaning of hacker, as far as computers, was that of a person who built codes into computers? In fact, the bad guy was called a “cracker.” Somehow, “cracker” didn’t catch on. But the mainstream folk out there hears “hacker,” and right away, they think of a digital thief, often - Pokemon Go a Network Malware Nightmare
Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm, even though it is nothing more than a silly little game that people play on their mobile device. And it is not just child’s play, either. Plenty of adults are hooked on Pokémon Go—including college degreed professionals who conduct business on company owned devices as well as - Are You a Hacker or Hackee?
Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert SpeakerIn the past decade there have been hundreds of data breaches resulting in millions of compromised records. The motivation behind these hacks? Identity Theft. As a results dozens of new laws and government intervention to protect citizen data.Black, White or Grey, over the past decade the media has given the - Healthcare High on Hackers’ Hitlist
If you think that retailers are the biggest target for cyber criminals, you have it more than a wee bit wrong. Hackers are really going after the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. In fact, “Will Healthcare Be the Next Retail?” is the name of a recent report released by BitSight Technologies, a security ratings firm.The report