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==Characteristics==
In a Carnegie Mellon report prepared for the U.S. Department of Defense in 2005, script kiddies are defined as <blockquote>"The more immature but unfortunately often just as dangerous exploiter of security lapses on the Internet. The typical script kiddy uses existing and frequently well known and easy-to-find techniques and programs or scripts to search for and exploit weaknesses in other computers on the Internet—often randomly and with little regard or perhaps even understanding of the potentially harmful consequences.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mead, Nancy R.; Hough, Eric D.; Stehney, Theodore R. III |date=May 16, 2006 |url=http://www.cert.org/archive/pdf/05tr009.pdf |title=Security Quality Requirements Engineering (SQUARE) Methodology CMU/SEI-2005-TR-009 |format=PDF |work=Carnegie Mellon University, DOD |publisher=CERT.org}}</ref></blockquote>random
Script kiddies have at their disposal a large number of effective, easily downloadable malicious programs capable of breaching computers and networks.<ref name="zdnet"/> Such programs have included remote denial-of-service [[WinNuke]],<ref>{{cite book |author=Klevinsky, T. J. ; Laliberte, Scott; Gupta, Ajay |year=2002 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=31Kis_vaadwC&pg=PA409&lpg=PA409#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Hack I.T.: security through penetration testing| publisher=[[Addison-Wesley]] |isbn=978-0201719567}}</ref> trojans [[Back Orifice]], [[NetBus]], [[Sub7]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Granneman, Scott |date=January 28, 2004 | url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/28/a_visit_from_the_fbi/ |title=A Visit from the FBI - We come in peace |publisher=[[The Register]]}}</ref> and [[ProRat]], vulnerability scanner/injector [[Metasploit]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Biancuzzi, Federico |date=March 27, 2007 |url=http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/439 |title=Metasploit 3.0 day |publisher=SecurityFocus.com}}</ref> and often software intended for legitimate security auditing. A survey of college students in 2010, supported by UK's [[Association of Chief Police Officers]], indicated a high level of interest in beginning hacking: "23% of 'uni' students have hacked into IT systems. And 32% thought hacking was 'cool.' Also, 28% considered it to be easy."<ref>{{cite web|author=Zax, David|date=September 22, 2010|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1690541/it-security-company-fear-the-children|title=IT Security Firm: Fear Students|publisher=Fast Company}}</ref>
Script kiddies vandalize websites both for the thrill of it and to increase their reputation among their peers.<ref name="zdnet"/> Some, more malicious, script kiddies have used virus toolkits to create and propagate the [[Anna Kournikova (computer virus)|Anna Kournikova]] and [[ILOVEYOU|Love Bug]] viruses.<ref name="Reg01">{{cite web|author=Leyden, John|date=February 21, 2001|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/02/21/virus_toolkits_are_skiddie_menace/|title=Virus toolkits are s'kiddie menace |publisher=[[The Register]]}}</ref>
Script kiddies lack, or are only developing, coding skills sufficient to understand the effects and side effects of their work. As a result, they leave significant traces which lead to their detection, or directly attack companies which have detection and countermeasures already in place, or in recent cases, leave automatic crash reporting turned on.<ref>{{cite web|author=Taylor, Josh |date=August 26th, 2010|url=http://www.zdnet.com.au/hackers-accidentally-give-microsoft-their-code-339305548.htm?omnRef=NULL |title=Hackers accidentally give Microsoft their code|publisher=ZDNet.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ms. Smith|date=August 28, 2010)|url=http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/65571 |title=Error Reporting Oops: Microsoft, Meter Maids and Malicious Code|work=Privacy and Security Fanatic|publisher=[[Network World]]}}</ref>
==Examples==
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