Web site ranks computer hackers

LONDON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A British Web site is aiming to find the world's most talented computer hackers by ranking their breaches of Internet security systems.

The creator of RankMyHack.com, a British computer science student who uses the handle "s0lar," said the more than 700 users of the site compete for points by breaching security on Web sites of differing sizes using various methods, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.

"Up until now, when you met another hacker on an IRC or forum, there was no way to indicate if that hacker had any skills whatsoever. RankMyHack.com was built to give a clear indication of a hackers general abilities," the creator wrote on the Web site. "It also serves the purpose of tracking a hacker's hacking achievements under their current alias allowing for other hackers to quickly establish the caliber of hacker they are talking to."

Site users can earn bonus points by targeting sites with a "bounty" on them, including Web sites for the British National Party and Ku Klux Klan.

"The bounty section of this site was created in an attempt to focus the abilities of talented hackers against political and government forces that need to be put back in line," s0lar said. "Bounties just provide a politically constructive target for hackers' talents regardless of ability."