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.