The Ghetto are good guys. So I guess the way to look at us is (as) the boot camp for the people growing up to protect the world," said "Caezar," a 28-year-old security consultant and founding member, whose appearance--which includes two spikes angling from his lip, as well as several body piercings--might otherwise evoke unease in the buttoned-down culture one floor up.

GhettoHackers is one of several groups trying to change the way society views hackers, as stereotypical malcontents interested only in crashing systems, stealing credit cards and releasing computer viruses. While cybercrime arrests make headlines regularly, groups like GhettoHackers are aiming to help those curious about information security get hands-on experience without doing harm to others.

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