Hacking Introduction!!

Hacking Introduction!!

What is hacking?

Hacking used to be defined as "One who is proficient at using or programming a computer; a computer buff." However, this use has been turned around now, to mean that of a cracker - "One who uses programming skills to gain illegal access to a computer network or file." This information is about this second meaning, cracking. Before we begin I would like to point out that hackers HATE crackers, crackers have given them a bad name.

The main differences between the two are that hackers try to make things, crackers try to break things. Hackers made the Internet what it is today. Hackers program websites (among other things) and they do not try and harm the work of others as is thought in todays society. However, as the word hacker is now in such popular use that it is thought it means cracker - I will use the words hacking and cracking for describing these cracking methods.

Hacking is not a simple operation or sequence of commands as many people think. Hacking is a skill. To hack you must change and adapt your approach depending on the obstacles you come across. Hacking is not a specific term, there are many types of hacking. On this site I will discuss and explain the different types of hacking and demonstrate some basic tools.

Why hack?

Some people, known as crackers, get a kick out of harming people, their work, and their websites. But the real hackers get a kick out of programming, improving and helping the web, the difference is enormous. Crackers sometimes hack into websites in order to prove they can - that is sad. Cracking is a term also given to those who try to break software in order to make them free or distribute them, this is the same group of sad people.

What are the different types of hacking?

There are three main types:

1. Hacking into hidden or password protected pages of a website.
2. Hacking into other people's computers while they are online.
3. Hacking into company servers to read important information or
distribute viruses.

Which is worse?

Although they are all illegal Number 1 is the least serious and the most commonly practised. This is because it is so easy and some areas are legal. There are also many tools on the internet which encourage these practices. If you are making your own website then the "Protect your website" section will be of particular interest.

Where is hacking illegal?

Hacking is illegal in most countries because of the invasion of privacy which can occur from hacking. The other main issue is damage, either manually or through viruses. Deleting specific files can render a computer useless in a matter of minutes. There are some countries or states which do not press charges for hacking because they consider it just another advance in computer technology. However, even if you live in a state where hacking is legal (which is unlikely), unless the company, website, or indivual is based in that country you must abide by international rules.

Why do people hack?

To most there appears to be no reason why hackers should spread viruses and try and destroy companies' computers merely because they can. However it is clear that hackers enjoy what they do. There are a number of hacking tournaments around the world each year and during these tournaments companies monitor there systems 24 hours a day. Recently there was a Hackers Challenge lasting 6 hours.

Is hacking servers always the same?

It's is easier to hack Windows than Linux and easier to hack with Linux. This is because Linux is designed to allow the user to issue any commands they want to. Most companies install firewalls and virus filters to try and prevent hackers from breaking in.

Leagal Techniques of a Hacker to Hack?

If you are really keen to have a go at some hacking or even some cracking, but you are equally keen to remain outside prison, there are many ways that you can try out some of the techniques in this book. Here are a few that I know of:

Attack your own computer

One of the best ways of finding out if your computer is secure is to think like a cracker and attack your own machine. Running a password cracker against your UNIX password file will find insecure passwords fast. Attacking your computer using port scanning will give you an indication of what software needs to be patched, or of services that need to be turned off. Best of all, you can't get into any trouble by falling foul of any legal problems

Get Together with Friends and Build a Network

Attacking your own computer is fine, but doesn't truly represent what would happen in the real world. Get together with a group of friends and network your computers together. Network Interface Cards (NICs) can be purchased and installed quite cheaply, and configuring a thin-net Ethernet LAN to run TCP/IP is something every self-respecting hacker should know how to do. Now mix and match the operating systems on your network, get hold of a copy of LINUX and install it, grab one of those two-user copies of Novell which can be had for an evaluation basis, or those 60-day limited editions of Microsoft NT 4.0, BackOffice and SQL-Server. Run up a packet sniffer on the network and look at the different types of packets, and the type of network traffic on your LAN and see what you can learn. Try running port scanning probes against different operating systems, learning how to exploit and then patch any security holes that you find. The only limit to what you can find out is the extent of your curiosity, your thirst for technical knowledge and the need to eat and sleep.

Join a Hacker Group

Some hacker groups have networks already, and some have a presence on the net. Find one whose attitude to hacking matches yours and try and join. Otherwise go back to the groups of friends that you built a network with and form your own. Attend 2600 meetings in your local area, and go to hacker conventions if they have them near you. Join into IRC discussions on hacking or phreaking and you can learn a lot very quickly. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know anything about that" when you don't, and don't be scared to ask questions. Pretending you know when you don't is plain stupid. If the group you are with won't answer or deride you for asking, then they either don't know themselves or you are in the wrong group.

Play a Hacker "Wargame"

From time to time somebody will offer up sacrificial boxes on the Internet for people to hack against. The reasons are many and varied. Sometimes companies want to show off their latest firewalls, hackers want to practice *really* securing a LINUX box, or someone just offers it up for fun, knowing they can log and watch and enjoy as people test their system security. If you take part in one of these wargames, be sure that it is exactly what it purports to be. All the activities are likely to be logged and anyone, including government and state investigators, or private security companies with an axe to grind, could be running these wargames.
The information gathered from such activities helps to build up traffic analysis databases, showing where attacks come from, and helps log hacker "fingerprints", showing modus operandi in attack patterns and techniques. With this information, security companies stand a better chance of finding hackers once they have been attacked, because all they have to do is look at the cracking techniques used in the hack and then match them to any records from the wargames they previously hosted. As I said, if you want to crack system security legally by playing one of these wargames, then be careful, because it might not be what it seems.

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