Hacking Tools: Opens up Your Computer to Hackers

Needless to say, website hacking has become the most common problem today. By the act of hacking websites, the hackers try to trespass unauthorized into the website.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects at the moment in this regard is security of an organization and the advantage of this neglected part is taken by the present day's hackers.

Almost nearly 80% of the cyber attacks are hurled on the login pages, shopping carts, dynamic content etc. Even during this cyber era that have brought an awful radical change in the present day's business fashion, one can find a series of organizations that cannot really imagine how vulnerable they are to the dangerous act hacking sites.

The hackers do nothing but focus on finding out the feeble loopholes in the designed sites and format programs to launch repeated attacks injecting the devastating programs to through these vulnerable points. Through the scanned out vulnerable points the hackers break into the site using certain strong technical tools.

Hackers' Weapons or Tools

However, how to hack a website is a very common question that has allured the general mass worldwide. Hacking into the websites involves a wide range of tools that are easily available and so easy to use that in some cases even kids prove to be smart enough to operate them.

One can get loads of free hacking tools in the Internet. There are hundreds of easy-to-use tools that may be used for the purpose of hacking wireless internet and ip addresses of a remote system. Years back the viruses, Adware, worms, Trojan horses, Spyware and remote controls have crashed off the computer systems, further worsening the situation in the present days.

The hackers generally use great variety of software security holes, Trojans and worms not only to invade the business concerns but also befool the general internet users by tricking them into disclosing their financial information and other secrets.

Hacking wireless internet can be done by the dint of a number of free hacking tools which are actually programs created for accessing a system using known software vulnerability. Some of these programs were written for genuinely legal purpose but have now been qualified to be the hacker's tools used for invading the other systems. Given below, an enlistment of some great tools.

DeCSS 1.2b

is used as a cracking tool, is highly engineered software that has been designed in order to modify the other software with an intention to remove the usage restriction. A worth mentioning instance is a "patch generator", which replaces bytes at specific location of a file, giving it a licensed version. The DeCSS 1.2b was originated in the year 1999, October and requires storage of minimum 253 KB.

Coldlife 4.0

is another tool for website hacking that falls in the category of flooder. This is a program that has been designed to overload the connection by certain mechanisms like a fast pinging that causes a sudden DoS attack.

Best Hacking Tools Available

There are many hacking tools that are useful for different purposes: 


PCHelps Network Tracer
 is the other name that uses standard network query utilities in order to work up a handy report on a specified Internet address. This is done in a logical sequence automatically and with a fairly fast speed thereby gives some screen feedback during the time of processing.

Hacking websites

have become easy with the other strong and download hacking tools called IntelliTamper 2.07. This is a probe tool that scans websites for all types of information that the hacker programs is searching for by exploring into another system looking for the vulnerable points where to launch an attack from.

Trojan

is a program that acts as one of the salient causes of breaking into the systems with a hidden intent. The word Trojan adds subversive functionality to an existing program. A trojaned login program is created to accept a certain password for any user's account that the hackers can use to log into the system at any time and from wherever he wants.

Backdoor.IRC.ColdLife.30

is an undocumented tool of getting into a computer system, or software that uses such a tool to break into a system. In some cases the programmer places a backdoor in some software which allows them to get access to troubleshoot or change the program format. Software that is classified as a "backdoor" is created by the programmer to enjoy the greatest possible advantage of the vulnerability of a system, exposing it to the future attacks.

John The Ripper 1.0

is a password cracking tool, which is a program used to make an algorithmic approach to decrypt the passwords and password files. The program was actually designed for the legitimate use of finding and cracking the feeble password with a view to improve the security of the system by entering a stronger password. But the program has found its place within the hacker's colony.

NMap Win 1.2.12

is also one of the most important tools, which is used in planning an attack on a remote system. This also helps the programmer to develop other tools for such attacks.

Hackers Want to Understand the ip address of Other System

On the other hand, the ip address hacking is another significant part of the story. Every computer possesses its own ip address, which is unique for a particular network. The hackers may want to learn more about the ip address of another remote computer system. ip address hacking may be done by the dint of different techniques like hacking by using ICQ, hacking by using yahoo messengers and MSN. ICQ and MSN is a couple of well renowned tools that satisfy the hackers' hunger. With a thorough understanding of this unique address the hackers becomes highly equipped to bring severe devastation to the targeted systems.

There are many techniques like the Authentication hacking, SQL injections, CRLF injections, Directory traversal, Google hacking and last but not the least Cross site scripting used by the famous hackers for hacking websites. SQL injection is a strong and the most popular technique for hacking into the website, which hardly requires much knowledge and dexterity. With these tools and techniques the act of website hacking have now become very easy and artistic - an art that any one can master with a flicking of finger.

In movies or TV series where hackers are involved, we may have seen them apply their computer knowledge in order to perform certain hacker tricks that saved the day.

From "The Matrix" to "Swordfish", hackers have been able to elevate themselves to the level of heroes with only a keyboard and a mouse. However, hackers attacks and hacker prevention is more difficulty, and complex, in real life.

Hollywood has a tendency to oversimplify things so the general public can understand them. After all, only a small percentage of the population has enough skills to perform this kind of demonstrations. So, if you want to prevent hacking there are some basics that need to be learned first.

Tricks And Techniques Employed By Hackers To Break Into Your System

The first most common technique used technique used by hackers is scanning. Hackers have created tools that scan computers for weak spots. It can be an operating system that hasn't been upgraded or a port in the computer that it is open without the knowledge of the user.

Hackers use this "open window" to get inside your computer in order to do whatever they want to do. The interesting thing about this is that these hacker tools are available for free in the Internet. So, with a couple of hours of instructions, almost every computer user can become a hacker.

Another way that hackers can access your machine is through malware: programs designed to capture vital information from your computer, like login users and passwords. Malware could be hidden in a PowerPoint presentation sent by email or even in an innocent Instant Messenger message window.

How To Prevent Hacker Attacks

Hackers are always looking for a way to get into computers of other persons. It can be something as simple as phising confidential information (like credit card or bank account numbers) to complex hacking routines that use your computer as a repository for illegal content (like music or movies with copyright).

Unfortunately there is no magical software to prevent hackers; and it will never exist. It doesn't matter how much money or resources you invest in designing the perfect system, someone will find the way to crack it. Even the biggest government agencies like NASA, CIA and NSA have been victims of hackers. And the same thing happens in the private sector with companies like Citigroup or Wal-Mart.

Effective Ways To Stop Hackers

So, what can you do to protect your tiny machine from hacker tricks? Fortunately, there are some measures that we can take, and it doesn't require us to be a Neo or Hugh Jackman's character from the movie "Swordfish".
These hacker protection tips are simple and effective and will defend you from most of the attacks.

OS Updates

The first thing to do in computer hacking prevention is to assure yourself that all your software is up to date; especially your operating system and your web browser. Why? Because they are the two things that hackers will try to attack first if they want to get into your computer.

Firewalling

The second thing that you need to do is to install a firewall. As a matter of fact internet firewall hacker protection has become so necessary that Microsoft now ships it for free as part of their Windows XP operating system. It took them some years to admit it, but the truth is that their software was an easy target for the hackers and crackers that lurked through the World Wide Web.

In case you don't want to use Windows XP firewall, there are many alternatives in the market. Companies like Symantec and Zone Labs have produced software firewalls for some time and have become a necessity for all the computers of corporate America. If you don't know which one you want to buy, use the trial periods. Usually you can use the firewall for 15 to 30 days; that amount of time is more than enough to make your decision. The next step in security is to have an antivirus installed. There are free versions like AVG antivirus, or pay per year licenses, like Norton Antivirus (also from Symantec). As in the case of firewalls, there are many varieties available in the market; use the trial periods for choosing wisely.

Anti Spyware/Adware

Finally, there is the anti-spyware program. As if viruses were not enough, companies from around the world decided to create programs that could pick up data from your computer in order to acquire information for their databases. It may not be as dangerous as a virus, but it is an intrusion to your privacy. Wipe them out with this piece of software.

Nowadays hacker prevention has become a task for all of us. No longer is it the responsibility of the system administrator of our company. After all, he can install all the security of the world in the company's network, but if you let a virus in because of your carelessness, he won't be able to stop it. The same goes for your computer at home. You are the only one responsible for it. Remember that new hacker tricks appear as each day goes by, so you need to be prepared.

Credit Card Hackers Are Here - Have You Checked Your Credit Report Lately?


Credit card hacking has become one of the new security headaches of consumers. Although in face to face transactions the percentage of credit card fraud is almost a tenth of a percent, in online transactions it's as high as two or three percent. That means that for every one hundred transactions you may do in the internet, you may suffer two or three breaches in your private information. Stopping credit card number hacking is, nowadays, one of the priorities of credit card brands around the world.



One funny thing about many of these hackers; free credit card numbers are posted at the internet. Some of them don't want the potential money that can be acquired from this information, only the fame.

How Are Credit Cards Gained By Hackers?

A hacker has many ways to gain a credit card number from an innocent user. The most common one is known as phishing. In this technique, the hacker poses as an officer within an organization, let's say VISA. The hacker sends to a group of email accounts an alert, instructing the receiver to follow determined set of instructions before his credit card is cancelled.



If the user is not aware of this kind of fraud, he will insert his credit card number, his name and expiration date without knowing he is going to be a victim of an online crime.
Another way for hacking credit card numbers is through a website. The hacker only needs to hack the systems of an online retailer, let's say, Costco, and search for the database where the retailer stores the information of all of the users who have made recent transactions.




The third way is through the online process of buying. Let's say an adult finds a website with adult content that he or she finds attractive. It's quite probable that the website is only a masquerade for acquiring credit card information from you.

What Is A Carder?

A carder is a criminal who specializes in stealing information from credit cards. Although the majority of them buy the information from online vendors, some of them are quite savvy on how to access that information by themselves.



In the physical world, a carder will steal the information from a user while doing a face to face transaction. The criminal only needs to pass the card through a special scanner. This device will read from the magnetic strip all of the credit card information. Afterwards, the carder will trespass that information to a blank card available in many identity card stores.



In the virtual world, credit card hacking is a bit more sophisticated and automatized. A hacker could install inside your system a credit card hacking software known as Bugbear. This program is a keystroke logger; it captures the keys that you have pressed in your keyboard and after some time, it transmits this information to the hacker. The criminal will navigate through this data, searching for any private information that can give him access to your credit card.



Besides Bugbear, there is also the IRC bot. This automated software is used for determined functions, like a moderator for a chat room. But if it is used by a hacker, he may use it for stealing your credit card information. The IRC bot will pose as an official from a company, asking you to insert your credit card information.



Another mean that hackers use for stealing money from your credit card is through unused ebay accounts. Once they find a possible victim, the hacker uses a program that starts bombarding the account until it breaks it. Once inside, the hacker will use it for posing as the real user, selling equipment that will never reach the buyer once he buys it.



What if Your Address is changed by Credit Card Hackers?


Some credit card hackers pose as you and change the address of delivery of your credit card report. That way you will not find out any possible charges until is too late. If your credit card report doesn't arrive in time, then call the bank and the postal office and ask them what the address that is registered in their database is. Additionally, hacking credit reports is a simple but useful way to learn more about a determined user.

What Are the Signs That Let You Know That Your Finances Are Compromised

The first sign is if a bank official calls you and asks about charges to your credit card that you don't remember, specially if they are from vendors in another country or websites that you don't access.



Another sign is if you find strange consumptions in your credit card report, specially those with strange names that you don't recognize.


The last sign is if you want to use your credit card and the store reports you that don't have credit line to do the transaction. If you are up to date in your consumptions and know that you had enough credit to make the buy, then something is wrong.

How to Report a Credit Card Hacker and How to Stop Them

If you find someone who is using his website looking to hack a credit card number, report him to the host provider that it is giving him the service. The host provider will immediately contact the authorities and cancel the hosting service to the hacker.



Through this procedure, credit card number hacking is starting to suffer the weight of justice. In different countries, authorities have started to find and arrest these hackers. One of the most known cases occurred only a couple of months ago, when a criminal organization in New Jersey that was dedicated to credit card hacking was dissolved. Although it's taking some time, the law is starting to impose its force.

Is Your Mail Account Compromised by Hackers?


Almost every one of us has heard a friend complaining that his email account has been hacked. Or it may have happened to you. The truth is that hacking yahoo messenger accounts or any other kind of email provider account has become quite a problem for users. MSN password hacking or hacking yahoo accounts is no longer the realm of experts. Thanks to the widespread use of the internet, any hacker can learn the required tricks to master the art of hacking yahoo ids or hotmail email password hacking. He only needs to make a basic search with keywords like hacking yahoo passwords, msn messenger hacking tools, msn hacking programs, hacking yahoo mail, hotmail hacking programs, hacking yahoo email or even something as simple as hotmail hacking guide. All of that is out there, ready to be learnt.

Can Emails Be Hacked?

Yes. As a matter of fact, almost anything can be hacked in the Internet. The problem is that email accounts are the repositories were people store their private information or even their business data. It is a quite serious condition and most of the mail providers have taken some measures for stopping it. Unfortunately, users don't take them seriously and they don't follow the precautions.



There are several methods for hacking yahoo, msn or AOL email accounts. One of these methods is social engineering. Considered a revolutionary art among the hacker community, it has proven to be an interesting tool that can be exploited by anyone.




Social engineering consists in the ability to trick someone in believing that he is giving information to someone who has the authority to ask for it. The most common way to do it is through the telephone or via the internet. Let's say that a user receives a call from someone who identifies himself as a system administrator of his company and that he requires some information that could be considered harmless.



It's quite probable that that bit of information is the final piece that the hacker required for finishing his work. Something as innocent as when was the last time that the system asked the user to change his password could be used by him in his advantage.



A quite ingenious method within social engineering was a webpage were users required to enter their mail and password for finding if someone had deleted or blocked them from their Instant Messenger (IM). Unfortunately, many fell under this scheme. Hacking yahoo messenger or any other messenger is quite easy if you find how to exploit the user's needs.



Yahoo Password Hacking with Keyloggers


Besides social engineering, hackers can obtain your password through other means, like worms, viruses or Trojans. Once a hacker is inside your computer, he will look for those files were your login names and passwords are stored. That's they reason why it isn't considered safe to store them inside your computer. Even when the provider tells you that it is safe. Remember than there isn't a more secure place for keeping your password than your mind.

What Methods Were Used In The Past?

In the past, one of the common practices used by hacker was using programs that tried different password combinations until it found the correct one. This method was contra rested by email providers by giving a limited number of options or by placing some security measures inside their webpage.



Other method was placing false web pages instead of the original ones. A hacker could make a user think that he is accessing his email at the webpage of his email provider. In reality, he was entering all his information to a webpage created by the hacker. This scheme isn't used any more since users have become a bit more careful and have acquired some concepts on internet security. They have started using secure pages for login which starts with "https:\\....." in the address bar. Rate this Article


What Are Keyloggers?

Keyloggers are specially devised programs that are installed inside a computer via a Trojan, a virus or a worm. Once inside, the keylogger will auto execute and start recording all the key strokes made by the computer user. Once a determined period of time has gone by, the keylogger will send the keystroke information to the hacker who sent this infectious software.



Then the hacker will start searching key combinations that can lead him to determine the password for determined web pages. This simple and effective method is a favorite among hackers since it can provide them with lots of private information from their victims.



Many computer users have more than one email account, especially if they use the messenger services from multiple providers, like Microsoft's Hotmail, Yahoo's Email or AOL email. It doesn't matter if you have one or many email accounts, every one of them may be a victim of a hacker. Even with the security measures imposed by the companies, Yahoo password hacking or hotmail hacking still exist. And it's very improbable that will disappear.



So, if you want to protect yourself from people who are hacking yahoo accounts or whose whole purpose in life is to do some MSN hacking, then increase the number of special characters in your password and try not to access your email account from a computer that is not yours. And that goes to IM's too. The ability for hacking yahoo messenger or any other IM provider it's a latent danger for all of us.

Cell phones - Hackers Next Target!


It was bound to happen - they have hacked just about everything else. Now it's the cell phones. Cellphone hacking has just recently surfaced and been made public ever since some one did some cellular phone hacking on Paris Hilton's cell phone. This article will give you some information about what is going on out there and what you can do to better protect your cell phone information.

What Does It Involve


The fact of someone hacking cell phone became public knowledge when Paris Hilton's cell phone, along with her information was recently hacked. Unfortunately for her, all her celebrity friends and their phone numbers were also placed on the Internet - resulting in a barrage of calls to each of them.



Cell phone hackers have apparently found a glitch in the way the chips are manufactured. The good news, though, is that it only applies to the first generation models of cell phones that use the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). Another requirement is that the hacker must have physical access to the cell phone for at least three minutes - which is a real good reason not to let it out of your sight. Currently, although the problem has been remedied (at least for now) in the second and third generation phones, it seems that about 70% of existing cell phones fall within the first generation category.



Another way that mobile phone hacking can take place is for a hacker to walk around an area with people that have cell phones and a laptop that has cellphone hacker programs on it. Through an antenna, and a little patience, his computer can literally pick up your cell phone data - if it is turned on. This is more applicable to cell phones that use Bluetooth technology.

What Can A Hacker Do?

Surprisingly, there are quite a number of things that can be accomplished by the hacker. Depending on their intent here are a few of them.

Steal Your Number

Your phone number can be accessed and obtained by cellphone hacking. This allows them to make calls and have it charged to your account.

Take Your Information

Mobile hacking allows a hacker to contact your cell phone, without your knowledge, and to download your addresses and other information you might have on your phone. Many hackers are not content to only get your information. Some will even change all your phone numbers! Be sure to keep a backup of your information somewhere. This particular technique is called Bluesnarfing.

Be Prepared for Cell Phone Hacks


Rob Your Money

Other options might use a particular buying feature called SMS. This refers to the fact that money can be taken from your account and transferred into another - and a good hacker can sit in one place and access a lot of phones and transfer a lot of money rather quickly - probably in less time than you think!

Give The System A Virus

By using another cell phone hack code, a hacker could kidnap your phone, send it a camouflaged program or send it a virus. But it does not end there, since, from that point, he can use your phone to retransmit the virus to many other phones almost instantly - potentially disabling the system.


A hacker can also gain access and take over for cell phone spying and remote mobile phone hacking. Literally, once secured, the hacker can have the phone call him, and then be able to listen to all conversations going on around the owner of the phone.

Access Your Voice Mails

Voice mails can also be retrieved by a hacker through a hacking cell phone. After stealing your number, this can easily be done - if your password is disabled. The main thing that needs to be understood here, is that the electronics that give you the modern convenience of interacting with the Internet (getting your voice mails, emails, Web surfing, etc.) , is also the same technology that allows you to receive the same ills as can befall someone on the Internet.

What Can You Do?

It seems that the major cell phone companies, at least at this point, really are not interested in bringing the system up to be able to cope with this threat. Meetings are starting to take place, but for now it is not perceived to be real serious. This could be because it is primarily the older phones that are most susceptible to some types of this mobile hacking.



Until the cell phone manufacturers are able to cope with, or eliminate, the glitches in the system that allows them to overcome these problems, you will largely have to help yourself to cope with these things. Here are a couple of tips that will help you protect your cell phone, its information, and other things.

Use Your Passwords

The cell phone companies tell us that many people have turned off their passwords when they access their voice mail messages, or other things. This little feature, though it may seem to be an annoyance to some, could protect your phone from unauthorized purposes.

Leave The Phone Off

This one is obviously the harder choice, here, simply because most of us who have cell phones like to be reached anytime and anywhere. Others do need to be reachable at all times.

Upgrade Your Phone

While this cannot guarantee that your phone is not hackable, it certainly will help. It should be remembered that the phone companies work hard to deliver the best technology and conveniences - but the cell phone hacks work just as hard to be the first to break the systems designed to defeat them. It is an ongoing battle.



Cellular phone hacking, for now, is a fact of life that affects a few of us. Gladly, the numbers are still small, but many feel this problem is just getting started. By being aware of the problems, you can wisely take steps to prevent them from happening to you. Cellphone hacking does not need to catch you unprepared.

Hacking Websites: Fun or Terror?


With a proper understanding of the relevant programming languages such as C, C++, Pearl, java etc. one can be fully equipped with the technique of hacking into website. There backdoors for the web hackers for website hacking. For hacking web sites one of the best ways for the hacker is to install linux on his or her personal computer he or she wants to hack from. Then he can open up a shell to type: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda1 and press ENTER. As the next step he will type: dd hf= (url). There are a few other alternatives for hacking sites as well. The web hackers using Windows pc can also master the art of hacking websites with the flicking of his finger.



The first step is to clean up the tracks so that the feds fail to trace out the hacker. This happens automatically in case of linux. Cleaning up of tracks in case of Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows ME involves a step-by step procedure. Click Start then Run and then Command. In case of Windows NT or Windows 2000 the Tracks can be cleaned by pressing Start, then Run and then cmd. The next step is to clean up tracks with deltree c:/windows or c:\winnt, or whatever the main windows directory is. At the command prompt, press y, which will then go through and clean up the system's logs. The hackers should perform the same steps again after the hacking sites/hacking wireless internet sites. Then after this cleaning up the hackers should type: ping -l4000 (url).

Cyber Terrorism And Hacker's Group


The whole planet is today terrorized by the web hackers to whom hacking seems a mode of getting pleasure by the way of gaining knowledge or mere entertainment. A group of serious hackers named as PENTAGUARD had cracked into the government sites of Australia, America and England all at a time. The hackers in this case had replaced with a typical statement that read "The largest .gov & .mil mass defacement in the history of mankind".



This was a simple statement with an aesthetic undertone of threat. The act affected almost 24 sites with a transitory disruption.Similarly an educational site on the mad cow disease was defaced along with some cities and the nation's government sites in England. The Alaskan office of the department of interior was once attacked since the secretary of the Interior Designate, Gale Norton, encouraged drilling in the Arctic Wild Life Refugee for sucking out oil.



The common wealth of Australia is of no exception. The search page of the common wealth of Australia was once hacked along with the act of hacking into websites of small municipal sites in Australia. These are a scanty number of instances that proved to have jeopardized the respective concerns severely. The hackers had to use simple techniques and methods to do these. website hacking for these hackers is all as simple as a child's play. Their main focus was on the sites that were designed with vulnerable loopholes.

SQL Injection and Hacking Web Sites


Vandals, who know how to hack, most often use hacking methods for the purpose of defacing a website or ruin the entire data and files while the other section cracks through the websites simply to steal substance. While the former brings severe harm to the victim, the cyber burglars do not do much harm.



There is a load of devastating tools that the web hackers use to vandalize just anything and everything they want to. One of the most popular weapons or method that can bring immense harm is SQL Injection. SQL - the short form of Structured Query Language is a special type of language that is used when a web application uses a database communicating with the other database for some required function.



With the help of the SQL command issued to a database server, the web application can cast a deep impact to all the aspects of the database allowing the hackers to edit, add, and delete information there from. SQL has been designed for the legitimate purpose while it has now become a deadly weapon in the hand of the web hackers intended for hacking sites. The web hackers can inject SQL command and may perform any operation as per his or her own sweet will. Rate this Article

Cross Site Scripting

Another more dangerous technique is Cross Site Scripting, which is also defined by XSS. This is a stronger weapon that brings out much more devastation. Cross Site Scripting or XSS is a devastating technique that facilitates the hackers to inject the malicious scripting code in the form of _JavaScript in the user input form or sometimes incorporated in the URL query string. Cross Site Scripting can virtually do any task such as recording the keystrokes and stealing cookies once it is injected into the targeted browser of the end user.

Distributed Denial of Service

Denial of Service attack or Distributed Denial of Service i.e. DOS or DDOS is the attacking technique that is used by the hackers who wants to overload any remote system with a repeated and enormously large volume of requests for any specified service. The most interesting fact about the DDOS is that it can attack a several thousands of distinctive users in such a fashion that the script fails to detect whether the requests are legitimate or illegitimate. Though it is quite tough to prevent Dos attack, yet successful efforts have been made in this regard by checking out the IP address hacking of the source of the requests.



There are innumerable of such tactical techniques in the hands of the web hackers for hacking into websites. These tools have made the website hacking so easy that it has become fun for the cyber terrorists. The first step of hacking web sites is simply to detect the feeble and less secured portion of the system.

Hacking Software Programs: Making Novices Professionals


The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has warned of the increasing menace of the cyber attack due to the emergence far sharper automated hacking tools, which have been designed to cast maximum impact within the minimum time. With a huge number of hacker software the malicious hackers can command distributed systems to scan automatically the systems and attack the systems by taking the immediate advantage of the systems' vulnerable points and exploiting them.



Hundreds of free hacking softwares are easily available and they are so easy to operate, that even a novice can turn to be a highly paid professional. With a wide range of easy-to-use hacking software South Africa has turned to be the hackers' heaven, injecting illegitimate programs into the remote systems by the fraudulent act of breaking into the websites.

Initiate Attacks with Hacking Program

The hackers, by any means, initiate attacks on a Gamco server, which houses innumerable number of websites. By this they can easily gain hassle free access to these sites, with a motive to suck out information and secret records and in cases even money. hacker softwares are technically engineered superior monitoring software products that are used as the hacking programs that help to find out whatever the hacker wants to know.

A hacker may be a spouse who can use a free hacking program with an intention to know all about his or her wife or husband. Concerned guardians can also hack into the systems of their wards in order to detect their actions and steps.




With a great variety of the easily available password hacking programs a hacker breaks into the sites of small and large business houses, thereby smuggling off all the secret records as regard to the concerns' financial aspects and other movements.



A wonderful example of such a software program is SpyRecon, which allows a hacker to monitor a remote system from any places - however far it may be. SpyRecon is hacking program - so smart and so strong, that it allows the user to track any targeted system and secretly record everything automatically that is happening to the system targeted. This is perhaps the only hacker software that sends every single recorded activity, login details, keystrokes, screen shots to the required email address and even personal chat conversations. To the utter surprise, the SpyRecon have proved to be cent percent compatible with almost all kinds of major online services or applications like Neopets, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, MSN, Livejournals and AIM.



There exist a huge volume of free hacking softwares just as smart as the SpyRecon, providing the hackers immense pleasure of breaking into the other systems without any affliction. Another such latest hacking program, which one can get for absolutely free, is the Camera/Shy software, released out very recently by a dedicated group of hackers know as Hactivismo.



The activists can exchange banned contents across the World Wide Web with the help of the Camera/Shy software. Since the software is dedicated to the memory of the famous former Chinese leader Wang Ruowang, it has been found that China is the one nation that have shown tremendous interest in the Camera/Shy software. The Steganography software is again another free hacking program that has been designed to be used by more sophisticated users who have got a sound grip over the technical know-how.

Hacker Software and Motive of Cyber Burglars


Cyber burgling is an act of stealing the secret information from the other systems. Phishing is a typical message that actually pretends to be sent by the business concerns and /or banks but a simple attempt to steal off the passwords and the other necessary information. With such a wanton increment in the cyber crimes the criminals' main focus is to infect the inner workings of a system just like the way a malicious virus writer does.



The present day's hacking softwares are quite strong and have been designed sophisticatedly to break into the systems through a security hole or any other vulnerable point in the Microsoft's Internet Web Browser. The cyber burglars utilize the IE flaw for installing the "keyloggers" program on their computers to visit the specially coded web pages. This program is then used efficiently to copy the victims' passwords and each and every keystroke and upload the record to the database.

Crack the Passwords

As far as the password hacking programs are concerned the John the Ripper is a worth mentioning hacking program that makes an algorithmic approach to hack and crack the passwords and password files. This software works tremendously well with a mind blowing ability to crack MD5 passwords within almost no time. John the Ripper requires a great amount of space in the CPU.



Rainbowcrack is another traditional password cracker that try every possible plaintexts one after the other during the time of cracking, thereby consuming a great amount of time to accomplish cracking successfully. This disadvantage gave birth to a new concept of time-memory trade-off. By the dint of time-memory trade-off concept all the cracking time computation is successfully done in advance and stores the result in files known "rainbow tablets".



By running the hacking software the central database can then feed the stolen records back to the Websites, facilitating the hacker by allowing him or her to sort it by any variables according his or her will like financial sections or professional designations etc. By the dint of such powerful illegitimate hacker software the hackers try to suck out as much amount of money as possible. The free hacking software may not be as powerful as the others but still they are strong enough to bring immense harm to the business concerns or secret department of a nation.

Developing A Winning Employee Internet Policy!


Every business needs an employee internet policy. Even a college will have an internet usage policy for college students in place. These policies help ensure that the employees are not using the internet or company computers for anything inappropriate, or wasting time surfing when they should be working. Here are some guidelines to setting up a company internet usage policy for your business.

Consider The Need For The Internet

The first step to setting up an employee internet policy is to consider the need for the internet for each employee. Depending on the type of business you are running, you may find that some of your employees do not need access to an internet browser. Part of your internet policy for your business could be that only those who need internet access receive it. This can eliminate problems with many of your employees.



Also, if your employees need access to only certain websites, you may want to set up a server that only allows access to those sites. The server could be password protected to keep employees out of other sites, unless approved by their management. Again, this eliminates wasted work time spent searching the internet for personal reasons.

Appropriate Usage Guidelines

Another important aspect of building a company internet usage policy is creating guidelines that dictate an exact definition of appropriate internet usage. For example, if you allow your employees unlimited access to the internet, you may want to put in place an internet usage policy that says that any employee caught looking at adult material on company computers will be dealt with severely, suspended, or even fired. A strict policy on this type of content makes employees think before they visit inappropriate sites.



The most common sites that are not allowed in any internet usage policy are adult content websites. Some businesses do not allow their employees to spend any time surfing auction or shopping sites that are not related to the business. Others may block travel sites that employees would use to look for airline tickets and plan their vacations.

Enforcing an Employee Internet Policy

Enforcing your appropriate and inappropriate sites policy can be a little tricky. Make sure you have in place some form of tracking software that allows you to know where your employees are going on the internet. There are software programs that will send you a flag if an employee visits a questionable site. This is the best way to keep track and keep your employees honest! Be sure your usage policy is clear to everyone who works for your company.



Implementing Your Company Internet Usage Policy


Besides controlling your employees' internet usage, you may want to enforce a corporate email policy. Email policies are designed to dictate what is appropriate use of the company's email programs. You may, for example, want to eliminate any employees using the company's corporate email for personal communication.


Another company email usage policy involves forwards and spam emails. These are the types of emails that wish everyone luck or riches for passing on the email to ten friends. For whatever reason, they keep coming into your inbox and your employees may be spending valuable company time forwarding them on to their friends. You may want to put a ban on any of these types of email. Rate this Article

Another aspect of a company email policy that is often overlooked is appropriate communication. You may want to tell your employees that they may not use the company email to carry on fights with each other, or to bad mouth someone behind his or her back. Remember, you never know who will see an email, and when two employees are having difficulties, they should talk to each other instead of sending an email back and forth that is full of bitter words.

Employees who refuse to adhere to email policy compliance standards should face strict consequences. You may choose to have a certain number of times they can be caught abusing the company email before you suspend or fire them. The internet and email are dangerous tools in the wrong hands, and you do not want your company's reputation to be marred by an unethical employee.

Internet And Email Security

The final thing you need to consider when establishing a company wide internet and email policy is the internet security policy for your company.

What will you do to an employee who is caught hacking into the company's system, or introducing a virus to the computer network? Is this cause for immediate dismissal?

What security measures are you going to put in place to prevent outsiders from damaging the computer network, and to keep secure files secure?

How will you keep the employees from within the company from leaking important security information?

These considerations need to be thought through as soon as possible to keep you from having serious security problems.



With these tools and tips, you can set up an internet usage policy. College settings should consider the same things as a business. The policies for employees would then apply to students. Remember, an employee internet policy keeps everyone more productive, happier, and safer at work!

Hackers and Culture? True Indeed!


Hacker culture has existed for many decades, although the majority of us may have become recently aware thanks to movies like The Matrix. Nevertheless, hacking culture has been out there, and has been constantly influencing our society and the way we view the world. From anime to computer knowledge, hacker culture has, steadily, made its way to our lives. What Is Hacker Culture?

Hacker culture is composed by all those experiences and human manifestations that are related to the exploit of hardware and software. Right now there are three kinds of hackers. The first and most known kind of hacker is the black hat hacker, or the individual who uses his knowledge for obtaining a personal benefit. Usually, it means stealing information that can be sold in the black market.



The most daring black hat hackers are able to crack bank accounts, leaving no trace behind. Fortunately, bank security and worldwide cooperation has been able to place some restrictions and control over these individuals.



On the other side of the balance is the white hack hacker, a computer security expert who works with organizations and helps them with their computer network security problems.



Finally, there are the grey hat hackers. This kind of hackers is composed by people who walk the thin line between white hat hackers and black hat hackers. Usually, their tendency will be influenced by their need of money or their lust for recognition among the hacker community.

Which Are The Origins Of Hacker Culture?

It could be said that hackers have existed since immemorial times. Although the Merriam-Webster dictionary portrays a hacker as a computer expert, in reality, a hacker is any person who looks for weaknesses in the system and tries to exploit them in their own benefit.



Under this definition, Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, was a hacker. How so? He noticed that there were a series of weaknesses in the armies of ancient Greece. In order to exploit them in his favor, he decided to implement a series of improvements to his own army. As history has showed us, these improvements worked in his favor and in favor of his famous son.



The same could be said from Napoleon, who noticed that mobility and artillery could be used in such a way that no army in Europe would be able to withstand him. Unfortunately for him, he forgot to consider that logistics were an important thing to consider when he mobilized hundreds of thousands of men into the Russian Empire.

Know where you belong in the Hacker Culture


However, it wasn't until the advent of the industrial revolution, and the appearance of the phone network, that the first hackers of the modern era appeared. In those days, the operators of this network were men. Unfortunately, many of them had a knack and a desire to exploit this system in their own benefit. Due to this fact, all men operators were fired and new, women operators were contracted (a practice that continued for many decades).



The next revolution in hacker culture came with the appearance of the first computers in the universities around the country. Groups of students at the MIT were paid for developing the operating software of the giant computer mainframes. In order to make their work easier, these young men created hacks, or shortcuts, to determined sensitive areas of their programming.

Are There Any Subcultures?

In computer hacker culture there are two divisions. The first one is known as the Academic hacker subculture, composed by the students, engineers and professionals who had the ability to use the machines provided by universities. These people worked in computer science and had the latest in technology. Many of them were able to use their knowledge and expertise in the second division.



The other hacker subculture is the one which has its origins in hobbyists; people who built computers in their garages (ala Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the founders of Apple) or were quite good with electronics (many of the were subscribed to specialized magazines). This subculture had its first golden age with the advent of personal computers and the first computer games.


Thousands of people across America looked for ways to hack computer game passwords and copy-protection schemes (in those days there was no internet, so the computer game companies weren't able to check online if your copy was an original). However, the true revolution came with the internet.



Now, hackers from around the world could hack, literally, millions of computers thanks to the weaknesses found at Microsoft Windows products and the lack of knowledge of computer users (only a small percentage makes constant software upgrades, and has a firewall, an antivirus and a spyware installed).



Finally, if you wish to learn hacking culture, or embrace it, start with some movies and literature! The Matrix is an excellent place to begin, but there are also excellent science fiction and non-fiction books that can transport you to a world you never imagined. One of the most popular ones is Neuromancer, written by William Gibson.



For many, hacking culture has become their way of life. Bored with the standardized lifestyle of the western civilization, hackers and it millions of new followers have created their own niche among our technological society. Hacker culture, once considered part of the underground, is now part of us.

Hacker's beware: A Crook is Caught One Day or the other


Hackers had broken into the Department of Defense's computers - again. With news like this, combined with the fact that other hackers are constantly seeking to steal people's identity, send out spam from innocent computers, and other computer crimes hacking into unauthorized places, makes it necessary for illegal hackers to be caught. If you are one of those who have suffered from a hack attack, then you may be one of those who say: "I need an IP specialist, to catch a hacker." This article will show you some things that you can do.

How Hackers Are Caught

With the fact that Microsoft and some other software companies have been notified - yes, by hackers, that there are many "holes" in Windows that a hacker can take advantage of. Microsoft has responded by attempting to fix the "holes" each time one is pointed out. Then, it sends out a patch to block hackers from attacking through that "hole." Keeping up with the update's from Microsoft is one way to close down the problems that exist in the Windows software - though it is unknown if all such "holes" will ever be known.



Normally, it is rather hard to notice that a hacker has hacked into your computer. If all he is doing is having a look around, or taking minimum amounts of data - you really cannot be sure that you are being hacked. The are some effects of computer hacking, though, that might tip you off. Here are a couple of ways to detect hackers.

Detecting Hackers

Hackers, by nature are very stealthy. Their ability to gain access to your computer through the Internet can easily be done without your knowledge - and most of them seem to prefer that approach. Before time is spent on being able to detect a hacker, it should be noted that a determined hacker will not be stopped! They will get in - even to the Department of Defenses systems!



Some common things that might tip you off to an intrusion are:

Lights showing hard drive activity being busier than what your own activities call for

Suspicious files left on your computer - often in the Windows Temp directory with a tmp. suffix

Obvious tampering - destroyed files, missing files, etc.

Or, the worst case - someone's taking money out of your bank account or using your credit cards (Please note, though, that this could also be the result of phishing, too - not necessarily hacking)

Your firewall keeps receives multiple packets from a single web address and notifies you.

How to catch a hacker


Once a hacker does gain access to your computer, he will purposefully leave a little file or two, that will give him easy access in the future. These files are usually referred to as "trojans." This is one of the facts about hackers that is not very comforting. Even after you take precautions to prevent further attacks, unless you thoroughly clean off the hacker's little access files - he can still easily access your system. Another not so nice fact is that, unless you really learn (or already know) about computer systems, you probably will not either be able to detect, or stop the hacker. You can, however, get help. This is when you need to say, "I need an IP specialist, to catch a hacker".

Tracing The Hacker's IP Address

A number of software programs are available now - through the Internet, that will enable you to trace a hacker's IP address to a geographical address. Remember, though, that hackers often borrow other computers (usually unknown to the owner), and do their computer crimes hacking from there. So, before you take any action against someone you think it might be, it is better to let the proper authorities handle it.

One free program that you might use in order to learn of the hacker's IP address is Netstat.
This Windows program will enable you to see exactly what the hacker does - tracing everything. It also shows you the status of all of your ports, and other statistics.

Catching Them Red-Handed

Basically once there is a hacker attack, you have two options. The first is to shut your system down, and give your computer to a lab to be able to collect the necessary evidence. Apart from the aforementioned programs, if you do much to the computer yourself - you could be destroying the very evidence you need to track a hacker. Of course, if you have not already backed up your data elsewhere, this option may not be available to you. Remember that a hacker can only be prosecuted using the evidence on other people's computers. A second course of action would be to act as if nothing had taken place, and move your sensitive data to another computer. By leaving it alone, and letting the hacker continue, more evidence can be collected against him until there is a solid case. Knowing this fact about how to catch a hacker is very important.



Besides needing an IP address, you must also learn the ISP from which the attack comes. Port 43 will give you data about the IP and the ISP. Software is available that can tell you these things, and you can also learn about it by going to a whois directory. Then, with this information, you can contact the Webmaster of the ISP, and hopefully, get it stopped.



Each of us needs to take some serious precautions about preventing our own computers from being broken into (as much as possible). With the software and firewalls that are currently available, perhaps you will never need to be one who cries out, "I need a specialist, to catch a hacker". After you get the necessary programs to make your computer safer, be sure to keep it updated, and prevent computer crimes hacking.

Outlaws of Technology! Hacker or Cracker


In order to study the comparison the between the hackers and crackers, it is important to understand the respective definitions. While apparently the words hacking and cracking seems synonymous, yet there exist certain points of distinctions between the two and the meaning of the words will always be heated topics of debate. Since the very dawn of the civilization, man's hunger to attain the unattainable have went on opening new horizons in almost every aspects of life, and the technology is of no exception to this nature of human.

Aims of Hackers and Crackers

The computer hackers actually trespass or circumvent artistically, yet scientifically into the other computer system with a hunger to know the programmable systems, how they perform and their internal structures, while cracking is slight different in sense. Cracking means to break off the computer's security system. This is a subject matter of hard-core science with an aesthetic undertone of artistic skill that has attracted a few millions of teenagers and young adults all over the world.

Who Is A Hacker And What Is His Aim?

Delving deep into the concepts, we can compare the hackers and crackers. A hacker is a person who commits the fraudulent act or the penal offense of exploring into the other computers in order to know the details of the programmable system and how they work. On the other level, a cracker is a person just more secretive as compared to the hacker. The cracker breaks through the system's security and proves to be far more dangerous than the hackers who just quench his or her thirst by simply discovering the workings of a system.



Hence the crackers can potentially be much more perilous as compared to the hackers. While it is often believed that the hacking is simply exploring into the other computer system with an intention to know how the programmable system works, which is not a fraudulent task unless any sort of vandalism and theft is done by this, another huge section stands strictly against the view and look at the act from the view point of a crime.

Who is A Cracker and What Is His Aim?

A cracker is a technical person who has mastered the art of breaking systems, often not for acquiring knowledge, by the dint of few programs and softwares used as tools. They are more interested in the system's security without the need of great deal of knowledge, thereby not benefiting much.



On the other hand, a hacker who cracks and hacks systems is not only interested in breaking the security of the system but also in knowing about the system's details, by which he gains much more than by simply cracking systems. Unlike a cracker, a hacker generally does not have intention destroy data maliciously or to steel things.



A cracker who is often termed to be a cyber burglar brings out significant harm to the network or steels the information like passwords or credit card numbers. A Trojan is capable enough to recognize and record even every single keystroke that you make. Hence even if you do not store any personal or financial records in your system, the hackers can still be able to obtain the information by recognizing the keystrokes.

Prerequisites of Hackers and Crackers


Hacking and cracking are not as easy as they apparently appear to be. These need serious endeavor to the exhaustive studies and thorough understanding of the computer languages. Both the hackers and crackers must be highly dedicated programming experts who must have sound grips of the language C, as this language has the utmost flexibility and is the widely used ported language all over world's hackers' communities.

Other helpful languages are C++, java and pearl. By the dint of such technical know-how the hackers becomes smart enough to compel another computer system or a program or any other piece of hardware to perform such things that they actually were not wanted to do. The crackers tries to gain a hassle free access to a system or a server with the help of certain methodical tools that bypasses the security, giving the crackers immense privileges with the server or the system they have targeted.

The Legal Aspect

Whatever the terminology may be - an act of hacking or cracking, both the ideas have been brought to the severe penal action irrespective of the reasons. Although it seems to be an enjoyable task of exploring out to visit into the other computer systems by breaking off the system's security, yet computer hacking is treated to be a fraudulent and a criminal offense that has been covered under the serious legal section of Title 18:



Crimes and Criminal Procedure: Part 1: Crimes: Chapter 47: Fraud and False Statements: Section 1030: Fraud and related activity in connection with computers. However needless to say that, hacking and cracking are such acts that is illegal in some ways but to view from the certain other platform the act has been found to serve some agencies and departments with certain awfully useful functions - beyond mere pleasure. Though illegal, the hackers and the crackers are sometimes used by the nations' top ranking departments for hacking and cracking networks to get the information that may be required to save the nation from any anticipated danger.

Is Hacking Always Bad?


Although the history of hacking is relatively unknown to most of the public, it's quite interesting to read about it. It doesn't matter if you aren't a computer expert or a system administrator of a big corporation. Computers are as much part of our history as airplanes and cars, and it should be common knowledge to know how they came to be. It's the only way you can understand the effects of computer hacking in our life.

History of Hacking

Hacking is not limited to computers. The real meaning of hacking is to expand the capabilities of any electronic device; to use them beyond the original intentions of the manufacturer. As a matter of fact, the first hackers appeared in the 1960's at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and their first victims were electric trains. They wanted them to perform faster and more efficiently. So, is hacking always bad? Not really. It only depends on how to use it. But it wasn't until a group of these hackers decided to exert their knowledge in the computer mainframes of the MIT.

During the 1970's, a different kind of hacker appeared: the phreaks or phone hackers. They learned ways to hack the telephonic system and make phone calls for free. Within these group of people, a phreaker became famous because a simple discovery. John Draper, also known as Captain Crunch, found that he could make long distance calls with a whistle. He built a blue box that could do this and the Esquire magazine published an article on how to build them. Fascinated by this discovery, two kids, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, decided to sell these blue boxes, starting a business friendship which resulted in the founding of Apple.

By the 1980's, phreaks started to migrate to computers, and the first Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) appeared. BBS are like the yahoo groups of today, were people posted messages of any kind of topics. The BBS used by hackers specialized in tips on how to break into computers, how to use stolen credit card numbers and share stolen computer passwords.

It wasn't until 1986 that the US government realized the danger that hackers represented to the national security. As a way to counteract this menace, the Congress passed the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, making computer breaking a crime across the nation.

During the 1990's, when the use of the internet widespread around the world, hackers multiplied, but it wasn't until the end of the decade that system's security became mainstream among the public.

Today, we are accustomed to hackers, crackers, viruses, Trojans, worms and all of the techniques we need to follow to combat them.


Profiles of Famous Computer Hackers
 
As it was mentioned before, the history of hacking is intermixed with the history of computers. Many of the famous computer hackers of the past are the billionaires of today.


The most known hacker is Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. Considered the richest person in the world for more than a decade, he became the most successful entrepreneur of the computer industry. His beginnings go back to the 1970's when he designed computer programs for the computer platforms of that era, and ended with the introduction of Windows in the world of personal computers.

After some time away from the media attention, Steve Jobs came back with the introduction of several new products in Apple. The most known of them is the iPod, which has revolutionized the music industry around the world. Jobs started nearly at the same time that Gates, founding Apple and introducing to the market the first home computer, the Apple II. Rate this Article

Although Linus Torvalds was known among the hacker community as the hero who created Linux, the open source operating system, it hasn't been until recent years that people started to wonder if there was another option apart from using Microsoft's operating system.

Profiles of Bad Hackers

Unfortunately, there are as many bad hackers as productive hackers. One of the most famous black hackers is Kevin Mitnick, who broke into the computers of several organizations, including Fujitsu, Motorola, Sun Microsystems and Nokia. He was imprisoned and even today can't use a computer due to a judicial restriction.

Another famous hacker is Vladimir Levin, a mathematician who led a group of Russian hackers and stole ten million dollars from Citibank. Until this day, no one knows how they did it.

Jonathan James case is a bit more complicated. He was the first juvenile from the teen hackers of the USA to be prosecuted for computer hacking. But that didn't stop him. Later, he was able to access the computer systems of NASA and the US Department of Defense. Finally, he was imprisoned.

Fraud for Sale

Years ago, before the coming of the internet, hackers around the world caused a lot of mayhem in organizations. But now that they have a potential market of hundreds of millions of persons, their options are almost limitless. That's why online fraud is considered one of the cancers of the internet. The only way to protect from it, is becoming an anti hacker ourselves, maintaining up to date with the most basic knowledge: firewall, antivirus, antispam, constant operating system updates and taking care of suspicious websites.



The effects of computer hacking in our history can't be denied. It is here and it won't disappear. But the most interesting thing about the history of hacking is that it was expected to happen. You only need to check old science fiction books to find it.

Hacking Simplified - For Those Who Want to Learn Things From the Scratch

It's quite probable that you have received spam offering a hotmail hacking guide that will give you the basics on how to become a hacker. Although it sounds tempting to have the power to know the private life of other persons, most of these guides and courses are nothing but scams that are looking for new victims. If you really want to become a hacker, you need to go to the places were they gather: a hacking facebook, a hacker's forum, free hacking tutorials or even a mailing list. The information is out there. You only need to go and find it.


Where Can You Get Material on Hacking and Information on Hacking


There are two main sources. The first one is the Internet. You will have to make a basic query in your favorite search engine with the word hacker and start looking each one of the suggested sites. Most of them will only offer you limited tutorials on how to hack (like the Hacker's Black book or the Happy Hacker book, which are outdated). Other's will give you an useful insight on this world. After some time, you will find forums were people from around the world share their experiences.



Do not expect to enter an easy world. The jargon used by a group of hackers can be quite confusing for any beginner. So don't feel that you will never be part of it. Start with the basics and read "How to become a hacker" from Eric S. Rymond. Although the document is five years old, it will give you an introductory crash course on were do you need to start.



The second source is face to face reunions. Get into the internet and search for any hacker's meeting in your vicinity. You will be surprised to find that they meet quite regularly. Of course, do not expect to find a Matrix kind of reunion. This is serious, professional people that pay their rent by hacking. Drop by and make some questions on hacking tutorials.

What Is The Hackers Bible?

The hacker's bible has two possible sources, depending on whom do you ask. For some people, it is none other but the magazine 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. This magazine was created by Emmanuel Goldstein, and it focuses on aspects of different technologies. For example, it covers telecommunication devices as well as computers.



The magazine gives to its readers grey hacker's material. That means that it gives them information on how to augment the capacities of any electronic apparatus, such as a cell phone. This neutral posture is different to white hacking (were a hacker uses his abilities for a good cause, like detecting the vulnerabilities of a network) and black hacking (were a hacker uses his knowledge for selfish purposes, like creating a hotmail hacking guide).



The other Hacker's Bible is the Jargon File. This document is a glossary of hacker slang that has been collected since 1975, from the old days of the Arpanet (the precursor of the Internet).

Certainly there are many sources of information available that can give you computer hacking basics. There is actually some misconception about who a real hacker is. Hacking computers is performed by one who knows computers very well - even the extra tricks of a computer and electronics. He can easily tweak these according to his needs and become hacker. This is the way the term was used when Bill Gates was inventing Windows.



Those who are often referred to as hackers today, should actually be called "crackers" - people who do not have unauthorized access, like a safe-cracker. If you doubt me, and want to know how to be a hacker then do a search on the term "professional hacker," and you will find many professional and legitimate computer training courses being offered. They are the ones learning the real hacker secrets.


What Are The Basics Needed To Become A Hacker


Everyone has heard of one individual or another that was caught while hacking computers that belonged to this or that organization. Because hacking into computers is highly illegal, it should be mentioned that this article will not mention any real specifics about the subject, and this author would rather gladly encourage you to become a real hacker - professionally.



This article, will however, give a brief overview of criminal hackers, some of their methods, and a few things you can do to make your own computer safer from hack attacks. Here are those things you need to learn on how to become a hacker.

Learn Computers

It should go without saying that the first thing that is needed is to learn about computers. This means study. A lot of reading is involved along with just plain old-fashioned learning how to use a computer. Then, of course, there are the special aspects of computer study. The places where the tips are learned is often two-fold: a friend who has access to a computer, and a variety of places on the Web. But this is also an interesting thing
- if a young person has the ability to learn, and wants to learn can use hacking tutorials- then why not take the time to learn the right things - things that can earn him a lot of money in the legit world? Is it possibly that it could be the friend he has that turns him away from the good?


Search for tools on Hackers Websites and forums


Learn The Websites

Special hacker Web sites, where hackers congregate, exist on the Web - as does every other known group of people - whether legal or illegal. Some of these are known to be hacker chat rooms, hacker forum, and regular hacker sites. Learn The Secrets

It is in these Web sites, and possibly some of the people that he may meet, maybe only online, where he will learn the hacking basics, and learn how to hack.

Tools Hackers Need To Get Into Websites

Some of the tools that a hacker may use are often varied and constantly changing. One such tool that was used last year allowed a hacker to gain control of the computers of those who simply mistyped the word Google - when trying to get the popular search engine. This automatically directed them to a special website that would give them such malware items as Trojan downloaders, backdoors and spyware.

Another tool would be the robot spider. These can be sent out and put on automatic and will look for ports of access into your computer. These spiders are running around all the time and some say that they may hit most computers that are online - up to 50 times a day.

Other tools use email attachments. It is claimed that as much as 65% of all email is spam. And as much as 1 in about 30 emails contains a virus, or some form of malware. This is why having your own virus and spam protection is a must, as well as a good spyware remover. Someone is busy. Once someone has been hacking information on a computer they will often leave a Trojan file that will give them further access - often more than one file. Then they could use your computer to send out spam attacks - without you even knowing that it is taking place. Or, they could simply be hacking your personal information off of your computer. These are just a few of their tools.



How Hackers Avoid Getting Caught

One of the first things that someone would learn about hacking tutorials when studying to be a hacker is how to cover their tracks. Of course, some are better than others. A young hacker is less likely to know all the little things that an expert hacker might know. Besides, the young hacker may be trying to impress others - and get a little careless about covering his tracks. This is why younger hackers are often caught.

An older hacker, on the other hand, will rarely leave any tracks. They know how to use their victim's computers as a tool for a launching place to get into another computer - leaving a phony IP address.


The truth is, and it is a good thing, that computer programmers are getting better software, and hardware (firewalls) that are constantly doing a better job - both in keeping hackers out, and in recording IP addresses better for tracking purposes.


There will always be hackers, and there will always be hackers in prison. The legislation is definitely turning against the hacker - with some hacking crimes becoming equal to terrorism, these days. Kevin Mitnick, a well-known hacker, had the Federal prosecutors accuse him of having caused $291 million in damages to corporate computers. A serious crime, and he remains in jail because of it - unable to touch anymore computers.

Even by learning some of the wrong type of hacking basics through hacking tutorials, a young person could start down a wrong path. Hacking computers, though often glorified on TV, is still criminal.

Nuts and Bolts


To know what is computer hacking, one must know their terms. A list of certain significant ones is described below. Hacking run

essentially, a hacking run is a hacking session that lasts longer than normal working times, i.e. a hacking run that lasts for in excess of eight to ten hours.

White Hat

considered one of nice guys, a white hat hacker is one who hacks and the informs the owner of the hacking

Black Hat

in contrast, the black hat hacker is considered a criminal and uses his/her skills to break the law

Gray Hat

as one would imagine, a gray hat hacker sometimes is good, and sometimes is criminal; a combination of the white and black hat

Script Kiddie

a demeaning term, used for those who hack but do so by following directions and not creating anything of their own

Trojan horse

deceptive programs that pretend they do one thing, only to enter the computer system and do another; however, they need not be bad for the computer

Virus

a self-replicating program that inserts itself into executable codes or documents

Worm

also a self-replicating program, but a worm breeds itself in computer systems.

Software, Hardware, and Internet Hacking

Although the computer languages should solely be used for the legitimate purposes such as learning and other constructive purposes, yet there are lots of ways these languages are used as the means of destructions. The languages such as C, C++, java, Pearl and few more like these are used for hacking. Hackers are the programming experts who have sound grips in the language mentioned above. The language C is the utmost flexible and is the widely accepted one as the ported language in the community of the hackers.



Linux is the strongest hacker-friendly operating system that can be used by the hackers intending to hack another system. The hackers use wide range software to break into the remote systems. Although these programs and software were constructed for some legal purposes, yet they have turned to be the serious hacker tools. A few worth mentioning software and programs are DeCSS 1.2b, Coldlife 4.0, PCHelps Network Tracer, IntelliTamper 2.07 and etc.



Software hacking is best achieved through the use of a virus that is delivered via Internet. When a virus is loaded on the computer its affects varies within a great range -- from a trivial damage that may be negligible to a great loss by altering or wiping off the entire content of the computer hard disk.



However, a worm nests in the hardware and is activated simply by turning on the machine in the affected network. It has the potential to wreak havoc by crashing an entire system. Hardware hacking is a fresh new aspect that has been expanded on a new generation of tinkerers. The process of hard hacking by means of then application specific IC's ASIC is the mentionable issue. The world's business is suffering the menace of bots and the network worms.



Furthermore, hackers can alter content on a website or steal information in encrypted pages by cracking the "code" which programs the site. The website hacking through network hacking system is another alternative. A bot network invasion can be launched to bring serious harm to the remote system. The websites are hacked to satisfy the hacker's hunger of information and other records.



Those who engage in this are also hackers, but they specifically devote time to studying cryptography in computers and putting this into practice. However, this is not all done by the individual. A series of mathematical functions, performed and run through computers, are used to crack the encryption of a system that was usually made to be exceedingly difficult to figure out. All of the above can be done by employing a careful process of reverse engineering (RE), which is simply trying to uncover the functioning principles of an application by "deconstructing" the way it was initially put together. The effect of the computer hacking is going to be more and more horrendous with the emergence more and more advanced technology and tools.



Hacking and cracking has become mainstream language since its beginnings in the late 60s. Today, it stands as one of the foremost concerns in computer safety and as it continues, the measures to combat it are getting increasingly more sophisticated. In this battle, sites on the Internet abound for both hacking tutorials and ways to protect the computer. This battle against the computer hacking has to be waged as long as computers, and the valuable information they store, are part of our lives. As an art of exploitation, hacking and cracking networks is a menace to the world of computer at the moment.

Black hat or White hat! Computer Hacking Explained


A Brief History

One might not suspect that the art, or scourge, of computer hacking was created at one of the havens for technological excellence. True, at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), a group of students developed the technique and borrowed their name from the "hackers" of the late 1800s who found amusement in pranking the emerging telephone companies.Getting their laughs and skills from hacking and cracking into primitive computers and exploiting the Arpanet (predecessor to the internet), they created a novelty that would become the target of federal crackdown in years to come. To define hacking in short, we can say that an artistic criminal offense of breaking into another remote system without the owner's consent for the purpose of stealing information is what is hacking.



However, the act of hacking started out innocently, and was basically a method of trying to figure out how computer systems worked. The 1970s saw the rise in "phreaking," or phone hacking, headed by John Draper. This method allowed the user of a "blue box,", when used with a Captain Crunch whistle of 2600 hertz which accessed the AT&T long distance system, to make free long distance calls. Hackers initiated with accessing the free phone calls through a varied range of sources, thereby managing to circumvent into the nation's radio system and the phoning system resulting in a tremendous phone fraud nationwide.



After the age of "phreaking," computers became not only the target, but also the forum, for a growing hacker population to communicate. The creation of bulletin board systems (BBS) allowed this communication and the technological possibility of more serious government and credit card hacking became possible. At this time in the early 80's, hacking groups such as the Legion of Doom began to emerge in the United States, giving organization, and thus more power to hackers across the country.



Once this happened, breaking into the computers became a legitimate activity, with its own groups and soon its own voice with the 2600 magazine, launched in 1984. The effects of computer hacking were serious. Two years later, inevitably, Congress launched the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that outlawed hacking. Over the years, there was a series of noticeable occurrences as the worst consequential effect of computer hacking on more high profile cases, such as the Morris Worm, responsible for infecting government and university systems, and the Mitnick case in 1995, which captured Kevin Mitnick, steeling as many as 20000 credit card numbers.



In 1999, security software became widely known by the public, and with the release of new Windows programs, which were littered with security weaknesses, they became successful because of necessity. This fraudulent act of computer hacking is perhaps the major problem, confronting the rapidly expanding population of Internet users today, with the systems still trying to battle online hackers.