How hackers get caught 2 05.04

                     How hackers get caught

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.

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How hackers get Caught 1 04.53

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 - notnecessarily hacking)
-Your firewall keeps receives multiple packets from a single web address and notifies you

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How they hack into your computers ? 02.06

Type 1: Brute Force attack

A brute force attack is a method of defeating the encryption which secures a network by systematically trying a large number of possibilities. What it basically does is to guess the possibilities of a password by running through a list of dictionary words, number patterns and symbols until it has found the actual password. This kind of hacking can take up to weeks if the password is complex but can take a matter of minutes if your password is as simple as ‘abc’. How to avoid it? Simple. Make your password as complex as possible and use a secure password manager such as Roboform to remember it.

Type 2: Bogus websites / Phishing Attack

Unfortunately, many internet users don’t pay attention a lot of attention on the website they access. For example, there has been two cases of bogus Facebook websites during the last few months when hackers made a replica of Facebook and convinced users to sign in like a normal Facebook website. How? They’ll first infiltrate a user’s account and send a convincing message to all his friends. The message could be something like “Hey. Check out your photo in my Photo Album. Click here to see it’. The link will lead the user’s friend to the bogus Facebook website which will request the user to sign in again. Once the user has signed in, all the information goes straight to the hacker and the hacker will then able to infiltrate the user’s account and repeat the process. There has also been cases like this for eCash websites such as Paypal. So how you do distinguish a genuine and bogus website? First, pay attention at the URL address. Are there any typos? For example, myspace.com and mysspace.com. Most users only take a quick glance at the URL address and I guarantee that they wouldn’t be able to spot the typo from the previous example. Another thing to look for, especially if you’re doing online transactions is the https:// sign. All major online businesses should have this to show that any transactions are encrypted and secured. In the end, it really comes down to common sense so always be aware of any websites you visit and don’t click a link hastily if you come across one.

Type 3: Trojans, spyware and keyloggers

Trojans, spyware and keyloggers can all be classified as malware. What do they do? They basically act as a backdoor in a computer. A Hacker will distribute a legitimate looking installation file around, possibly through emails or P2P networks. What most user wouldn’t know is that a trojan or spyware would be part of the installation file and they would be installed unnoticed. Once they have been installed, the malware process will run in the background and monitor every move a user makes on his computer. A keylogger for example will record every keystroke a user makes, things like passwords and bank account numbers are at risk. How do you avoid these malware? Download files only from legitimate and reputable websites! Always question the software beforehand by searching about it on Search Engines like Google. You are bound to find many user reviews about the software, helping you decided whether to install the file or not.

Type 4: Software vulnerabilities

Unfortunately, every software and programs out there has flaws and hackers take advantage of them quickly and efficiently. As you may have heard recently, The Conficker Virus was able to spread due to a vulnerability in the Windows Operating System. To reduce the chances of hackers taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, always download the latest updates for your OS as soon as it is released. Windows has its infamous Windows Update which can be quite annoying at times but it is the quickest and most efficient way for Microsoft to distribute updates to fix any security vulnerabilities they find in the system.

There are unfortunately many other forms of hacking out there but the above four points cover the most basic of attacks which are performed against common users. Hackers on a large scale may also use attacks such as DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) which aims to overload a system’s network by directing many ‘puppet’ computers to a site in one go. Sounds scary huh? Don’t worry. These attacks are not likely to come at you unless you are a high figure profile causing controversy in the underground world. Just be aware of what you do on your computer and always have an antivirus of antispyware program installed to reduce your chances of being hacked.

Common methods for “hacking Gmail/ Yahoo Password 02.04

1. Fake login page

2. email phishing campaign

3. RAT

4. Keyloggers

5. cookie grabber

6. spyware

7. fake programs (rat/kl)

8. Social engineering

1. Fake login page:

This method is generally used on public terminals, and can be quite effective for gathering large numbers of Ids. The way it works is documented in another tutorial I have written, but basically its just a matter of someone making a replication of Gmail or Yahoo site, by copying and making minor modifications to their source code and setting their page as the home page. They then set the input fields to send the information to an email address or database. I personally believe the level of success using this method depends on the system, and the amount of creativity involved in making the page look as authentic as possible. To avoid falling victim to this, type the address of the page you are logging into directly into the browser, including the prefix “http://“

2. Email phishing campaign:

Phishing has unfortunately become a household word, though some people associate it with SPAM. Phishing is really just spamming and using deception and trickery to gain information to exploit a service, system, etc. Phishers have posed as banks, email services, law enforcement agents, online contests, teachers, automated services, Nigerians in need of a way to transfer millions in cash, software firms, friends, acquaintances, even the targets themselves. Anyone and anything that you can impersonate, expect a phisher to try. Their emails generally come with an attachment that contains a program like a trojan, RAT or keylogger or virus that either exploits your system searches for PWs and banking info and sends it to the phisher or simply infects or destroys your PC. Some of these scams can be EXTREMELY well done, and almost indistinguishable from a real email (provided by for example, a company they are impersonating). It’s always best to contact the company by phone or mail to confirm anything suspicious.

3. RATs:

Remote administration tools or remote access tools. These programs allow an attacker varying degrees of control over the PC that has the SW installed. The level of access depends on the RAT. Control over the PC allows installation of other malicious software that can be used to track keystrokes, web sites visited, programs accessed, and even take screenshots of the infected computer and send them to an email address covertly. It is also capable of allowing the attacker to make any changes to the system they would like. Obviously, this isn’t good.

Most antivirus and spybot removal SW will detect and remove these types of programs. It’s also a good idea to not only use, but check the logs, settings, permissions and outgoing/incoming traffic of your firewall to prevent this type of thing from happening to you.

4. Keyloggers:

Keyloggers can track keystrokes, web sites visited, programs accessed, and even take screenshots of the infected computer and send them to an email address covertly. Again, most antivirus and spybot removal SW will detect these. If you fear your pc has been comprimised, you can take steps to ensure your PW isnt logged until you can scan for and remove it. Open a word document and write out a list of the UN’s you’ll be using and the a list of the PWs. then cut and paste them accordingly into the fields if you fear a KL or other monitoring device may be in use so that while the SW will pick up the keystrokes, it will not know what PWs match the UNs. If you’d like to take that a step farther, write several random letters and numbers around your PW in the word file and cut out the extra letters until you come out with the UN or PW desired.

5. Cookie grabber:

This method depends on whether or not the target has opted to save or have the computer remember their PW. The information is saved in the cookies and can be used to exploit some mail services. The information can be gained through a website or email containing a script that ‘grabs’ the information. Deleting or not allowing the use of cookies can stop this method.

This method is most common using in many Orkut Communities named by :”FREE RECHARGE OF RS. 500″ Etc…………..

6. Spyware:

Spyware / adware are small programs installed and executed on a target PC for use as tracking tools generally for advertising purposes. These programs generally rely on web browser vulnerabilities to install and run on your system. However, as previously mentioned, any program that is installed on your PC without your knowledge isn’t good. Some attackers have taken this technology and created spybots particularly designed to send sensitive information about your system to a predetermined mail address or database. This can generally be avoided by updating and patching your browser as often as possible. I personally suggest using Mozilla Firefox as a browser, as it is not as vulnerable as internet explorer and operates in much the same way, and has a similar interface. There are literally THOUSANDS of anti spyware programs available, two that I find work exceptionlly, especially in conjuction with each other is Spybot Search and Destroy and Adaware SE personal. Before you get a spyware removal program, research it and see what the general concensus is as some programs touted as spyware removers actually install spyware on your system.

7. Fake programs:

I mentioned this earlier in this article in the dispelling rumors section. There are programs like booters, Gmail and yahoo hackers, point and click trojans, keyloggers, audio and video SW, etc that contain RATs and other malicious programs. The obvious way to minimize the chances of becoming a victim of this method of exploitation is not to DL ‘shady’ programs (ie. programs that do illegal things). The general rule is “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” When DLing programs, make sure that you have researched them, and the company/website it came from. Keep a record of this as well, and check your system often for signs of exploitation.

8. Social engineering:

This can, and often is combined with any of the above methods. Social engineering is really just exploiting people instead of SW. Social engineers use a variety of ways to trick someone into giving them the information they desire. These cons can be amazingly ingenious, professional and complex, or they can be ridiculously crude and almost laughable. Again, if you have doubts about the legitamacy of something or someone or something just seems strange don’t do it. Don’t give out sensitive information, period. You can always check up on a story or website later.

Be aware that these methods are simply the most common. These are not the only way for someone to get your PW. Unfortunatly, if someone wants something bad enough, they’re probably going to get it. At least by familiarizing yourself with these methods, you can recognize scams and potential attempts to steal your information and avoid it.

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What are Honey Pots ? 02.03

Honeypots are the systems that have only partial security & pose as a lure to attackers.

This is required because, so that attackers will attack the honeypots and the actual system will remain safe. You can say that these system(honeypots) are basically used to fool the attacker.

Honeypots not only protect the actual system from hacker, but also keep track of details about what an attacker is trying to accomplish, by storing the information in a record that can be used to track the activities of attacker. This is useful for gathering the information about attacker activities, by which the network admin can know what the attacker was trying to do in their network.

Honeypots are mainly used to defend against the DOS & DDOS attacks.
Usually honeypots are designed to lure the attacker, now attacker gets fooled that this honeypot is actual system, and attacker will perform hacking activities on it. Honeypot will allow the attacker to install handler or agent code on the system that will perform DOS attacks. (Handler or agent code are basically a programm that is written to implement DOS attacks on network.)

Now when attackers has finished he/she leaves thinking that he/she has compromised the actual system. Later the network admin will check the honeypot and then admin can inspect the handle or agent code to know what was the purpose of attacker or what attacker wanted to do..? Admin can even get IP of attacker.
By getting this information th admin can take steps to prevent any further attacks from attacker. Admin can block that IP. etc.

Honeypots are of 2 types:

1. Low interaction honeypot
2. High interaction honeypot

High interaction honeypots are also called honeynet. They are basically a simulation of complete network containing real computers, running real applications. They are used to catch the Network attacks. Honeynets behave like complete network like a corporate network.
Low interaction work as I explained above. They are basically single system or machine.

What is Recaptcha by Google ? 02.02

Hope every one is having a personal email address ?

you might have given it to ur dear ones for mailing; but there is nothing wrong about it.

But remember those situations when you where requested to post ur email address while commenting for a blog or website, there our identity is revealed. After that our inbox is flooded with tons of email/adds/junks of things etc….

How did they get ur email address, There are bots which are capable of catching email address from all over the internet and using them to spam them, these are the culprits who delivers our email address to the spammers

Don’t worry ! Google is there for our rescue ;;;;;;;

visit

http://www.google.com/recaptcha/mailhide/

Submit your email id in the requested field, there you will be provided by a url and a html code, we can use this html code insted of typing in our email address in the appropriate field, so that our email id is protected from spambots. If some one wants to see our email address we have to click on the link posted there and answer a captcha which is only possible by a human being.

Hope this was helpful;

HACKERS ! what are they ? 02.01

In common usage, a hacker is a person who breaks into computers and computer networks, either for profit or motivated by the challenge. (as per wikipedia)

Myth: Hackers are bad. Actually, hackers are merely computer programmers who go in to someone else’s code and reorganize it somehow. The term is well charted and defined by Wikipedia and doesn’t directly refer to anything malicious. Quite the opposite; hackers are programmers to whom we owe a lot of thanks for working out troubles in software and the Internet.

Truth: Hackers actually lay claim to a Manifesto from 1986 that inspires curiosity and fairness and being accountable for one’s actions. The manifesto was written just after the author’s arrest for “Bank Tampering.” His best lament is, “my crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for.” Indeed, the pressure of being constantly watched forced “The Mentor”‘s resignation in 1990. To all hackers, he is considered a living legend.
The damage that’s done on the Internet and perhaps to your computer or your neighbor’s computer isn’t done by true ‘hackers.’ Would you call a graffiti vandal an artist or a ‘painter’ in the classical sense? Little folks spray paint buildings because they can. Sometimes it may feel that it’s the only way to leave any mark with a life that feels too small for anyone to notice.

The hackers are classified based on their attitude.

White hat : A white hat hacker breaks security for non-malicious reasons, for instance testing their own security system. This classification also includes individuals who perform penetration tests and vulnerability assessments within a contractual agreement. Often, this type of ‘white hat’ hacker is called an ethical hacker. //The good guys

Black hat :A black hat hacker, sometimes called “cracker”, is someone who breaks computer security without authorization or uses technology (usually a computer, phone system or network) for vandalism, credit card fraud, identity theft, piracy, or other types of illegal activity. //The bad guys, who spoil the name of hackers//they are just crackers not hackers

Grey hat : A gray hat hacker is a combination of a Black Hat Hacker and a White Hat Hacker. A Grey Hat Hacker will surf the internet and hack into a computer system for the sole purpose of notifying the administrator that their system has been hacked. Then they will offer to repair their system for a small fee. //These guys are my favorite

Script kiddie :A script kiddie is a non-expert who breaks into computer systems by using pre-packaged automated tools written by others, usually with little understanding of the underlying concept—hence the term script (i.e. a prearranged plan or set of activities) kiddie (i.e. kid, child—an individual lacking knowledge and experience, immature). /*These are the guys who always get caught and the guys who always appear in news medias, they get caught everytime since they lack in skills and knowledge*/

There do exist many other classifications but the above mentioned ones are the basic classes.

Now, what are the basic skills.
1. Learn how to program.
2. Get one of the open-source Unixes and learn to use and run it.
3. Learn how to use the World Wide Web and write HTML.
4. If you don’t have functional English, learn it. //Optional to some extend.

Actually i was planning to write the above post myself with my own language, but found that there are many good articles on the internet, so i complied them into a new article.
source: wikipedia.com, plus some other odd websites