Why Do Hackers Hack?

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Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby desertrat » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:20 am

How computer hackers do what they do ... and why
Lots of people are intrigued by hacking. I'm not talking about the kind of thing that script-kiddies (teenagers who know a few lame Visual Basic tricks) do. I'm talking about some of the more interesting exploits that we hear about from time to time. :pacman:
Hacking knows no national boundaries: China, the former Soviet states and eastern Europe all have produced dangerously effective hackers. The US, Germany and Britain do so as well. Some of the better hackers may be persuaded to work for governments. The suspicion is that in China the most successful are given no option.

Hacking is possible because modern computer systems are so complex that there will always be a flaw to be exploited somewhere. The web offers hackers a bell curve of targets: most are fairly secure, some are very secure, but there's a long tail of sites running outdated software that can be exploited. Roughly half of the world is using Microsoft's Windows XP, which is 10 years old and – in its original form – riddled with security holes.

LINK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jun/06/hackers-how-and-why-they-hack
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby shadylady » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:36 am

iTunes hack widespread, and Apple appears to know about it
Those nasty hackers are messing with iTunes now. Is nothing sacred? :pacman:
From the reports a pattern is emerging. Nearly every victim had a gift card balance on their account, and some have reported that their credit card and/or payment information had been removed from their account. This indicates that Apple likely is aware of the attacks, and is actively trying to protect its users. In all cases, whether they're admitting the hack is occurring or not, users are having little trouble getting their money refunded to them.

LINK: http://www.betanews.com/article/iTunes-hack-widespread-and-Apple-appears-to-know-about-it/1307390216
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby mrfish » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:53 am

One in four US hackers 'is an FBI informer'
The FBI and US secret service have used the threat of prison to create an army of informers among online criminals
Ya just don't know who you can trust anymore! You'd think that hackers would be more loyal to their fellow hackers, but apparently it's every hacker for him or her self! People just don't have any integrity anymore!
:up2:
The latest challenge for the FBI in terms of domestic US breaches are the anarchistic co-operatives of "hacktivists" that have launched several high-profile cyber-attacks in recent months designed to make a statement. In the most recent case a group calling itself Lulz Security launched an audacious raid on the FBI's own linked organisation InfraGard. The raid, which was a blatant two fingers up at the agency, was said to have been a response to news that the Pentagon was poised to declare foreign cyber-attacks an act of war.

Lulz Security shares qualities with the hacktivist group Anonymous that has launched attacks against companies including Visa and MasterCard as a protest against their decision to block donations to WikiLeaks. While Lulz Security is so recent a phenomenon that the FBI has yet to get a handle on it, Anonymous is already under pressure from the agency. There were raids on 40 addresses in the US and five in the UK in January, and a grand jury has been hearing evidence against the group in California at the start of a possible federal prosecution.

LINK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jun/06/us-hackers-fbi-informer
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby surfsteve » Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:35 pm

One in four US hackers 'is an FBI informer'

The FBI and US secret service have used the threat of prison to create an army of informers among online criminals
A quarter of hackers in the US have been recruited by federal authorities, according to Eric Corley, publisher of the hacker quarterly, 2600. Photograph: Getty Images

The underground world of computer hackers has been so thoroughly infiltrated in the US by the FBI and secret service that it is now riddled with paranoia and mistrust, with an estimated one in four hackers secretly informing on their peers, a Guardian investigation has established.

Cyber policing units have had such success in forcing online criminals to co-operate with their investigations through the threat of long prison sentences that they have managed to create an army of informants deep inside the hacking community.

In some cases, popular illegal forums used by cyber criminals as marketplaces for stolen identities and credit card numbers have been run by hacker turncoats acting as FBI moles. In others, undercover FBI agents posing as "carders" – hackers specialising in ID theft – have themselves taken over the management of crime forums, using the intelligence gathered to put dozens of people behind bars.

So ubiquitous has the FBI informant network become that Eric Corley, who publishes the hacker quarterly, 2600, has estimated that 25% of hackers in the US may have been recruited by the federal authorities to be their eyes and ears. "Owing to the harsh penalties involved and the relative inexperience with the law that many hackers have, they are rather susceptible to intimidation," Corley told the Guardian.

"It makes for very tense relationships," said John Young, who runs Cryptome, a website depository for secret documents along the lines of WikiLeaks. "There are dozens and dozens of hackers who have been shopped by people they thought they trusted."

The best-known example of the phenomenon is Adrian Lamo, a convicted hacker who turned informant on Bradley Manning, who is suspected of passing secret documents to WikiLeaks. Manning had entered into a prolonged instant messaging conversation with Lamo, whom he trusted and asked for advice. Lamo repaid that trust by promptly handing over the 23-year-old intelligence specialist to the military authorities. Manning has now been in custody for more than a year.

For acting as he did, Lamo has earned himself the sobriquet of Judas and the "world's most hated hacker", though he has insisted that he acted out of concern for those he believed could be harmed or even killed by the WikiLeaks publication of thousands of US diplomatic cables.

"Obviously it's been much worse for him but it's certainly been no picnic for me," Lamo has said. "He followed his conscience, and I followed mine."

The latest challenge for the FBI in terms of domestic US breaches are the anarchistic co-operatives of "hacktivists" that have launched several high-profile cyber-attacks in recent months designed to make a statement. In the most recent case a group calling itself Lulz Security launched an audacious raid on the FBI's own linked organisation InfraGard. The raid, which was a blatant two fingers up at the agency, was said to have been a response to news that the Pentagon was poised to declare foreign cyber-attacks an act of war.

Lulz Security shares qualities with the hacktivist group Anonymous that has launched attacks against companies including Visa and MasterCard as a protest against their decision to block donations to WikiLeaks. While Lulz Security is so recent a phenomenon that the FBI has yet to get a handle on it, Anonymous is already under pressure from the agency. There were raids on 40 addresses in the US and five in the UK in January, and a grand jury has been hearing evidence against the group in California at the start of a possible federal prosecution.

Kevin Poulsen, senior editor at Wired magazine, believes the collective is classically vulnerable to infiltration and disruption. "We have already begun to see Anonymous members attack each other and out each other's IP addresses. That's the first step towards being susceptible to the FBI."

Barrett Brown, who has acted as a spokesman for the otherwise secretive Anonymous, says it is fully aware of the FBI's interest. "The FBI are always there. They are always watching, always in the chatrooms. You don't know who is an informant and who isn't, and to that extent you are vulnerable."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... i-informer
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby desertrat » Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:48 am

Hacker Group Wreaks Havoc on Gaming Websites, Starts Taking Hack Requests
Denial of Service hack - kind of lame! Must be a bunch of teenagers with no real skills and a lot of time! :funny:
The Hacker group LulzSec, which rose to notoriety after claiming it hacked Sony and Nintendo’s servers, has taken down the servers of several high-profile websites in the past 24 hours.

In an attack dubbed #TitanicTakeoverTuesday, LulzSec has either hampered or completely taken down the servers of EVE Online, Minecraft, League of Legends as well as Escapist Magazine, using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) type of attack. And all of this comes only a day after the same group claimed responsibility for attacking the U.S. Senate’s website during the weekend.

LINK: http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/lulzsec-websites/
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby wildrose » Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:39 am

Facebook Hires One Of The World's Top Hackers
Sometimes hacking leads to a good job... :pacman:
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby pcslim » Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:21 am

Hackers Select a New Target: Other Hackers
This certainly does complicate things, but then again, anybody getting into this activity has to anticipate that they could also be targeted! :pacman:
Indeed, the handbook for new recruits to Anonymous, the global hacker collective from which Lulz Security sprang earlier this year, contains tips on safeguarding one’s identity — from how to steer clear of Web sites that track online activity to masking one’s Internet provider. One of the tools it suggests is Tor, a network of virtual tunnels originally developed by the United States Naval Research Laboratory to protect online government communications. “In our world,” the handbook concludes, “a good defense is the best offense.”

LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/technology/05hack.html?_r=1
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby cactuspete » Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:45 am

14 Arrests for Alleged Cyberattack on PayPal
Shame on PayPal for suspending services to WikiLeaks and Julian Assange! :mad002:
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby pcslim » Fri Jul 22, 2011 7:39 am

Anonymous, Hackers, Citizens: Know Your Rights!
When those in power violate individual rights on a routine basis, what choice is there? :pacman:
Much like the hacktivism movement of the 90s, in which law enforcement did crack down, Anonymous said the attempt to "arrest an idea" will "make your citizens more angry until they will roar in one gigantic choir." That hacktivism movement, according to the hacking collective Anonymous, is back and not going to disappear. "Expect us."

LINK: http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/anonymous-hackers-citizens-know-your-rights
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby mrfish » Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:22 am

Kids and Hackers, Oh My! DefCon Adds Kids Track
Hackers have kids too and it makes sense that they would want their kids to be involved in the hacking community. It beats playing football or golf or tennis! That's for sure! :pacman:
Fewer things seem out of place at the rough-hewn DefCon hacker convention than a swarm of kids. For 18 years, hackers —and the computer security experts who track them— have gathered at DefCon, one of the largest and longest-running conferences of its kind, to share information about breaching and securing computers and other devices. This year's DefCon featured what some hardcore attendees might consider to be a startling sight: children. For the first time, DefCon included discussions and tutorials for budding hackers, ages 8 to 16. Some 60 kids showed up.

LINK: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=14251682
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby MRGREEN » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:56 pm

Breaking into command prompts using Microsoft Paint!
Neat little hack complete with explanation using hex editor! :dizzy:
SUMMARY:
1. Make 6x1 image
2. Custom colors (filled in left to right)
10,0,0
13,10,13
100,109,99
120,101,46
0,0,101
0,0,0
3. Save as 24-bit BMP
4. Change file extension from BMP to bat
5. Double-click file
(skip to 5:35 in video to skip straight to hack)
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Re: Why Do Hackers Hack?

Postby pcslim » Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:54 am

As internet criminal activity decreases, botnets skyrocket
Interesting infographic accomanying this short article. It's kind of like a primer course on the basics of botnets. No technical details, but a basic overview. :pacman:
By using “Command-and-Control” servers, hackers are able to remotely take over computers to execute their nefarious activities. Connecting through C&C servers allows a “bot herder” is able to send out spam emails, spread viruses, distribute malicious software, and steal identities. Nearly 90% of all email spam is sent through botnets – and that’s not their biggest threat.

LINK: http://www.techi.com/2011/10/as-internet-criminal-activity-decreases-botnets-skyrocket/
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