Malware and Hackers Essay

Submitted By in12Howorth
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Pages: 20
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Contents
History and Background * What is a hacker? * Why hack? * History of Hacking * Terms in Hacking * Common Technique Computer Crime and Security Exploits * Social Engineering * Cyber Warfare * Password Cracking * The virus * Worms * Trojan Horse Extras * DEFCON * 5 of the Most Devastating Hacks

Introduction
Hello, and welcome to the world of hacking. In this book, I will show you the ethics of hacking, methods used, and even why hacking can be good sometimes. Whether you are curious to know how hacking works like in the movies, or just want to know what those headline titles about hacking really is, the endlessly fascinating world of technology and the World Wide Web is already at our fingertips, so jump in!

What is a Hacker?
First of all, we need to get to grips to what a “hacker” really is. So let’s get down to the basics. To most people, the term “hacker” is stereotypically known as someone who sits in a shady room with a laptop, stealing credit card information off the web, and gaining passwords. But if you think about it, the term hacking has been put into doubt, fear, and uncertainty by the media. For example: HACKERS BRING YAHOO TO STANDSTILL, or WORLDS NO. 1 HACKER SUSPECT IS ESSEX BOY” Sometimes hackers hack certain websites because they want them to realise that the importance of their security is crucial. Hopefully you will soon learn later on that hacking is really the exploration of computers and networks, and has little aim of breaking into computer systems. Unfortunately, this book is mainly focusing on the negative side of hacking, but you will be pleased to know that there are some positives sides to hacking as well. You will soon learn that these people are called white hat hackers. And, (yep, you guessed it) black hat hackers are the negative ones.
The infamous hacking group, anonymous. Anonymous were the ones responsible for the attack on the PlayStation Network. The headless figure represents the leaderless organization which anonymous is, and it also maintains its anonymity as well.

Why Hack?
Another reason why people hack is so they can gain your credit card details
The reason why people hack is still unknown. Perhaps it is test out if a websites security is strong enough before it is released. Perhaps it is just fun or “cool” and allows for bragging rights. But it is mainly for personal gain. They may be motivated by many different reasons, for the thrill, the challenge, or, as stated in the previous chapter, for the exploration of computer science. Ethical reasons why people hack is (as I stated before) to test if the websites security is good enough. A un ethical reason to hack could be for marketing reasons. For example, a person might hack your computer just so they can sell you your anti-virus. Or someone might just hack your pc just so they can experience joy while you are left angry and frustrated. It is really for a multitude of reasons, and you never know what to expect.

The History of Hacking * Early 1970s: John Draper discovers a tone of frequency in which he uses to gain free telephone calls. He discovers the whistle as a toy in a box of children’s cereal, which is how he gains the name: “Captain Crunch” * Two members of California’s Homebrew Computer Club create the “Blue Box” a device similar to Draper’s which assists in phone hacking. These two members (Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak) will later be the founders of Apple Computers. * Early 1980s: the FBI arrests the 414’s, a group of hackers who were responsible for the hacking of over 60 websites, including Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre. This is the first ever arrest of a group of hackers in history * Late 1980s: The Computer Emergency Response Team is formed by US defence agencies. Its goal is to investigate any severe cases of computer crime * 25 year old computer hacker Kevin Mitnick is sent to jail for 1
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