How to Become a Hacker

In computer security, a hacker is someone who focuses on security mechanisms of computer and network systems. There is a community and shared culture of expert programmers and networking wizards that traces its history back through decades to the first time-sharing minicomputers and the earliest ARPAnet experiments. The members of this culture were the first "hackers." Breaking into computers and breaking phone systems have come to symbolize hacking in popular culture, but hacking culture is much more complex and moralistic than most people know. Learn basic hacking techniques, how to think like a hacker, and how to gain respect in order to crack your way into the complex world of hacking.

Fundamental:

Run Unix.

Unix is the operating system of the Internet. While you can learn to use the Internet without knowing Unix, you can't be an Internet hacker without understanding Unix. For this reason, the hacker culture today is pretty strongly Unix-centered. A Unix like Linux can run alongside Microsoft Windows on the same machine. Download Linux online or find a local Linux user group to help you with installation.

·         A good way to dip your toes in the water is to boot up what Linux fans call a live CD, a distribution that runs entirely off a CD without having to modify your hard disk. This is a way to get a look at the possibilities without having to do anything drastic.

·         There are other operating systems besides Unix, but they're distributed in binary — you can't read the code, and you can't modify it. Trying to learn to hack on a Microsoft Windows machine or under any other closed-source system is like trying to learn to dance while wearing a body cast.

·        Under Mac OS X it's possible to run Linux, but only part of the system is open source — you're likely to hit a lot of walls, and you have to be careful not to develop the bad habit of depending on Apple's proprietary code.

Write HTML. 

         If you don't know how to program, learning basic HyperText Mark-Up Language (HTML) and gradually building proficiency is essential. What you see when you look at a website of pictures, images, and design components is all coded using HTML. For a project, set out to learn how to make a basic home page and work your way up from there.

·         In your browser, open the page source information to examine the HTML to see an example. Go to Web Developer > Page Source in Firefox and spend time looking at the code.

·         You can write HTML in a basic word processing program like Notepad or Simple text and save your files as "text only," so you can upload them to a browser and see your work translated.

·         You'll need to learn to format tags and learn to think visually using them. "<" is used to open a tag and "/> is used to close it. " " is the opening for a line of paragraph code. You'll use tags to signal anything visual: italics, formatting, color, etc. Learning HTML will help you to understand better how the Internet works.

 

Learn the language of programing. 

Before you start writing poems you have to learn basic grammar. Before you break the rules you have to learn the rules. But if your ultimate goal is to become a hacker, you're going to need more than basics English to write your masterpiece.

·         Python is a good "language" to start off with because it's cleanly designed, well documented, and relatively kind to beginners. Despite being a good first language, it is not just a toy; it is very powerful, flexible, and well-suited for large projects.Java is an alternative, but its value as a first programming language has been questioned.

·         If you get into serious programming, you will have to learn C, the core language of UNIX. C++ is very closely related to C; if you know one, learning the other will not be difficult. C is very efficient with your machine's resources, but will soak up huge amounts of your time on debugging and is often avoided for that reason, unless the efficiency of your computer is especially important.

·         It is probably a good idea to use a good starting platform such as Backtrack 5 R3, Kali or Ubuntu 12.04LTS.

The Most Wanted Hackers by the FBI

Hackers all have different intentions—some are committed to making computer networks more secure, while some are more interested in exploiting system vulnerabilities. Many hackers fit into one of these two categories, though some do dance between the two.

However, there is a special subgroup of hackers: those who make the FBI’s Cyber’s Most Wanted list. These individuals give a whole new meaning to “black hat” hacking. The nature of their crimes is such that the U.S. has mobilized all law enforcement agencies against them in an attempt to bring these hackers to justice.

For the next few weeks, we will be counting down the 10 most wanted hackers by the FBI.

This week, we begin with number 10…

CARLOS ENRIQUE PEREZ-MELARA:

A former San Diego college student, Perez-Melara was originally indicted in 2005 for 35 counts of manufacturing, advertising and sending an electronic interception program; unlawfully intercepting electronic communication; and disclosing said communication to other parties for financial gain, among other things. Each count comes with a sentence of at most five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. He therefore faces a maximum sentence of 175 years and $8.75 million in fines.

Perez-Melara is responsible for creating Lover Spy – a website that advertised a way for customers to catch a cheating partner.

For $89, customers were able to purchase a copy of the “Lover Spy” program. They would then send a seemingly innocuous e-card to an intended victim and upon opening said card, the victim would unknowingly download spyware hidden deep within the greeting.

The program was designed “with stealth in mind,” claiming that it would be impossible to detect by 99.9 percent of users. Once installed, Lover Spy sent regular reports of the victim’s online activities, including emails, passwords, chat messages and online purchase record, to the customer via the use of a keylogger. The program even gave customers the ability to remotely control the victim’s computer, such as by altering files or turning on the webcam.

In all, 1,000 customers purchased the program, who then sent infected e-cards to 2,000 people. It was ultimately determined that about half of these intended victims were infected by the Lover Spy program. At the time, antivirus software didn’t recognize Lover Spy as dangerous, so it let the malicious program through. But the FBI eventually caught up with its developer, executing a search warrant of Perez-Melara’s apartment in October of 2003.

After his indictment in 2005, Perez-Melara failed to show up for his court date and has been on the run ever since.

In the meantime, the FBI has kept busy. Four other individuals have been indicted by a federal jury on two counts of assisting Perez-Melara to unlawfully intercept electronic communication and unlawfully gain access to the victims’ computers. A number of customers have also been prosecuted in cities including Charlotte, NC; Honolulu; and Dallas, with prosecutions in other locations going forward.

According to the FBI, all victims of Lover Spy have been notified.