Computer Hackers

What is Hackers?

  The meaning of Hacker is one who accesses a computer which is supposably not able to be accessed to non-authorized people of the community. Hackers may use any type of system to access this information depending on what they intend on doing in the system.

Methods

  Hackers may use a variety of ways to hack into a system. First if the hacker is experienced and smart the hacker will use telnet to access a shell on another machine so that the risk of getting caught is lower than doing it using their own system.
Ways in which the hacker will break into the system are:

1) Guess/cracking passwords. This is where the hacker takes guesses at the password or has a crack program to crack the password protecting the system.

2) Finding back doors is another way in which the hacker may get access to the system. This is where the hacker tries to find flaws in the system they are trying to enter.

3) One other way in which a hacker may try to get into a system is by using a program called a WORM. This program is specially programmed to suit the need of the user. This programme continually tries to connect to a machine at over 100 times a second until eventually the system lets in and the worm executes its program. The program could be anything from getting password files to deleting files depending on what it has been programmed to do.

Protection

  The only way that you or a company can stop a Hacker is by not having your computer connected to the net. This is the only sure fire way in which you can stop a hacker entering your system. This is mainly because hackers use a phone line to access the system. If it is possible for one person to access the system then it is possible for a hacker to gain access to the system. One of the main problems is that major companies need to be networked and accessible over the net so that employees can do overdue work or so that people can look up things on that company. Also major companies network their offices so that they can access data from different positions.

One way which is used to try to prevent hackers gaining access is a program used by companies called a Firewall. A Firewall is a program which stops other connections from different servers to the firewall server. This is very effective in stopping hackers entering the system. Though this is not a fool proof way of stopping hackers as it can be broken and hackers can get in. Though this is a very good way of protecting your system on the Internet.

Major Hacks

  Some of the major hacks that have been committed have been done by young teens aged between 14 and 18. These computer geniuses as they are known have expert knowledge on what they are doing and also know the consequences. Though the consequences do not really enter there mind when they are doing it. This hack occurred on February 10, 1997, and again on February 14, 1997 Portuguese hackers launched a political attack on the web page of the Indonesian government, focusing on that country's continued oppression of East Timor. The attack was online for about 3 hours from 7.00 PM to 10.00 PM (Portuguese Time) at the web site of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Indonesia. The hackers did not delete or change anything. The said "We just hack pages".

  Another major hack that occurred was on April 1 1981 by a single user. This hacker who was situated in an east coast brokerage house was interested in the stock market. So he purchased $100,000 worth of shares in the stock market. Then he hacked into the stock markets main computers and stole $80 million dollars. The hacker was eventually caught although $53 million dollars was not recovered.

  On Wednesday, March 5 1997 The home page of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's(NASA) was recently hacked and the contents changed.

  The homepage of the United States Air Force was recently hacked and the contents had been changed. The webpage had been changed completely as the hackers had inserted pornographic pictures saying "this is what we are doing to you" and had under the image "screwing you". The hackers have changed it and shown their views on the political system.

  One other major hack which was committed was by a 16 year old boy in Europe. This boy hacked into the British Airforce and downloaded confidential information on Ballistic missiles. The boy hacked into the site and down loaded this information because he was interested and wanted to know more about them. This boy was fined a sum of money.