The meaning of a hacker is one who accesses a computer that can supposably notbe accessed to non authorized people of the community.
Hackers may use any typeof system to access this information depending on what they intend on doing inthe 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 toaccess a shell on another machine so that the risk of getting caught is lowerthan doing it using their own system. Ways in which the hacker will break intothe system are 1) Guess/cracking passwords. This is where the hacker takesguesses at the password or has a crack program to crack the password protectingthe system.
2) Finding back doors is another way in which the hacker may getaccess to the system. This is where the hacker tries to find flaws in the systemthey are trying to enter. 3) One other way in which a hacker may try to get intoa system is by using a program called a WORM. This program is speciallyprogrammed to suit the need of the user.
This programmer continually tries toconnect to a machine at over 100 times a second until eventually the system letsin and the worm executes its program. The program could be anything from gettingpassword files to deleting files depending on what it has been programmed to do.The only way that you or a company can stop a hacker is by not having yourcomputer connected to the net. This is the only sure-fire way in which you canstop a hacker entering your system. This is mainly because hackers use a phoneline to access the system. If it is possible for one person to access the systemthen it is possible for a hacker to gain access to the system.
One of the mainproblems is that major companies need to be networked and accessible over thenet so that employees can do overdue work or so that people can look up thingson that company. Also, major companies network their offices so that they canaccess data from different positions. One way which is used to try to preventhackers gaining access is a program used by companies called a firewall. Afirewall is a program that stops other connections from different servers to thefirewall server. This is very effective in stopping hackers entering the system.Although this is not a fool proof way of stopping hackers as it can be brokenand hackers can get in.
This is a very good way of protecting your system on theInternet. Some of the major hacks that have been committed have been done byyoung teens aged between 14 and 18. These computer geniuses as they are knownhave expert knowledge on what they are doing and also know the consequences.This hack occurred on February 10, 1997, and again on February 14, 1997Portuguese hackers launched a political attack on the web page of the Indonesiangovernment, focusing on that country's continued oppression of East Timor.
Theattack 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. Thehackers did not delete or change anything. The said “We just hack pages”.
Another major hack that occurred was on April 1st, 1981 by a single user. Thishacker who was situated in an East Coast brokage house was interested in thestock market. He purchased $100,000 worth of shares in the stock market. Then hehacked into the stock markets main computer and stole $80 million dollars.
Thehacker was eventually caught although $53 million dollars were never recovered.On Wednesday, March 5th, 1997, the home page of the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration's or NASA was recently hacked and the contents changed. Thegroup known as H4G1S. This group of hackers managed to change the contents ofthe webpage The hacking group changed the webpage and left a little message forall. It said “ Gr33t1ngs fr0m th3 m3mb3rs 0f H4G1S.
Our mission is to continuewhere our colleagues the ILF left off. During the next month, we the members ofH4G1S will be launching an attack on corporate America. All who profit from themisuse of the InterNet will fall victim to our upcoming reign of digitalterrorism. Our privileged and highly skilled members will stop at nothing untilour presence is felt nationwide.
Even your most sophisticated firewalls areuseless. We will demonstrate this in the upcoming weeks”. Also, the homepageof the United States Air Force was recently hacked and the contents had beenchanged. The webpage had been changed completely as the hackers had insertedpornographic pictures saying “this is what we are doing to you” and hadunder the image “screwing you”. The hackers have changed it and shown theirviews on the political system.
One other major hack that was committed was by a16-year-old boy in Europe. This boy hacked into the British Airforce anddownloaded confidential information on Ballistic missiles. The boy hacked intothe site and down loaded this information because he was interested and wantedto know more about them. This boy was fined a very hefty sum of money for hisdeeds. In conclusion, it can be said that hackers are sophisticated and verytalented when it comes to the use of a computer. Hacking is a process oflearning not following any manual.
Hackers learn as they go and use a method oftrial and error. Most people who say they are hackers most of the time are not.Real hackers do not delete or destroy any information on the system that theyhack. Hackers hack because they love the thrill of getting into a system that issupposably unable to be entered. Overall, hackers are smart and cause littledamage to the system they enter.
Hackers are not really terrorists in a way,they can help companies find out flaws in their system and maybe protect themfrom people that would damage their systems.
