The Hackers Cookbook

The title suggests that this posting may have some delicious recipes that hackers might enjoy, but I am thinking more like the classic book The Anarchist Cookbook, by Steven Schragis. However, I will provide you with a link with directions on how to be a white hat hacker!

A little history lesson: The Anarchist Cookbook

“The Anarchist Cookbook, first published in 1971, is a book that contains instructions for the manufacture of explosives, rudimentary telecommunications phreaking devices, and other items. The book also includes instructions for home manufacturing of illicit drugs, including LSD. It was written by William Powell at the apex of the counterculture era in order to protest against United States involvement in the Vietnam War.” -Wikipedia

For those of you who were not around when this book was published, this book caused a lot of controversy when it was published and of course grabbed the attention of the Feds at the FBI. One FBI memo called the book “one of the crudest, low-brow, paranoiac writing efforts ever attempted.”

The lack of a Hackers Cookbook

When considering that The Anarchist Cookbook was written as a proverbial middle finger to the government and an exercise in freedom of speech, how has there not been a similar book written about hacking? Hackers are known to rage against the machine and expose the corruption in either a corporation or government, wait didn’t Ralph Nader do a similar type of thing? More on Ralph ahead.

What I see the hackers cook book containing is not just tips on how to crack into a network or take down a website, but how to successfully protest and plan a movement that can make a statement. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what hacking is all about? Beyond those who hack for either personal gain or to support an organization, we forget that even these brilliant computer geniuses serve a purpose. They can keep the checks and balances of society online.

The Ralph Nader Effect

Ralph Nader, beyond having a few unsuccessful Presidential runs over the years, started life as a protector of the people. Not in the sense of a member of a police department or military movement, he was interested in exposing safety problems that affect the average Joe. In 1965, he claimed that many US made automobiles were simply not safe and even published a book Unsafe at Any Speed. The internet was not around back then, but I am willing to bet he would have taken his research online if he had the opportunity. Specifically, Nader took aim at the Chevrolet Corvair, a rear engine compact car that had been involved in many accidents that resulted in lawsuits against Chevy’s parent company General Motors.

In typical corporate fashion, GM took to the streets and tried to discredit the claims and even went as far as to hire prostitutes to try and trap him into compromising positions, look it up on Wikipedia, it is interesting stuff. Nonetheless they could not stop him, and his efforts made the government take notice and instate a new division of government: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Making the Connection

Nader was an activist, plain and simple. Many did not agree with his stance at the time, but like Schragis, he took his view of corruption and put his ideas out there, publishing them to make a difference. Even though The Anarchist Cookbook took a totally different angle of protest, are these two authors any different than White Hat and Black Hat hackers?

Nader being a White Hat hacker in the sense that he took his opinions of corruptions and wanted to put them to work in a positive light by publishing a book that spawned the development of a consumer safety organization, Schragis being a Black Hat of sorts by compiling a book of instructions to overthrow harm and cause chaos.

Perhaps I am far off here, what are your thoughts?

Oh yeah, here is the white hat instructions I promised you!  

Happy Holidays!  

TedTalk - Hackers: The Internet's Immune System

Do we really know what happens behind the scenes of the cyber world? If we don't slow down, open our eyes, and take a closer look at things around us, we could be influenced in many different directions and led to believe almost anything. I am not saying to question or doubt everything, but I am saying that you must NOT be spoon-fed beliefs or perspectives.

So go ahead . . . ask the right questions and educate your self.

TedTalks is a great place to get another perspective on controversial topics, one eye opening  talk  I recently watched was Karen Elzari’s “Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System.” .

Are some hackers justified in their actions?

Her TedTalk,  takes on the controversial topic of the “robin hood hackers” and sheds some light on our rapid growing technology and the role that hackers must play.

Karen Elzari is a cyber-security expert. Her love for science fiction and her overwhelming curiosity fueled her exploration of the underground world of the hacktivists. She is currently an industry analysis with GIGAOM Reseach. She is also a sought after speaker at conferences such as TedTalk, DEFCON, WIRED, and more.

Elzari does not call them hackers but rather “Security Researchers.” She believes that the hacker must decide what they are going to do with this powerful information. With technology becoming our future, the credit for exposing gaps and weaknesses in the security is accredited to hackers and hacktivists groups. Because they have unearthed these problems, Elzari states that it “has an evolving effect to our technology. . . and if we fight hackers, we are stifling innovation.”

Maybe, just maybe, hackers are not ALL as malicious as the general public has been led to believe. “Security Researchers have impacted civil liberties, innovation, and internet freedom,” states Elzari.

What are you doing to protect civil liberties, innovation, and Internet freedom?

http://www.ted.com/talks/keren_elazari_hackers_the_internet_s_immune_system?language=en#t-49461

How to Be a Hacker and Not Get Caught!

Now you may think that this is going to be a step-by-step guide with tips on how to skate the long arm of the law… eh, not so much. While researching to write this article, I Googled “How to be a hacker” of course and there were so many sites out there with step-by-step guides, even a wikiHow page with suggestions. Side note on this wikiHow page, there was a very interesting ad placed in the middle of this posting; “Ready to be a Pastor?” (See below)

 It seems that either the advertising traffic director has a sense of humor or it is the internet’s way of telling me “don’t do it!”

As mentioned before, the internet is littered with tons of websites that give you the direction you need to be a hacker, and a few of the steps are no brainers. Step one: get a good computer. Step two: learn how to write code. Step three: think like a hacker. Step four: learn to hate authority. Step five: join a hacktivist group. Step six: be smart and don’t get caught.

There you go, that is how you become a hacker.

I found it very funny that most of the sites came with a disclaimer, “Hacking is a serious crime and can result in major penalties, even jail time.” This disclaimer reminded me of the old disclaimers at the beginning of the classic MTV show Beavis and Butthead. (see below)

It is amusing to me that there are websites out there that give directions to do anything malicious like how to build a bomb. Can someone please tell me how this is helpful to the society? Outside of knowing how to take down an enemy James Bond style, I do not see the point in these sites and moreover how these sites exist. I am not suggesting that we censor the internet, but something’s should just not be easily available to consume on the internet.  

To quote Snoop Doggy Dog, “Back to the lecture at hand.”

Learning how to become a hacker and not get caught is much like learning how to become a bank robber and not get caught. Looking at any successful criminal from history, most show power in numbers is a good thing, so that is something to consider. Let’s look at Bonnie and Clyde, according to Wikipedia these outlaws were suspects in 12 successful bank robberies between 1931-1934, several small store robberies, and the slaying of at least nine police officers. Granted they were brought down in a shootout with the police, They had a very successful run as criminals and people are still talking about them 80 plus years later.

What we can learn from stories like this is, it is very likely that criminals end up getting caught one way or another. Even the infamous Boston Irish Mobster James “Whitey” Bulger, who was on the run for nearly 20 years and was living under a complete alias on the other side of the country, was caught and brought to justice. Some reports even suggest that Whitey was an FBI informant that helped bring down the Italian Mob in Boston while he knowingly was running amuck of the City’s South Shore.

My suggestion… don’t become a hacker. If you are interested in coding and are a problem solver, put those interests to good use, take some classes at your local college or community college, and build a name for yourself in a positive light. Become a hacker attacker, instead of joining the dark hackers of the world.

Crackers and Cheese: Hacker or Cracker

Crackers and cheese

What do you think of when I say these two words? Perhaps you go into panic because you realize that your identity at this very moment could be stolen without ever receiving notice, or perhaps your stomach started growling thinking about that light cracker with your favorite cheese. Both of these thoughts are accurate of only one word I have posed to you. According to “Hacker vs. Cracker” on techrepublic.com, Chad Perrin’s believes that you must differentiate clearly between the word Hacker and Cracker. So let’s take a look at these two words and what they really mean.

Hacker

The word hacker does not mean what the general public and journalists use it as today. Instead, the word hacker started out as a complimentary term used at MIT, meaning to understand fully the technology and taking that technology beyond its limits. Yet, somehow this term has taken on a derogatory meaning, and many believe it is unsalvageable. Perrin believes that it can and should be redeemed. “I believe it's still useful to differentiate between hackers and security crackers, though, and that terms like "malicious security cracker" are sufficiently evocative and clear that their use actually helps make communication more effective than the common journalistic misuse of ‘hacker.’” So what is the alternative? Well, Perrin believes that “cracker” is the correct term.

Cracker

According to Perrin, the term for someone who “someone whose purpose is to circumvent or break security measures,” in other words a “security cracker.” This term would give clarity to the difference between someone who is a technological data genius, and someone who is out to brake and overthrow sensitive data. Perrin goes on to say that when talking “about malicious security crackers, I use the term ‘malicious security cracker’ -- and in an article that talks about hackers in the classic sense of the term, I try to differentiate clearly between these two uses of the term ‘hacker.’”

Hacker and cracker

Both groups of men are technology geniuses, and both have a desire to expand the boundaries of technology. Yet, there must be a distinct difference between the one that does it for the sole understanding of the internal workings of computer networks and one that is simply there to destroy, leaving a considerable amount of damage and stolen data. Perrin urges us to know the differences between these two words and use them correctly as well.

What do you think? Do you believe that the classic use of the term hacker is dead and we should accept that? Or is there a need to differentiate between “hacker” and “cracker?”

And for those of your who thought this was going expound on the backstory of the classic cheese and crackers snack. I have included a short snippet into how cheese and crackers came to be.

History of crackers and cheese

The history of how this staple snack/appetizer combo came into existence is a fascinating one. In order to understand completely, we must go back in history. Before the 1800s, bread and cheese with ale was known as the staple “plowman’s lunch,” but bread does not keep for very long. To make this combo preserve better for ocean journeys and explorations, hardtack was born. Made of flour and water, hardtack was a hard, thick, square biscuit. Not the most desirable of lunches, but it served its purpose with cheese throughout the Civil War and to many that explored the unsettled regions of our country. It wasn’t until 1801 that crackers as we know them today were created and according to bostonglobe.com, “a retired sea captain-turned-baker named Josiah Bent of Milton . . . started rolling the dough much thinner than hardtack, and by the 1840s and ’50s, bakers were adding shortening and yeast, which lightened the texture and quickly made them popular.” From the poor man’s dessert during the depression to the closer of an elaborate meal for the most privileged, cheese and crackers has been a staple item since its infancy.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/09/13/cheese-and-crackers-meal-for-ages/av1K91Kxd8dbUPKBzRcItM/story.html
http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/09/13/cheese-and-crackers-meal-for-ages/av1K91Kxd8dbUPKBzRcItM/story.html

5 Ways to Combat a Hacker Attack

Security crackers are an inevitable part of the cyber world. Whether we like it or not, security crackers will crack. Although we cannot stop these people from trying, we can however provide you with some tools and tips to help combat security crackers.

#1 Password Power:

Password power is a crucial first step to preventing security crackers from stealing your information. A combination of letters, numbers, and symbols is needed to reduce the chances of your password being stolen. In addition to this, the use of a password manager has also been proven to be helpful. This will generate random passwords, and also warn you when you are using the same password on multiple sites.  This way, if a security cracker were to guess your password, they would only gain access to that one account, not your entire life.

#2 Password Lock all Devices:

This is one of the initial steps to protect against security crackers.  Most of us own a tablet, computer, or smartphone.  These electronic devices house a lot of personal information.  These devices need to be locked, as they are key to your identity.  Even the simplest task of accessing one’s contacts can lead to a possible phishing attack against you and your friends.

#3 Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):

Initializing a two-factor authentication system is a good idea to protect against a security cracker. PortalGuard, a five layer user authentication solution-set, offers contextual authentication that creates transparent barriers to prevent unauthorized access and confirms user identities by validating multiple aspects of each user. The transparent barriers can validate something the user knows, has, does, etc. By using these transparent barriers, the authorized user is now allowed in, but the unauthorized user is kept out.

#4 Use a Secure Internet Connection:

Security crackers love to gain access to personal accounts through rogue Wi-Fi access points. This means that all one’s computer traffic will go through these fake access points. To prevent this from occurring, take some time to make sure you are entering a secure connection. Your Wi-Fi network, wherever you are, must be locked with a long, secure password and have a good encryption standard such as WPA/WPA2. Here is a link that shows you how to secure your home Wi-Fi.

#5 Don’t Link Accounts:

In this day in age, it is very hard to keep accounts separated on the Internet.  For example, numerous apps force you to use your Facebook login credentials to gain access to their webpage’s. If possible, use a separate account for each application.  This will decrease the chance of a security cracker gaining access to your entire cyber profile.

Cyber crimes are real and can happen to anyone. Take the precautions now to prevent your family, your friends, and yourself from a possible cracker attack.

 http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/10/06/10-of-the-best-multi-platform-password-managers-for-ios-android-and-the-desktop/

https://blog.malwarebytes.org/privacy-2/2013/04/safeguarding-your-online-accounts-against-hackers/

http://www.labnol.org/internet/secure-your-wireless-wifi-network/10549/