Authentication Best Practices - Brief History of Security

We talk a lot about the digital age of warfare here at HackerAttacker.  It’s kind of the most popular aspect of the digital age today.  Just take a look at history; war is always resting at or about the pinnacle of the public forum.  Why mess with a classic? When it comes to security and authentication best practices, however, there are more avenues to peruse than simply the digital side of warfare.  In that element, we are going to take a look at some older forms of deception and how they play a role in the social relationships inherent in digital security and authentication.

Contextual Authentication - Who is Behind the Keyboard?

Have you ever asked yourself this question before? The MTV TV show Catfish asks this question in every single episode. They work with people all over the United States that have fallen in love with someone they have never met in person, or even talked to on the phone before. On the show, the two hosts work together to find the person who is behind the other keyboard in order to play matchmaker. Nine times out of ten, the person on the other end of the line is not who they say they are. They might not even look remotely close to who they are pretending to be online.

This got me thinking a couple of things… Why do people do this? And how can user fraud be stopped online?

War is Changing: Digital Authentication and Security Solutions

War is changing.  We’ve talked about this before, but the state of war between nations is evolving every day. What once was a sequence of battles between armies, marching in line towards each other, has now become a digital minefield of secrecy, deception, and cyber attacks.  It’s one of the age-old ideas for inventors and other entrepreneurs: give me something that will make life easier, and I’ll show you the next great weapon.  Recently, the White House (you know, the place where all of the people that run things tend to go) was victim of a long-standing, brutal cyber attack.  Sure, the various sources say that nothing ‘Top Secret’ was made available to the public or the attackers, but that doesn’t do much to make me feel better.  I don’t know about you, but I’m left wondering: what did they get? I guess, in a way, the next leap my mind makes is towards digital authentication and security solutions. 

The Secret is Out!

Who does not love a good secret? Being in on a secret is exciting! You know something that someone else does not know; you are instantly special and separated from the pack. Congratulations! But what if that secret is crap? A false façade someone has put up to cover up the truth or to mislead you to think differently about the person or situation.

Deception is real and happens every day. Everywhere you look there is deception being played out.

The guy sitting next to you right now, is that his real hair color? Are your neighbors really happily married? Did we really land on the moon? Is global warming real? Did Al Gore really invent the Internet? Is the dress black and blue or white and gold? What should I believe is the truth?

Gallimaufry Grey Hats - For the Greater Good

Recently I wrote about a couple of very notable White Hat hackers who have literally changed the world as we know it. Those savants of technology took a concept and made it staple in the world we live in. Today we turn the tables though and look at a couple of adventurous grey hat hackers that used their considerable skills to make a statement.

Hooray for White Hats: A look at two who changed the world

In the world of hacking there is good and evil, much like in any other world I suppose. However, like in the Transformers movies, there are two divided teams that clearly play on opposite sides of the fence. A black hat hacker, as you know, is someone who uses his or her “powers” for evil doings. On the other hand there is a type of computer genius that uses his or her powers to do good in this world: the white hat hacker.

3 Different Hacker Types

You’ve been watching and reading the news right?  All of those data breaches that have made headlines; it’s a crazy, risky, digital world that we live in.  The digital world is one where knowledge and information equates to power, or scientias est potestas as the old Latin phrase goes. Sure, these digital attacks sometimes surround money, or politics, but it is the knowledge these hackers possess and gain from their subterfuge that grants them so much influence.  To be a substantial Hacker Attacker, you need knowledge of your own.  Here, I will give you the building blocks to form your own power base to better protect yourself against the biggest aggressors of the digital age. 

Phishing News: Windows Live Digital Certificate Risk

Looking to spend a little bit of that tax return on some sweet online deals? The latest news from Microsoft should make you do a double take before entering your credit card data. There is anew report of a windows live digital certificate risk making the rounds. They are reporting that an unauthorized SSL certificate was issued for “live.fi” that could have been used to leverage man-in-the-middle attacks or even spoof official Microsoft announcements.