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.

Cyber Attack Defense: Are you a potential target?

The simple answer is yes. It seems that everyone is a potential target these days. Recently, even a major health insurance provider announced that they had been breached. Clearly, they lacked appropriate cyber attack protection. I would know, I am one of the 78.8 million people who got the letters in the mail. What were they saying? That they are doing everything they possibly can to ensure that my information is being protected. Great, now I get to join the countless people who suffer a successful cyber attack!

You may ask yourself: why me?

Defending against the Man in the Middle

I remember as a child trying to eavesdrop on conversations I would hear in school. They usually were centered around who kissed whom or who had a crush on someone. As an adult, like most others, I still listen in on other people’s conversations from time-to-time. Usually this happens when you’re standing in line somewhere, and it is hard to not listen in on the people next to you. After talking with a colleague over the weekend about man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, I found some similarities to the more typical activity of eavesdropping on others conversations.

TedTalks: Password Strength – Part II

Last time, we talked about the various polices mentioned in the first part of Lorrie Cranor’s video: What’s wrong with your pa$$w0rd? Today, we are going to look at how Hackers breach accounts, and some other methods to consider when trying to increase the strength of your password.  Forewarned is forearmed, after all.

You can find the video in our last article or at TED for reference. 

TedTalks: Password Strength – PART I

You’ve heard it time and time again in recent days.  On every new site that you try to register for, or any time that you have to change your credentials for your bank or reward program website, you see the ever-frustrating notification: password strength – weak.  That’s just the way things are these days.  With more and more hackers signing up to wear the black hat, even more everyday people are becoming the subject of digital theft and attack. 

FREAK and Geeks: Attack and Defense

The Best Offense is a Good Defense

Glass houses are always the worst choice to live in; unless, of course, you want to share your most private secrets with your neighbors.  Most people prefer a house with stronger, thicker, and less ‘see all’ walls where they can protect themselves and their personal information.  Neighbors can throw stones all they want, but they’re not going to crack the walls of an ancient, brick-mortar Victorian. 

It’s an issue as old as time: people will always want to protect their personal data from prying eyes.  Whether that means a thicker flap over the entrance to a straw hut, or a high-end security system that monitors every entrance and exit to a mansion on a hill. But as Hollywood has shown us time and again, where there is extra security, there is usually somebody trying to take what’s hiding inside. 

The digital age has only exacerbated this issue for most users and companies around the world.  The stronger the information security in place, the more vigorous hackers attack in order to find out what is hiding behind the high stone walls on the top of the hill.  Every so often, these hackers find a spot where the mortar is weak, and they drill and drill, under cover of night, until a hole is formed. Then, just out of sight, they sneak in and quietly make away with everything you value most.  So how do you stop somebody coming through the walls around your data? Find the holes, and seal them back up.