The purpose of this research paper is to attempt to answer and clarify the following questions: What is a hacker? What is the main goal for most hackers? What are a hacker’s preferences? What do hackers do once they enter a computer? And finally, What do hackers do with the information obtained? This paper will also give a brief description of how hackers work though it will not give any information obtained through hacking nor will it explain how to hack.

First, what is a hacker? A hacker is any person or object that breaks into encrypted programs or files. Beginning hackers usually aim for easy targets such as web sites that need password authentication. As a hacker obtains knowledge, he/she moves up the ranks. More advanced hackers will attempt to infiltrate government computers or even banks. Sometimes a hacker’s main goal is to simply install a virus into a vulnerable system.

Another point that bares mentioning is what is the main goal of a hacker? Hacker's are a mixed breed. Some are activists, which means they have a strong belief against some particular company, web site, or even government. There are also renegade hackers. This "breed" is hired and used to find important information about an enemy, whether it be a political enemy or just a personal vendetta. An example of this type of hacker is the "Islamic group of hackers". "Hours after the coup in Pakistan, the "Islamic group of hackers" rewrote a government website to praise the army and condemn the arrested prime minister as corrupt, foolish, and bald" (Radcliff, 1). Some hackers are just in it for the fun. They’re the ones that go spreading viruses and taking information for no purpose other than destruction of property.

The third point I wish to discuss is what are the preferences of a hacker? A hacker’s favorite target is anyone that has a cable modem. "The other bad news…they’re more vulnerable to hacker attacks than most set-up."(Taylor, 1) The reason hackers enjoy cable modems is easy to understand. With a regular modem, 24.4, 38.8, or even 56k, Your IP address, the Internet zip code, changes constantly and is hard to find. With cable hook-ups, the IP address never changes (this is because you never have to log off). Ass Chris Taylor writes "We may be slower, but we’re harder to find."(1)

Just like a war general, all hackers must have a plan of infiltration. As Deborah Radcliff notes in her article, there are "20 things to do after you’ve hacked an admin file.

1. Disable auditing
2. Grab the password file
3. Create an "adminkit" (hacker tools)
4. Enumerate server information
5. Enumerate secrets of LSA (windows NT’s Local Security Authority in the registry where password hashes are kept)
6. Dump registry info
7. Use NItest (a tool that queries NT servers remotely)
8. Pilfer the box
9. Add an administrator account
10. Grab a remote command shell
11. Hijack the graphical user interface
12. …"(3).

There are seven more steps to complete in this process because there are actually only 18 in the list. I am skeptical about listing the rest of them due to fear that someone may try them.

The information obtained by hackers can be used in a variety of different ways. Some hackers may try to sell information on the black market(doing this can make a good hacker a wealthy man or woman). Others perpetrators may just keep it to themselves and use it for vengeance. Hackers sometimes don’t do anything with their information except have fun.

How hackers work is an opera of sorts. The lawbreaker will sing and dance his way through a CPU or operating system in order to find what he is looking for. This dance could go on for minutes, hours, or maybe even days or months. Once the desired information is found, though, the information becomes the brave hero of the story while the hacker is instantly transformed into the vile and devious villain. The intricate operation, or tragic opera if you will, finally ends with the slaying of the hero (the hacker taking information or planting a Trojan horse). The fat lady has sung.

Some hackers also like to work in groups. As I found out from a personal interview, This particular person belonged to a club of sorts. "Jon Denver" told me, "I like the atmosphere of group work. It lets everyone help each other in figuring out what the next step is. It’s especially helpful for beginners who need a sort of tutoring." "Jon" declined to mention any of the systems or PC’s that he has hacked into. He did, however, allow me to observe his method. Though I cannot disclose any information, I will say that it is amazing how precise their movements and operations are.

In closing, an advanced hacker can obtain any information that he/she deems necessary to have. As a disclaimer, remember, hacking is not just illegal, it is a felony. If convicted, a hacker can be sentenced to as much as 50 years in jail spend as much as ten years in the slammer before being eligible for parole. Please, don’t try this at home.

Home | Admin hacking | Encryption | Sources of information | Created by: