HACKING

WHAT IS A HACKER ?

A security hacker is someone who seeks to breach defenses and exploit weaknesses in a computer system or network. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, information gathering,^[1]challenge, recreation,^[2] or to evaluate system weaknesses to assist in formulating defenses against potential hackers. The subculture that has evolved around hackers is often referred to as the computer underground.

There is a longstanding controversy about the term's true meaning. In this controversy, the term hacker is reclaimed by computer programmers who argue that it refers simply to someone with an advanced understanding of computers and computer networks,^[4] and that cracker is the more appropriate term for those who break into computers, whether computer criminal (black hats) or computer security expert (white hats).^[5][6] A 2014 article concluded that "... the black-hat meaning still prevails among the general public".^[7][tone]

THE HISTORY

In computer security, a hacker is someone who focuses on security mechanisms of computer and network systems. While including those who endeavor to strengthen such mechanisms, it is more often used by the mass media and popular culture to refer to those who seek access despite these security measures. That is, the media portrays the 'hacker' as a villain. Nevertheless, parts of the subculture see their aim in correcting security problems and use the word in a positive sense. White hat is the name given to ethical computer hackers, who utilize hacking in a helpful way. White hats are becoming a necessary part of the information security field.^[8] They operate under a code, which acknowledges that breaking into other people's computers is bad, but that discovering and exploiting security mechanisms and breaking into computers is still an interesting activity that can be done ethically and legally. Accordingly, the term bears strong connotations that are favorable or pejorative, depending on the context.

A typical approach in an attack on Internet-connected system is:

A typical approach in an attack on Internet-connected system is:

1. Network enumeration: Discovering information about the intended target.
2. Vulnerability analysis: Identifying potential ways of attack.
3. Exploitation: Attempting to compromise the system by employing the vulnerabilities found through the vulnerability analysis.^[28]

In order to do so, there are several recurring tools of the trade and techniques used by computer criminals and security experts.


4 Famous Hackers Cought

                                                    Kevin Poulsen
                                    
On June 1, 1990, he took over all of the telephone lines for Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM, guaranteeing that he would be the 102nd caller and win the prize of a Porsche 944 S2.^[2][3][4]

When the Federal Bureau of Investigation started pursuing Poulsen, he went underground as a fugitive. When he was featured on NBC's Unsolved Mysteries, the show's 1-800telephone lines mysteriously crashed.^[2][5]

He was arrested, sentenced to five years in a federal penitentiary, as well as banned from using computers or the internet for 3 years after his release. He was the first American to be released from prison with a court sentence that banned him from using computers and the internet after his prison sentence. Although Chris Lamprecht was sentenced first with an internet ban on May 5, 1995, Poulsen was released from prison before Lamprecht and began serving his ban sentence earlier. (Poulsen's parole officer later allowed him to use the Internet in 2004, with certain monitoring restrictions)

                                                        Albert Gonzalez
                                           

Albert Gonzalez (born 1981) is an American computer hacker and computer criminal who is accused of masterminding the combined credit card theft and subsequent reselling of more than 170 million card and ATM numbers from 2005 through 2007—the biggest such fraud in history. Gonzalez and his accomplices used SQL injection to deploy backdoors on several corporate systems in order to launch packet sniffing (specifically, ARP Spoofing) attacks which allowed him to steal computer data from internal corporate networks.

During his spree he was said to have thrown himself a $75,000 birthday party and complained about having to count $340,000 by hand after his currency-counting machine broke. Gonzalez stayed at lavish hotels but his formal homes were modest.^[1]

Gonzalez had three federal indictments:

• May 2008 in New York for the Dave & Busters case (trial schedule September 2009)
• May 2008 in Massachusetts for the TJ Maxx case (trial scheduled early 2010)
• August 2009 in New Jersey in connection with the Heartland Payment case.

On March 25, 2010, Gonzalez was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Gonzalez along with his crew were featured on the 5th season episode of the CNBC series American Greed titled: Episode 40: Hackers: Operation Get Rich or Die Tryin’.^[2]

                                                           Kevin Mitnik

                                       

Kevin David Mitnick (born August 6, 1963) is an American computer security consultant, author and hacker, best known for his high-profile 1995 arrest and later five years in prison for various computer and communications-related crimes.^[6]

Mitnick's pursuit, arrest, trial, and sentence along with the associated journalism, books and films were all controversial.^[7][8]

He now runs the security firm Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC which helps test companies' security strengths, weaknesses, and potential loopholes. He is also the Chief Hacking Officer of the security awareness training company KnowBe4, as well as an active advisory board member at Zimperium,^[9] a firm that develops a mobile intrusion prevention system.

                                                  Jeanson James Ancheta

                                                    (picture is not allowed)

On May 9, 2006, Jeanson James Ancheta (born 1985) became the first person to be charged for controlling large numbers of hijacked computers or botnets.