What does hacking actually LOOK like? For example, what interface is the hacker using, what’s their goal, and are they typing in a bunch of passwords like in the movies?
In: Technology
I’ll try to explain in ELI5 fashion.
Let’s say I’m trying to physically break into a building I could have a bunch of motives. Maybe I’m trying to just rob the place (like when hackers are trying to steal data like credit card numbers for fraud).
Perhaps the office has some specific info in there I’m trying to get (like if a government agency is spying on someone).
Maybe I just want to vandalize the place (hackers who just cause destruction) or perhaps I just want to explore the building (hackers who like the challenge but don’t do anything malicious).
Just like breaking into a building people can have many reasons.
Now let’s talk methods
Maybe I just try to break into the building by smashing a window (this would be a brute Force attack which is a program I write that tries a bunch of different passwords)
Perhaps I tricked an employee and got a copy of his employee badge (phishing attacks)
Maybe this badge works at other buildings too (a common thing to happen is people reuse passwords, then one site gets leaked and I can write a program that checks other sites to see if those same credentials work)
I could also find a vulnerability with something protecting the building like shoving a pen in the lock will open it. Some people fixed their locks but I want to find the buildings that didn’t (if there’s a bug in a program, usually a patch is released but if a site didn’t update then I can use the known vulnerability against them. If the door lock company doesn’t even know about this issue it’s called a zero day vulnerability… It means that someone discovered a bug and kept it a secret from the company so no one knows about it except the hackers.)
I could also dress up as someone who works there, trick them into thinking I do, get let in and then unlock the backdoor so I come back at night (this is essentially what some malware does. It tricks you into downloading it and then gives a hacker access to the computer). Or maybe the people working there just give me what I want because they think I work there (social engineering)
These are just some of the methods people use to hack. There’s a lot out there and some way more complex. But this is a quick basic guide.
One thing though for sure, no one is sitting in front of their computer with a mask and gloves to hide fingerprints like the movies.
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