Staying Safe online and on Wattpad

PUP #9 ~ HACKERS pt 2 - how do they do that crap?

Before WP has a fit, I am not going to disclose detailed hacking techniques in this chapter. I'd appreciate it if any hackers or ex-hackers dropping by could do the same, please. I don't care about popularity contests so I'll delete risky or provocative comments (if WP doesn't first).  :)

Security tips are good though, so if you have one or feel I got something wrong, PM me.

The readers of this book may want me to flag up the most common methods hackers use to exploit our devices, or the websites we visit, and suggest some techniques to avoid these exploits. As I've said elsewhere, if an expert hacker really wants to own our device and therefore our bank account, our social media and email accounts, and eventually OUR WHOLE LIFE, he will. However, he is not usually interested in some 13-year-old girl on Wattpad or a regular Joe. He is looking for high-ranking officials or company CEOs. I cannot say the same for script kids or amateur hackers who will do anything for a laugh.

We must also remember that corporations use hacker techniques to gather data too. Companies like Verizon or Turn, for instance, regularly employ header injection for mobile phone data collection, and the only way to avoid this illegal spying is not to use their services. This is tough if we have no choice (EG we bought a Verizon phone). Canvass Fingerprinting is another underhand technique to track and steal user information, employed by many famous 'good' websites worldwide. I believe if ANYONE is collecting data about my device/life and selling it on without my permission (and agreeing to a ridiculous 'privacy policy' doesn't count as consent, BTW) they are thieves, pure and simple. That's just my opinion, though. :)

We must decide if we want to allow some invasions of our privacy and security – or none at all.

Hacking is more profitable now than the illegal drug trade. Most exploits steal data and/or take control of a device. User IDs, login details, email addresses, passwords, bank account details, etc, are gathered and compiled into massive lists that are then sold in bulk on the cybercrime black market, to 'legitimate' clients (ad networks, social network marketers), or to criminal gangs or security services. In fact, ANYONE could anonymously buy a list of bank details or credit/debit card numbers, including name and account passwords, for ten bucks. Stolen credit/debit card details can be worth up to $135 each if the hacker knows the card company hasn't cancelled yet. Hacking technologies are incredibly sophisticated and costly – professional hackers pay thousands of dollars for some tools – and they far outstrip those that protect our security and privacy. This is simply because there is more money in stealing data than protecting it.

I've been impressed to find some hackers have a conscience (not just white hats) and will give tips on how we protect ourselves from them, either on certain websites or forums I've visited for my research and even within the pages of this book. This is positive and helps our little flock become safer. But remember there really is too much money at stake for them to giveaway all of their secrets, so we must be grateful for any crumbs they may throw our way.

Generally, our data is slightly more secure if we don't do predictable things, IE we are safe surfers who never give out personal info online (see Potentially Unwanted Problem #1: YOU)

But the most common hack in the world involves no technology or fancy tools. It uses a trick that has been around since we crawled out of prehistoric Africa and propagated this planet. Advertisers, gigolos, salespeople, criminals, and politicians have used it for millennia. It is simply gaining someone's trust and betraying that trust for gain. It is one of human nature's most despicable sins.