F**k This Philosophy S**t!!! Let’s get practical!
This is a repost from my Yahoo! 360 blog.
Monday January 23, 2006
I think written curse words have more impact when they’re partly censored, don’t you?
Nowadays, it’s far more normal for a person to be computer savvy then just a few years ago. Still, for most people, there is a mysterious fog surrounding the world of hackers. Hackers are these mysterious guys with glasses and B.O. who, once they are in front of the computer, have powers rivaling those of God. That’s what the conception is anyway. Hackers know how to use obscure vulnerabilities and take advantage off software features to break into and manipulate systems.
Well, here’s a little demystification. One of the most common forms of hacking does not necessarily involve computers at all. The easiest, and probably surest, way to gain access to restricted systems or information is a process known as “Social Engineering.” Don’t get scared off by the jargon, that’s just a fancy way of saying “tricking people.” For example, when I was in college, suppose I wanted to get onto a professor’s computer to change someone’s grade. I could have studied up on hacking and tried to crack the security, break into the database and changed the grade. That would’ve been the hard way. The easy way would be to walk into the department office, say “I’m here from the computing center. I’m supposed to look at ____’s computer, “sit down at the professor’s computer and change the grade. I know for a fact this would have worked because I did it numerous times. Not the grade changing part, but I did work for the computing center. It always amazed me when I first started that people who didn’t know me from Tyrone Bigguns would let me walk into their offices and mess around on their computers, sometimes even walking out with their computers – all with no kind of identification.
There is a virus going around that’s supposed to delete a bunch of files on Feb 3rd. Is it a sophisticated virus that dodges network security to infect computers? No. It’s a simple thing that doesn’t use advanced technology to get on computers; it uses promises of free porn. Tons of people get aggravated with the amount of spam that clutters their inboxes, yet some of those same people help fill my inbox because they think Bill Gates might somehow track that e-mail that promises payments of 1 million dollars and they believe he might have the funds to pay each of the millions of people who have received and forwarded it.
Be on your guard. Hacking is not some supernatural phenomenon that you can’t avoid, it’s generally a simple thing that you can avoid with a little thought and awareness. If you really need your porn, get on the web and find it yourself. Be sure about who you let on your computer. Think about those e-mails before you send them. If someone is offering to sell you something, don’t buy. If you really want what they’re selling you can track it down and get it from a reputable source. Protect your identity and information.
