Task 6A-1
Available Hacking Tools and Techniques
http://www.hackaday.com/
http://www.darknet.org.uk
Hacking sites offer the following hacking tools…
Coldlife 4.0
Network sniffers
Brute force attacks
Prevention
Keeping your anti-virus software as up to date as possible can greatly help prevent attacks on your computer / network.
Keeping your operating system updated is also a wise decision. I am running Vista at the moment, and about every 2 weeks it prompts me to download and install updates for the Vista security center.
For personal computers, the best way to prevent attacks from hackers is to connect to the web only when needed. Do not leave the pc online if the connection is not used.
Freely available hack information on the web. Good or bad?
In my opinion, making hacking instructions available on the internet is good and bad. It is extremely useful to network admins. Having a detailed set of instructions on how to hack, and then defend, a certain aspect of a network is a definite advantage.
On the other hand, it is never safe to give detailed instructions on how to cause damage to a secure network, and, if so inclined, commit a crime. Hacking is illegal for a very good reason. No one should condone it.
Should network administrators monitor hack sites?
Definitely. Knowing your enemy is one of the most important measures any administrator can take. Monitoring hacking sites give administrators much needed information about the tools potential attackers might use and, as this familiarizes them with how the tools function, it gives the admin much better understanding of how to prevent attacks on a network.
Hack sites are, obviously, the top download source for a various hacking tools. An admin can easily download these, and use them for testing purposes. In my opinion, testing while using a controlled version of the ‘weapon’ might be the best way to ensure an impenetrable network.
