12 Simple Steps To Become A Hacker

Hacking is an engaging field but it is surely not easy. To become a hacker one has to have an attitude and curiosity of learning and adapting new skills. You must have a deep knowledge of computer systems, programming languages, operating systems and the journey of learning goes on and on. Some people think that a hacker is always a criminal and do illegal activities but they are wrong. Actually many big companies hire hackers to protect their systems and information and are highly paid. We have prepared a list of 12 most important steps necessary to become a hacker, have a deeper look

1. Learn UNIX/LINUX

UNIX/LINUX is an open source operating system which provides better security to computer systems. It was first developed by AT&T in Bell labs and contributed a lot in the world of security. You should install LINUX freely available open source versions on your desktops as without learning UNIX/LINUX, it is not possible to become a hacker.

• Start Learning Linux

2. Code in C language 

C programming is the base of learning UNIX/LINUX as this operating system is coded in C programming which makes it the most powerful language as compared to other programming languages. C language was developed by Dennis Ritchie in late 1970’s. To become a hacker you should master C language.

3. Learn to code in more than one Programming Language

It is important for a person in the hacking field to learn more than one programming. There are many programming languages to learn such as Python, JAVA, C++. Free eBooks, tutorials are easily available online.

• Top 6 Websites To Learn Computer Programming Languages

4. Learn Networking Concepts

Another important and essential step to become a hacker is to be good at networking concepts and understanding how the networks are created. You need to know the differences between different types of networks and must have a clear understanding of TCP/IP and UDP to exploit vulnerabilities (loop holes) in system.

Understanding what LAN, WAN, VPN, Firewall is also important.

You must have a clear understanding and use of network tools such as Wireshark, NMAP for packet analyzing, network scanning etc.

5. Learn More Than One Operating Systems 

It is essential for a hacker to learn more than one operating system. There are many other Operating systems apart from Windows, UNIX/LINUX etc. Every system has a loop hole, hacker needs it to exploit it.

6. Learn Cryptography

To become a successful hacker you need to master the art of cryptography. Encryption and Decryption are important skills in hacking. Encryption is widely done in several aspects of information system security in authentication, confidentiality and integrity of data. Information on a network is in encrypted form such as passwords. While hacking a system, these encrypted codes needs to be broken, which is called decryption.

• Decrypting Window 7 Password Using Ophcrack

7. Learn more and more about hacking

Go through various tutorials, eBooks written by experts in the field of hacking. In the field of hacking, learning is never ending because security changes every day with new updates in systems.

• Hackers Underground Hand Book Completely Free
• Hacking For Begineers Free Ebook

8. Experiment A Lot

After learning some concepts, sit and practice them. Setup your own lab for experimental purpose. You need a good computer system to start with as some tools may require powerful processor, RAM etc. Keep on Testing and learning until you breach a system.

9. Write Vulnerability (Loop hole program)

Vulnerability is the weakness, loop hole or open door through which you enter the system. Look for vulnerabilities by scanning the system, network etc. Try to write your own and exploit the system.

• 6 Most Common Password Cracking Methods And Their Countermeasures

10. Contribute To Open Source Security Projects

An open source computer security project helps you a lot in polishing and testing your hacking skills. It’s not a piece of cake to get it done. Some organizations such as MOZILLA, APACHE offer open source projects. Contribute and be a part of them even if your contribution is small, it will add a big value to your field.

11. Continue never ending Learning 

Learning is the key to success in the world of hacking. Continuous learning and practicing will make you the best hacker. Keep yourself updated about security changes and learn about new ways to exploit systems

12. Join Discussions and meet hackers 

Most important for a hacker is to make a community or join forums, discussions with other hackers worldwide, so that they can exchange and share their knowledge and work as a team. Join Facebook groups related to hacking where you can get more from experts.

About Guest Blogger
Sifat Ullah is the founder of Uthweb. At UthWeb he writes about Tips & Tricks, Apps Review, Information Security, Ethical Hacking Guide and all that stuffs related to technology

3 Basic Tips to Prevent A DDoS Attack

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are always in top headlines worldwide, as they are plaguing websites in banks, and virtually of almost every organization having a prominent online presence. The main cause behind the proliferation of DDoS attacks is that there is a very low-cost that the attacker has to incur to put such attack in motion. Fortunately, today various prevention methods have been developed to tackle such attacks. Before delving further into understanding about the ways to prevent DDoS attack, let’s first understand what exactly a DDoS attack is!

Understanding DDOS Attack

A DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack is an attempt made by attackers to make computers’ resources inaccessible to its anticipated user. In order to carry out a DDOS attack the attackers never uses their own system; rather they create a network of zombie computers often called as a “Botnet” – that is a hive of computers, to incapacitate a website or a web server.

Let’s understand the basic idea! Now, the attacker notifies all the computers present on the botnet to keep in touch with a particular site or a web server, time and again. This increases traffic on the network that causes in slowing down the speed of a site for the intended users. Unfortunately, at times the traffic can be really high that could even lead to shutting a site completely.

3 Basic Tips to Prevent a DDoS Attack

There are several ways to prevent the DDOS attack; however, here in this guest post I’ll be covering three basic tips that will help you to protect your website from the DDoS attack.

1. Buy More Bandwidth.

One of the easiest methods is to ensure that you have sufficient bandwidth on your web. You’ll be able to tackle lots of low-scale DDOS attacks simply by buying more bandwidth so as to service the requests. How does it help? Well, distributed denial of service is a nothing more than a game of capacity. Let’s suppose you have 10,000 computer systems each distributing 1 Mbps directed towards your way. This means you’re getting 10 GB of data that is hitting your web server every second. Now, that’s causes a lot of traffic!

So to avoid such issue, you need to apply the same rule intended for normal redundancy. According to this technique, if you wish to have more web servers just multiply around diverse datacenters and next make use of load balancing. By spreading your traffic to various servers will help you balance the load and will most likely create large space adequate to handle the incessant increase in traffic.

However, there’s a problem with this method that is buying more bandwidth can be a costly affair. And as you’ll know that the current DDoS attacks are getting large, and can be a lot bigger exceeding your budget limit.

2. Opt for DDoS Mitigation Services.

A lot of network or Internet-service providers render DDoS mitigation capabilities. Look for an internet service provider having the largest DDoS protection and mitigation network, automated tools, and a pool of talented anti-DDoS technicians with the wherewithal to take action in real-time as per the varying DDoS attack characteristics. A viable alternative is to utilize a DDoS prevention appliance, which is specifically intended to discover and prevent distributed denial-of-service attacks.

3. Restricted Connectivity.

In case you have computer systems that are connected to the web directly, a better idea is to properly install/configure your routers and firewall so as to limit the connectivity. For an instance, while receiving some data from a client machine you can only allow traffic to pass from the machine only on a few chosen ports (like HTTP, POP, SMTP etc.) via the firewall.

Wrapping Up!

Websites are largely getting attacked by hackers every second. Denial-of-service attack is insanely getting huge and is creating a lot of problems for business organizations having strong online vicinity. In this guest post you’ll not only understand what a DDoS attack actually means, but will also come to know about a few type of methods to prevent DDoS attacks. Aforementioned are three tips that I’ll recommend you to run through to at least understand where to get started towards building a resilient web network with chances of surviving a DDoS attack.

About Guest Blogger
Lucie Kruger is a tech savvy writer who works for a leading Android Applications Development Agency. You can also contact her, if you are looking forward to Hire Android App Developers

Computer Hacking in the New Age, All you Need to Know about Hacking Today

Every human discovery has pros and cons, so is the computer which has pervaded all our lives. The modern humanity is increasingly dependent on computer for various day-to-day activities. Computers do us a whole lot of good things, but it is not without some pitfalls. With the extensive use of internet for hundreds of our needs, computer opens a vicious cycle of hackers. Computer hacking is a term which refers to an individual’s illegal and unauthorized access to the data which are stored in a user’s system. This is done to disturb the confidentiality and security of the user’s computer.

The hackers focus on individuals’ computer system when they are online. As long as you are not connected to internet you are less prone to hacking. The access to internet has actually made computer hacking easy. You must protect your computer with strong antivirus and firewall programs to keep hackers away. Hackers are known for creating problems which are difficult to solve. This gives a good business to computer investigators and technicians. Hacking can be done in lots of ways. Few of them are given below:

• Worms: These are the programs which propagate through networks.
• Trojans: These are hidden in websites, attached files and emails.
• Viruses: These attach themselves to various kinds of files. They can damage certain functions of your computer.

Hackers also crash on wireless networks which do not have firewall installed and enabled. They can also send email attachments with malicious software which get embedded on the victim’s computer. Hackers attack accounts which have weak passwords. All these are done to get access to confidential and sensitive information of the users. Whatever is the method of hacking, the effect is harmful for the user. Your system will be flooded with viruses, malwares which steal your information. In order to avoid hacking one has to make sure that the systems at home or office have the latest anti-virus program and firewall installed and enabled. These programs need to be regularly updated. Use the latest browser and scan your computer on a regular basis.

New Age...

The New Age of internet has brought with it many risk factors along with umpteen advantages. The New Age is the time where our personal lives are no longer very personal, but people are able to access personal information of internet users from various sources in the virtual world. We need to be careful about usernames and passwords, else it will lead to dangerous consequences. Universities, large companies and government agencies are mostly targeted by hackers simply because of the bulk of information they handle. The great newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times were also targeted by hackers.

Computer hackers are people who gain remote access to information stored in a system elsewhere. During the 1950s and 60s hackers were more drawn towards learning the operations of a computer rather than stealing confidential information of a remote user. Unlike the olden days, now computer hacking has become more sophisticated and organized. In the late 1990s hackers tried to get access to files in the network of Pentagon. Some more expert hackers gained access to the patent files at the Indiana University School of Medicine in February 2003. Many hackers were sentenced in the history since hacking represents a potential national security threat.

Viruses

One major tool hackers use to steal information from computer systems is the use of viruses. Over the years the number of viruses has increased drastically. The virtual world now has above 100000 viruses and the number grows virtually every day. Apart from the threat the computer hackers pose, they also can be beneficial in one way. They can bring to light the flaws in a computer network. Hackers can help in redesigning the system and in making information inaccessible to illegal users and to unauthorized access.

Getting Administrative Access

Getting a log in password is one of the predominant ways to get access to a computer which is by the side of the hacker. Getting remote access to a computer is another way to hack a system. Managing to crack a Wi-Fi password is the third method of sneaking into someone else’s system. Hacking if done on a public or school computer will have serious consequences. The hacker will be put behind the bars for illegally accessing the computer which does not belong to him or her.

I am Ronnie Custer and I am intended on writing academic cases for the past several years that are assisted me to gain knowledge in writing grading assignments for all sorts of students. I have worked in different service based essay writing company in various writing industry.

Fraudsters Shall Not Pass - Simple Advices On How To Avoid Scammers In Social Networks

Social networks are always great for communicative people; they make you closer to your friends, relatives and hackers. Social networks are very attractive for such kind of people. You can ask me: “Why do they need that?” All they need is your account. The fraud schemes may be different. But the main aim of them is money. They can ask your relatives for help, especially when you’re far away. Why shouldn’t they believe their own child, when he needs money?

Fraudsters do not disdain playing on the heartstrings. They can write everything, that there’s an accident, you’re in a hospital, etc. So today we’ll study to confront fraudsters and keep our nerves and money safe.

Consequences

The most people don’t think about possible risks when creating their profile on social networks. The more personal and professional information you give, the easier it is for fraudsters to rob you. Let us discuss the easiest scheme. Some criminals are simply searching for people living in the same city to plunder their houses. Why does it happen? Different people are writing perfect information, like “We’re going to visit California next weekends. Hoping it’ll be great” Of course it will be great. For the robber, because now he knows that the house will be empty during weekends and it’s the perfect opportunity for him.

The second thing is the photos. When you’re downloading images and photos on social networks not only your friends like them. It’s also the perfect resource for burglars. From home-made photos, they can receive information about your welfare and house structure. When you have a dog, the robber will be prepared, because everyone has photos with their home pets. That’s why we earnestly advise you not to put in the Internet photos of your house, and some things that can attract robbers, for instance your new car or a brilliant ring.

Advice

The next our advice – create a complicated password. We’ve just discussed what fraudsters can do with the access to your account, so try to protect yourself, your friends, and relatives as good as you can. Don’t make a password consisting of just your birth date. Remember, that it’s the first combination fraudsters try. Also, don’t put your birth date as the answer to the test question if it’s mail. Check out below article on password cracking.

• 6 Most Common Password Cracking Methods And Their Countermeasures

Let us imagine that you have a complicated password, you don’t download the “rob-attractive” photos and one day you receive the link from your friend where he asks you to vote for him. Stop now. This can be a trap. If you’ll link, the fraudsters receive your personal data, such as login and password. Such scheme is called “fishing”. So, in this case, ask your friend something personal. The other variant is just to make him a call and ask about this. If you’ll receive the answer like “What are you talking about?” you should explain him that he was hacked and offer to change the password. Check out below tutorial to know about popular hacking method used to acquire sensitive information about oneself.

• What Is Phishing And How To Be Safe From Phishing ?

Phones are really helpful things. Explain to your friends and relatives that you can be hacked and if they receive messages with money requests, they must call you at first and ask about that. Remember that your security is in your hands and be careful.

Melisa Marzett is the professional blog-writer. Her works are presented at Essay Review. She’s interested in computers and different computer software. If you want to ask Melisa about something, write at

Hacking Someone's Facebook Password Using Some Software Or Website? No Sir You Can't!

Do you know there are over thousands of websites and software that claim to hack Facebook password of any account? They'd ask you the victim's profile ID, maybe your credentials and some money too and will reportedly tell you the password which, to be honest, never works. Ever wonder why? Let me tell you why, they're FAKE! They're a scam which tricks you somehow in losing your money or your own Facebook account. Just give it a thought, why would Zuckerberg and his team spend Billions of Dollars on Facebook if one could hack it in less than a minute? Today, we'll take a look at this topic in detail with some example websites and software and get answers to some common related questions.

Back in 2005, I came across a mechanism that reportedly hacked Yahoo mail password for a user using some simple tricks. It didn't work for me for obvious reasons but I didn't stop believing the possibility until I grew up to realize how helpless I am here. One of the major concerns of large organizations like Facebook and Yahoo is security because of the super sensitive information about people they have. Several hundred million dollars are spend yearly by these organizations to ensure security and then there's these websites that claim to undo all that protection in less than a minute.

The Facebook password cracking Websites and Software

Let's start with some examples here. I googled the subject and picked the top results without order. Didn't care to search harder because there are thousands such and I know that all are FAKE.

So let's look at this GETFBHACK.com.

Their FREE Facebook hacker program is said to be capable of cracking the password of any Facebook user within a day. Sounds cool, I could try it out, but my Norton Antivirus rejected the file straight away.

I also picked up another one. This Hack-Fbook-Password asks me to enter the profile ID of a user and it will crack the password. I said Okay and began the process.

It ran certain algorithms to determine the password and finally landed me on a page that said I could DOWNLOAD the password IF I fill an online survey first. Those of you who've been redirected to surveys would know they don't work and are put just so to get traffic and earn money.

I said maybe I should leave the website now but hey, they gave me a prize!

So I just became the luckiest person in my city just like that!

Now tell me, how can a sane person believe in all this?

The truth!

Let me get this straight to you, these websites do nothing at all just waste your time and are never able to do the job. In fact, downloaded programs just make the situation worse when you run them. I had my Norton Antivirus to guard me otherwise I could be in severe danger currently.

These software are mostly keyloggers and tracking programs that record your keystrokes and action and steal personal information from your computer in the background and send it to their master servers. So ultimately a hacker wannabe gets hacked, how ironic!

From now on in the post, I'll be using the word 'Hacker' for these websites and software since you're no more in the position to be called that.

Why do these 'Hackers' do all that?

Setting up websites, maintaining them and developing software is not an easy task. It requires some money. So why do these 'hackers' do all the hassle? It's because they get equivalent or more money in return. They can extract your credit card details and other banking info from your system and use it for their advantage. They can hack your account and use it for wrong purposes. Give me one reason why one wouldn't steal money and hack accounts for no loss.

Why people fall in their webs?

Why do people try to use such unreal hacking procedures? It's because it's unreal to me, it's unreal to you but not to those who are not much familiar with the working of a software. They get in the web of these hackers and eventually get screwed up pretty bad without consent.

The websites give guarantees and also portray their 'imaginary' happy customers so as to trick a reader. Such tactics are simple but really powerful and serves to their advantage in most cases. This is also why there are thousands of such websites available.

So is Facebook account an 'unbreakable fortress'?

Well, NO. Facebook accounts can be hacked. No online service is foolproof and that is because of the flaws and bugs in their software. There are several ACTUAL hackers in the world who can analyse a website's security and use that against it thus making hacking a reality.

But I'm 100% sure none of them uses these scam and fake websites that claim to do the impossible. You can check out our hacking section to know more.

I'll end the 'lesson' with an idiom, "look before you leap". Focus, think and then follow. In case of any queries or confusions head over to the comments section. Cheers :)

Hackers Outside Hollywood - How Hacking Really Began?

Before Hollywood took the hacking phenomena under its wing, unless you were a clued-in techy, the world of hacking would be unfamiliar territory. In recent years, movies like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Matrix and The Italian Job have managed to glamourize the high-tech thrill of breaking into servers, cracking door codes and hijacking security networks.

But before television brought the hacker technology into our general knowing, hacking was still an occurring reality for some. So what is the history of hacking and where did today's sophisticated hacking begin?

Late 1950s – The MIT Start Off with a Bang

Hacking wasn’t always about computers. In fact, the first ‘hackers’ were roof and tunnel hackers, which the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was instrumental in introducing. These were people who entered roof and utility tunnel spaces without authorization, in other words getting into a place they shouldn’t be in – which is where computer hacking got its name when people started using technology to get into data systems they shouldn’t have access to!

Roof and tunnel hacking was initially intended as practical jokes and saw the hanging of banners from tall places and the popular placing of a model car on the top of a university building. Unsecured entry points would be used to gain access and cause mischief as per the desire of the hacker.

Early 1970s – The Era of Phone Phreaking

The telephone network was the first technological victim of hacking know as Phone Phreaking. It was ingeniously discovered that whistling down a phone in a specific tone could in fact force a switchboard to allow calls. The exploitation of telecommunications systems using audio frequencies was further enhanced by the use of tone-generating devices to permit even free long-distance calls.

‘Phone Phreaks’ were committed to gaining unauthorized access to telephone systems, which quickly saw the evasion become a criminal offence.

• 6 Most Common Password Cracking Methods

Mid 1970s – A New Level of Virus Sophistication is Met

In 1975, several Motorola staff unearthed a way to crack the security system on the Xerox machine using a simple programming strategy. They reported the problems as a matter of urgency to Xerox but when no action was taken to resolve the loophole, Motorola staff mischievously installed programs named Robin Hood and Friar Tuck.

These programs were designed to cause mischief in the system such as printing insulting messages to each other or making huge old disk drives ‘walk’ across the floor, and the programs prevented the system operator from aborting them by protecting each other and persistently reappearing after rebooting of the system.

• Top 6 White Hat Hackers In The World
• Top 6 Black Hat Hackers In The World

2007 – The Return of Urban Exploration

The 1950s exploration of physical spaces returned with Parkour and free-running as a more creative mode of accessing abandoned and forbidden places. Parkour involves running, jumping, swinging and vaulting over obstacles in the hope of trespassing – all in the name of creativity and freedom, and all, technically, a form of ‘hacking’.

The Present Day – 'Information wants to be free'

Technology activists and the availability of free online schools has encouraged the illicit access of information. Online schools such as Udacity, Codecademy and Khan Academy have provided people with the tools required for coding and have led to an increase in the number of code-literate individuals. With a booming number of techies, breach of online security systems has also proportionally risen.

It seems that with the advancements in technology and the evolving of hacking with time, we can anticipate a nightmare future of computer hacking. Prevailing hackers are likely to turn their attention to governmental projects and entering mainstream security systems by clever impersonation. Computer coding has become child's play for many and it is anticipated for budding hackers to seek opportunities to enter the world of biohacking, where even the software of life and our DNA itself remains unsafe!

• Top 6 Websites To Learn Computer Programming Languages

What do you think will be next in the world of hacking?

About Guest Author
Gregg Townsend is passionate about everything from gadgets to web-design and likes to keep up to date with the latest news regarding hacking. Connect with him here on Twitter.

Top 6 White Hat Hackers In The World

Let’ begin with who is a white hacker? First of all, white hacker is good, conscientious and ethical hacker, who tries to save the balance of the universe by doing good works. White hats are very useful and it goes without saying they constantly compete with black hats. White hats hackers can be compared with cats, which catch mice, namely they look for defects of the systems. Besides, white hats are computer security guards, they test systems for the level of protection and moreover they improve their skills. Mainly, white hats don’t look for fame or money, they serve in society.

It is undeniable that sometimes black hat hackers became white hackers and prevent crimes, because they perfectly know what to do. So who are they main and most famous white hats of all times?

Before you move on further with this post you might like to read about Top 6 Black Hat Hackers.

• Top 6 Black Hat Hackers In The World

1. Stephen Wozniak

Stephen Wozniak, The Great Woz, as many hackers call him, moreover,  he is “the second half” of Steve Jobs and Apple empire, became as an icon and inspiration for many people, who never lost interest in computer technology. What did he actually do? It is well-known today that he made free long-distance calls possible exploring so-called blue boxes, at the time, when high technology has made its first baby steps.  Nevertheless, one should accept that Woz is an independent developer and worked for the good of people. Currently, Stephen Wozniak is preaching charity and provides new technologies. One can truly say that Stephen Wozniak made a difference in this world and he deserves to be called as a white hat hacker.

2. Tim Berners-Lee 

Tim Berners-Lee is well-known around the world as fonder of the web we use - World Wide Web. No wonder that this man invented his first computer using iron, as they say necessity is the mother of invention. Doubtless, his innovating had led him to becoming a president of the Open Data Institute in 2012.

3. Linus  Torvals 

Linus  Torvals created Linux operation system, which many of us use. At the beginning, this system was about to be called as Freax, using the combination of words “ freak” and “free”. Luckily, nowadays we know it as Linux.  As Linus himself once said that all he wanted to have fun doing something he really enjoys. This seems to confirm the idea that it is the great result of having fun!

4. Tsutomu Shimomura 

Tsutomu Shimomura is also a very good example of a white hat hacker. The bottom line is he tracked down another hacker – Kevin Mitnick, who actually was a black hat hacker. However, later on he has entered the ranks of white hats. Tsutomu Shimomura caught Mitnick with flying colors hacking Mitnick’s phone. Good job catching “black knight”. Currently Shimomura is CEO and CTO of Neofocal System.

5. Richard Matthew Stallman 

Richard Matthew Stallman is known also by his initials – RMS. His policy is to give users freedom of usage software as well as education, freedom of voice and choice. He has developed Free software foundation, GNU project, which allows use computer and its devices for free

What is more, RMS is a founder of copyright concept. Among the list if his merits are 14 doctorates and professorships.

6. Johanna Rutkowska.

When it goes about technology and computers, most of the time we mentioned men. Women weren’t pathfinders in this area, however, they have done enough to be mentioned among outstanding white hats. Thus, this smart lady could hide root kits in software and hardware and to make them invisible to a naked eye. One must admit the talent of he woman. To draw the conclusion, one can say that enumerated people have brought its own contribution in foundation and innovation of computer technologies. Until the world has such brainy “white knights”, its save.

Paul Smith, as a talented writer and well-known blogger, is wonderful worker of bestresumewritingservice. This brilliant writer is very good at computer technology, computer history and innovations. To find out more about Paul and his works, you can reach him at Google+

6 Most Common Password Cracking Methods And Their Countermeasures

There are number of methods out their used by hackers to hack your account or get your personal information. Today in this post i will share with you guys 6 Most commonly used method to crack password and their countermeasures. You must check out this article to be safe and to prevent your online accounts from hacking.

1. BruteForce Attack

Any password can be cracked using Brute-force attack. Brute-force attacks try every possible combinations of numbers, letters and special characters until the right password is match. Brute-force attacks can take very long time depending upon the complexity of the password. The cracking time is determined by the speed of computer and complexity of the password.

Countermeasure: Use long and complex passwords. Try to use combination of upper and lowercase letters along with numbers. Brute-force attack will take hundreds or even thousands of years to crack such complex and long passwords.

Example: Passwords like "iloveu" or "password" can be cracked easily whereas computer will take years to crack passwords like "aN34lL00"

2. Social Engineering

Social engineering is process of manipulating someone to trust you and get information from them. For example, if the hacker was trying to get the password of a co-workers or friends computer, he could call him pretending to be from the IT department and simply ask for his login details. Sometime hackers call the victim pretending to be from bank and ask for their credit cards details. Social Engineering can be used to get someone password, to get bank credentials or any personal information.

Countermeasure: If someone tries to get your personal or bank details ask them few questions. Make sure the person calling you is legit. Never ever give your credit card details on phone.

3. Rats And Keyloggers

In keylogging or RATing the hacker sends keylogger or rat to the victim. This allows hacker to monitor every thing victim do on his computer. Every keystroke is logged including passwords. Moreever hacker can even control the victims computer.

Countermeasure: Never login to your bank account from cyber cafe or someone else computer. If its important use on-screen or virtual keyboard while tying the login. Use latest anti-virus software and keep them updated. Check out below article to know more about Rats and Keyloggers.

• What is RAT ?
• What Is Keylogger And How To Be Safe From Keyloggers?

4. Phishing

Phishing is the most easiest and popular hacking method used by hackers to get someone account details. In Phishing attack hacker send fake page of real website like facebook, gmail to victim. When someone login through that fake page his details is send to the hacker. This fake pages can be easily created and hosted on free web-hosting sites.

Countermeasure: Phishing attacks are very easy to avoid. The url of this phishing pages are different from the real one. For example URL of phishing page of facebook might look like facbbook.com (As you can see There are two "b"). Always make sure that websites url is correct. Check out below article to know more about phishing.

• All About Phishing And How To Be Safe From Phishing ?

5. Rainbow Table

A Rainbow table is a huge pre-computed list of hashes for every possible combination of characters. A password hash is a password that has gone through a mathematical algorithm such as md5 and is transformed into something which is not recognizable. A hash is a one way encryption so once a password is hashed there is no way to get the original string from the hashed string. A very commonly used hashing algorithm to store passwords in website databases is MD5. It is almost similar to dictionary attack, the only difference is, in rainbow tables attack hashed characters are used as passwords whereas in dictionary attack normal characters are used as passwords. 

Example: ‘hello’ in md5 is 5d41402abc4b2a76b9719d911017c592 and zero length string ("") is d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e

Countermeasure: Make sure you choose password that is long and complex. Creating tables for long and complex password takes a very long time and a lot of resources

6. Guessing

This seems silly but this can easily help you to get someones password within seconds. If hacker knows you, he can use information he knows about you to guess your password. Hacker can also use combination of Social Engineering and Guessing to acquire your password.

Countermeasure: Don't use your name, surname, phone number or birthdate as your password. Try to avoid creating password that relates to you. Create complex and long password with combination of letters and numbers.