Humble Beginnings

[TheCotMan]

Hey ive only been into hacking seriously for about a year and I was just wondering how/where everyone else started hacking or learned to.

What is hacking?
Is it possible for a person to learn to hack?
Can anyone learn to hack?
Is it sufficient for a person to use a hack to earn the title of, "hacker"?
Is a person who creates original hacks a hacker?
Is it acceptable for a person to claim the title, or must it be bestowed?

I think hacking is something that starts at an early age. There is something about an unquenched curiosity and a drive to understand things that seems to be common to people who are called hackers.

Did you ever try to put a square peg in a round hole?
Did you succeed?
Was the peg and hole undamaged after you were done, or at least repaired and in full working order?

[hackajar]

Actually thats wrong times two. Not succeeding but trying is just as much of a felony. This is why we have things like attempted-murder and attempted-robbery, you dont have to be successful at your crime to be in trouble for it. In most cases if you were to get prosecuted the judge can sentence you as if you had actually committed the crime, as you had proved your intent to do so. So trying to hack your schools computers is just as bad as actually hacking your schools computers

Remeber the key phrases "I'm just saying" and "I'm only kidding". This helps suppress prior motive (and takes 5-10 years off sentence).

[highwizard]

Well that the only thing that I have actually tried. I never succeded so its not exactly a fealony.

Yes, trust me, it's a felony. Noid it explained it perfectly.

it took me five seconds to get the admin account in my school, i just guessed. it was:

UserName:SFSD
Password:

I think SFSD stood for "Sioux Falls School District". I don't know why they don't use a password?

Sadly because they trust little fucktards like you... Which they shouldn't. Don't worry about it though, I'll be contacting Sioux Falls School District in Sioux Falls, SD tomorrow. (Yea, I'm an asshole like that).

To answer your question I took a Programming with Java course my freshmen year, after that i became fascinated with computers. From there i tought my self UNIX Assembly. Then One day I was messing around on a school computer and gained access to my Biology teacher's gradebook (i didn't change anything though), all the sudden I was like "hey, i can hack".

You should have been like "Hey, I can be a criminal now!". Cause that's exactly what you are, just like your little bag of bones friend. Do you use your leet hax0ring skills to impress all your friends? I hope so, so when the Administration of the school disctrict calls you in the other people at your school will be able to say "He talks about how he's a hacker all the time".

I hope you didn't ever post from school onto Defcon Forums.

[Abby_Normal]

Phreaking and hacking go hand and hand, ever hear of John T. Draper (a.k.a. Cap'n Crunch). He was hacker but started out phreaking (i think he and a friend called the Pope).

Who? Never heard of him.

[EvilMoFo]

I'm not sure which rule is being broken here, seems like a valid question.

eh, seems repeditive and most of the "how did you begin" threads are shot down


after dc 11 my reason for living changed from unreal tournament to computer security and after dc 12 my reason for living was amended to include vodka

[Tao_of_pi]

You should have been like "Hey, I can be a criminal now!". Cause that's exactly what you are, just like your little bag of bones friend. Do you use your leet hax0ring skills to impress all your friends? I hope so, so when the Administration of the school disctrict calls you in the other people at your school will be able to say "He talks about how he's a hacker all the time".

I didn't do it on purpose i just get bored in school. I don't show off to my friends, if i showed them how to do it they would try it and get caught, then it would all come back to me. I am not 1337 nor is anybody, I'm just a newbie that knows a few tricks so far.

And since we are getting into what people think a hacker is i'll give you my idea. I think a hacker is someone that has great knowledge of computers and uses it to solve problems. Yet some use their knowledge for other purposes, such as altering grades (which i did not do, I just stumbled accross the login info).

[dYn4mic]

This thread has gone to shit, but with the abundance of noobs in this field, and he lack of good direction I hope this post might offer some insight. I don't clam to have all the answers... but what I have learned so far I think is a pretty good 'path' (if there's a destination).
I think if your a " good hacker".... you should always have been one. I feel it takes quite a long time to become one, and I don't want to label myself or others. I think its just a thought process that is embrased by Computers and Technology.
I've always taken stuff apart, wanted to know how this worked and that worked. I got started with using computers as early as possible (7ish), yet only in the past 6 years or so have I taken a strong intrest in "computer security". In the past 2 years I've tried to learn all I can, and continue to do so... part of what makes me enjoy other 'hackers' as friends and co-workers because its a constant pursiut of knowledge and understanding. Your mind is a muscle, don't let it dry up.
When I look at any authentication, protection, identification mech/tech..., I try to think how they protect from forgeries, if i could social eng. something, how the system works, how to get pancakes for free (if you read bruce's books) etc...
I look at something and say, "What prevents fromone from doing x,y,z"
An excellent example would be from a Unicornscan talk at toorcon 04 where they asked and polled the audience "How can you turn off a light bulb?"
That I think sums up what a good hacker is.... you've gotta think of something nobody else has, think outside the box.
I read a lot, I think a lot, and I try to network with other people in the industry and related fields. I try to apply new understanding and critical thinking skills rendered to new technologys that are useally more insecure than long time trusted ideas.. (see VoIP, WiFi, bluetooth insecurity examples)
I recommend learning programming, networking protocols (esp TCP/IP), and anything else you want to 'hack'.
Bruce Schneier's Beyond Fear and Secrets and Lies are great books for the security aware mind.

[Bag of Bones]

Maybe that is your idea of what hacking was before you got here, but after being on these forums it'll change, and thats fine too.

Well thats kind of it. Like I said before, Ive only been into hacking for less than a year and only in the past few weeks I have learned the diference between cracking and hacking. Another aspect of hacking that i find very interesting and usefull is modifying aspects of my computer with the registry.

[Chris]

Well thats kind of it. Like I said before, Ive only been into hacking for less than a year and only in the past few weeks I have learned the diference between cracking and hacking. Another aspect of hacking that i find very interesting and usefull is modifying aspects of my computer with the registry.

This whole thread makes my head hurt.

A good discussion of hacking/hackers/etc was done by Ming of Mongo for the DC10 program. Read it. Live it. Love it. It's on page 26 of the program, titled "It's all a Hack"

Ok quality:
http://defcon.org/images/defcon-10/dc10-program-72.pdf

Little better than that quality: http://defcon.org/images/defcon-10/dc10-program-150.pdf

[highwizard]

Well thats kind of it. Like I said before, Ive only been into hacking for less than a year and only in the past few weeks I have learned the diference between cracking and hacking. Another aspect of hacking that i find very interesting and usefull is modifying aspects of my computer with the registry.

I'm in a really good mood this morning, so I will throw you a bone (don't get used to it). Yea, Pi boy, this goes for you too.

Right Now, start new. When someone asks how long you've been into "hacking", say "a day".

Stop posting for a bit, and start reading back posts in this forum...

I'll give you a few to start:

http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?t=1082
http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?t=3219
http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?t=29
http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?t=501
http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?t=3741

If you don't like to read, you're barking up the wrong tree and it's time to pick a new hobby.

Now I'll give you a few tips to help you out on this forum and I guess in the community overall.

Read Read Read Read Read Read Read. They say knowledge is power for a reason. Any information you can get your hands on, read it. It doesn't just have to do with computers. If you like to read, you're already off to a good start.

Setup a test lab and take the knowledge you gain from reading and put it into practice. Ya know, hardware prices are so cheap today that anyone can setup test lab.

Asking Questions... Before you ask a question do everything in your power to find the answer on your own. If you ask a question and someone can turn around and find the answer via google or by searching this forum then the road to people respecting you at all just got a lot tougher and you're one step closer towards eternal fucktardom.
- If you have researched the question and still can't find the answer then you need to keep this philosophy in mind.. Aim Small, Miss Small.
The more specific your question is, the easier it will be for someone to guide you towards the answer. And I do stress the term "guide", because the people here aren't your mommy and daddy and most subscribe to the philosophy of "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." (Lao Tzu).

And the last piece of advice for now is to network - "Make Friends".
One of the best ways to learn is through talking to people. Plenty of people have their AIM/MSN/ICQ/YIM names listed on the forums. Strike up a conversation with them and see where it goes. Though, I say this with a warning: Theres a good chance a fair amount of these people won't want to talk to you. This Community is not a very easy one to break into or get accepted in, but if you contribute usefully it will be easier. A prime example that I use again and again to highlight my point on being real and making friends is another forum member who I didn't like in the beginning (almost as much as I dislike you two) Xodia. I gave him a hell of a hard time when he first came here, but after talking to him and through his perseverance I now consider him a friend.

Blah Blah Blah, enough of this touchy feely crap.. In summation, don't be a tard, and we'll all get along splendidly.

[TheCotMan]

...
I'll give you a few to start:
...
Asking Questions
...

Good suggestions. I'd like to add one more:
"When you ask your question, state your goal."
Too many people build a chain of dependencies that read like this:
I want "A".
B will give me A.
C will give me B.
D will give me C.
So, I if I can just get D, I can get A!

"Hey! How do I get D?" (Bad question)

"Hey! I want to get A, and I figure if I can get D, I can eventually get to A. How do I get D?" (better)

Someone might have a better way to get to A without B, C or D, and getting D without having A, B, or C may be impossible.
Also, A is what you really want to know how to get anyway, but the description of D shows that you have at least thought about it.

[Bag of Bones]

Well although I don't like being called a Bag of Shit (I guess its my fault for choosing a stupid name and posting annoying shit), this is the kind of help I appreciate. Ill do my best not to be a fucktard and not admit to fealonies on public forums again.

[highwizard]

Well although I don't like being called a Bag of Shit....

Boo Hoo, Piss and Shit. Cry me a fucking river.

[Dr. Z2A]

Now, I have a bit of an issue with what you seem to define as hacking. Hacking is not breaking the law. Hacking is not rooting your schools admin box. Hacking is not stealing things or destroying things. Hacking is about exploring and understanding how things work.

I don't think he meant that was what hacking was. Its just how he got into it. Alot of us probably started with criminal intent and found a interesting hobby instead.

[dYn4mic]

I don't think he meant that was what hacking was. Its just how he got into it. Alot of us probably started with criminal intent and found a interesting hobby instead.

1. Alot is really two words....
2. Try not to make generalizations....
3. This thread is gaining age and you didn't provide anything intresting becides to argue with a forum admin.

you are the weakest link, goodbye!