Best Hack Job

[TheCotMan]

What was the best hacker job you have had? (Any job where you were allowed or encouraged to use hacking skills, or hackish solutions, or develop hacking skills.)

I had a job where I was allowed to develop in-house projects an solutions using Linux and other OS to help save money. It was a great learning experience, but I eventually outgrew that job.

As an example, back in 1996, I made an image restoration system for desktop workstations that booted from a floppy, and then changed to an NFS root, and rebuilt the workstations over the network. We used it for several years until we switched over to a commercial solution.

Do you have a best hacker-friendly job? What would you consider as items in a list of good hacker friendly jobs? Flex-Hours? Telecommute? Respect? Opportunity to research?

[hackajar]

I had to convert html / db objects into PDF docs on the fly at a company once.

It was for a self service a la carte API doc book developers site for credit cards. Worked out pretty well too. Until they decided to just create all the "obvious" combanations of API doc's to PDF and scrapped the project 1 week after release. Still learned a lot about coding, parsing, efficiant loops etc from the experience.

[Clp727]

I was asked to check on the surfing habits of a remote user that uses a company PC at home. We use Trend Micros Office Scan AV, and it kept reporting that a certain user had several viri (?) on her computer. She had a teenage son.

I had to collect the index.dat file from her History.IE5 folder, and the subfolders that were in her Content.IE5 folder. As most of you are aware, these two directories are hidden even after you "show hidden files and folders".

My boss was impressed.

[MidwestMale]

wow i did not even know that..

question how can i read a .dat file to see LOL. hell i should check my other systems now..

Matt..

[valkyrie]

What was the best hacker job you have had? (Any job where you were allowed or encouraged to use hacking skills, or hackish solutions, or develop hacking skills.)

The one I still have. Consultant working short term, intensive gigs. The variety of engagements provides the opportunity to gain broad knowledge while exercising deeper knowledge. Some of the work has required I exercise a turbo-level of creativity (physical/logical pentests) which is a fun rush.

Do you have a best hacker-friendly job? What would you consider as items in a list of good hacker friendly jobs? Flex-Hours? Telecommute? Respect? Opportunity to research?

Any job or gig one can walk away from, believing "I jazzed the hell out of them and jazzed the hell out of myself!" Flex hours are nice, as some of my best creative times are often at odds with the regular workaday world. Telecommuting is a given for me. If the culture of the client doesn't support it, I bypass the gig. And I do believe for any hacker worth their creds, that opportunity to research is imperative. After all, isn't hacking all about playing with your blocks and putting them together in a new and different way? If one doesn't have time for that, then what is the point of it all?

Just my ha'pennie


valkyrie

[Dutch]

Some years ago I had been on a sales presentation trip for a fortnight, which had brought me through Moscow, Bangkok, and finally to Manilla. Needing to get the flightseat knots and bends out of my back, I noticed that the hotel had in-room massage services, so called down and ordered a 1 hour session. This gourgeous girl arrived and proceeded to....

Wait a moment ? Best Hack job, you said...
Dammit, I REALLY need to go visit the optician soon...

Dutch

[Clp727]

wow i did not even know that..

question how can i read a .dat file to see LOL. hell i should check my other systems now..

Matt..

You can sometimes find interesting things in the .dat files.

I found a great tutorial about this only a year ago. It seems I can't upload a pdf so I will type the basics.
Log in as Admin.
In the folder options-show hidden folders, hidden file extensions, and hidden system files.
Note - You have to truncate any name that is over 8 char with the first 6 chars. and "~1"

To show the Content.IE5 folder:
Bring up the cmd shell and change the dir. to the root of C:
At the C: promt type cd \docume~1\admini~1\locals~1\tempor~1
In that dir. type edit desktop.ini
The edit interface opens the .ini file and you will see 2 lines. In the 2nd line insert a dash (-) at the begining of the line, and right after the"="insert another dash (-)
Then save the changes.

To show the History.IE5 folder:
repeat the same as above, but include history-
At the C: promt type cd \docume~1\admini~1\locals~1\tempor~1\history
Edit the desktop.ini file as you did for the Content.IE5 desktop.ini
The desktop.ini in the History dir will have 3 lines. You will have to edit the last 2.
then you will be able to view the index.dat file that is in your History.IE5 folder with notepad.

Then you can browse to the Documents and Settings folder, (username)folder,Local Settings folder. In that dir. you will see theTemporary Internet Files folder and the History folder. Content.IE5 lives the the Temp. Internet Files dir., and the History.IE5 lives in the History dir.

Once these settings have been changed on your Windows box you can view the c$ share of every computer in your domain or workgroup as if were done on those computers as well. Admin rights are required.

- Had Java disabled. will try to upload the pdf.

[astcell]

Can a "hack" job not involve a computer directly? Sometimes the hack (edge) I get is of the SE kind.

[valkyrie]

Can a "hack" job not involve a computer directly? Sometimes the hack (edge) I get is of the SE kind.

AST, I don't think that Cotman was implying that the only hacking gigs have to do with computers. I think that he was attempting to elict a conversation about hacking work in general, and the ones that you elude to are hacking at it's finest, because it requires hacking (what one would hope) to be a sentient, rational creature. 'Tis relatively easy, once one knows how, to hack a machine; 'tis a bit more difficult to hack something that is sentient. I think the whole thread is about what has been your best hacking job and what type of environment might be most conducive to a hacker mentality. Correct me here Cotman, if I have failed to grasp the thread.

Now, I want to hear about some of those SE jobs. Give over, dude! :-)

valkyrie

[MidwestMale]

Thanks ...i will try and see whats up later on..

Matt..

You can sometimes find interesting things in the .dat files.

I found a great tutorial about this only a year ago. It seems I can't upload a pdf so I will type the basics.
Log in as Admin.
In the folder options-show hidden folders, hidden file extensions, and hidden system files.
Note - You have to truncate any name that is over 8 char with the first 6 chars. and "~1"

To show the Content.IE5 folder:
Bring up the cmd shell and change the dir. to the root of C:
At the C: promt type cd \docume~1\admini~1\locals~1\tempor~1
In that dir. type edit desktop.ini
The edit interface opens the .ini file and you will see 2 lines. In the 2nd line insert a dash (-) at the begining of the line, and right after the"="insert another dash (-)
Then save the changes.

To show the History.IE5 folder:
repeat the same as above, but include history-
At the C: promt type cd \docume~1\admini~1\locals~1\tempor~1\history
Edit the desktop.ini file as you did for the Content.IE5 desktop.ini
The desktop.ini in the History dir will have 3 lines. You will have to edit the last 2.
then you will be able to view the index.dat file that is in your History.IE5 folder with notepad.

Then you can browse to the Documents and Settings folder, (username)folder,Local Settings folder. In that dir. you will see theTemporary Internet Files folder and the History folder. Content.IE5 lives the the Temp. Internet Files dir., and the History.IE5 lives in the History dir.

Once these settings have been changed on your Windows box you can view the c$ share of every computer in your domain or workgroup as if were done on those computers as well. Admin rights are required.

- Had Java disabled. will try to upload the pdf.

[MidwestMale]

i had to hack my suburban one day it had a bad virus and did not drive so we rebooted the vehicle (put a new engine in it).

Matt.

[TheCotMan]

AST, I don't think that Cotman was implying that the only hacking gigs have to do with computers.

Yep. I have stated elsewhere on the forums that IMO, hacking is something that exists in nearly any profession. One of the examples I offered were some of the mechanics in shows like "Monster Garage" and shows that dispell (or give evidence) for urband legends like those two guys Devian Ollam had in the video that gave him the idea for the beer cooling contest. (Sorry, cant remember the name of that show.)

So yes, hacking in the broad sense of the word, as it applies to methods of solving problems in clever or interesting ways and the "fun" aspects of bending things to your will.

[astcell]

Ah yes, then I guess you can say I hack every day. I would love to post details but I better save it for a book or for Richard Thieme. I feel the time is near.

Valkyrie, remind me to tell you about "the yearbook" and maybe you can help me rewrite it for online consumption.

[Deviant Ollam]

shows that dispell (or give evidence) for urband legends like those two guys Devian Ollam had in the video that gave him the idea for the beer cooling contest. (Sorry, cant remember the name of that show.)

yeah, that's MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. great program. in fact, i'm very behind on my downloading of that (there are about five or six shows that i really like on TV which i download pretty religiously. everything else is crap.)

/me fires up bittorent