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Sunday
March 21, 2010 Since 1922 |
Reasons hackers try to worm into computers
By Aaron Barbee
Contributor Published February 15, 2009 Question: Hey Guru! I just got that Win Antivirus 2009 thing you talked about a few months ago. That thing is a huge pain! Why do they do it and can you tell me where they are? I’d like to talk to them.
Answer: Yep, it’s sad that these people choose to profit off of causing harm rather than putting their skills to good use. It’s easy money (kind of) to hack people’s computers and trick them into buying fictitious products. All you need is a little computer savvy, the right software to infect the computers, and the willingness to break many federal and international laws.
What compounds the issue is that 95 percent of the hackers don’t really know how to hack a computer. There is a mastermind that figures out how to write malware for computers, uploads it to hacking web sites, and then it’s downloaded by what’s known as “script kiddies.” Script kiddies are people who just use someone else’s work to hack a computer. It’s very derogatory to call someone a script kiddie, mainly because they know it’s true.
I think the psychology behind hacking someone’s computer is that they’re not really attacking someone directly. There are so many degrees of separation between the hacker and the hacked it really doesn’t seem like a crime on a person, but rather a computer. Of course the end result is the same and someone is out a good amount of money.
I’ve always said that these sorts of attacks will not stop until something phenomenal happens and we’re able to find them and prosecute them. Sadly these people can be literally anywhere in the world and finding them is like a needle in the haystack.
Microsoft has put a bounty of $250,000 on the creators of the Downadup/Conflicker worm that’s causing most of these recent problems you’re seeing. Unfortunately I doubt the person will be caught unless they just do something stupid. Just like they can be anywhere in the world anonymously, it could be a friend or family member and you may never know it.
Check out my Web site www.TexasComputerGuru.com for supplemental information and previous articles as well.
Aaron Barbee owns Texas Computer Guru, a local computer services company for on-site business and residential needs. He can be contacted at 281-628-5099. E-mail questions for Aaron to sunnews(at)baytownsun.com.
Contributor Published February 15, 2009 Question: Hey Guru! I just got that Win Antivirus 2009 thing you talked about a few months ago. That thing is a huge pain! Why do they do it and can you tell me where they are? I’d like to talk to them.
Answer: Yep, it’s sad that these people choose to profit off of causing harm rather than putting their skills to good use. It’s easy money (kind of) to hack people’s computers and trick them into buying fictitious products. All you need is a little computer savvy, the right software to infect the computers, and the willingness to break many federal and international laws.
What compounds the issue is that 95 percent of the hackers don’t really know how to hack a computer. There is a mastermind that figures out how to write malware for computers, uploads it to hacking web sites, and then it’s downloaded by what’s known as “script kiddies.” Script kiddies are people who just use someone else’s work to hack a computer. It’s very derogatory to call someone a script kiddie, mainly because they know it’s true.
I think the psychology behind hacking someone’s computer is that they’re not really attacking someone directly. There are so many degrees of separation between the hacker and the hacked it really doesn’t seem like a crime on a person, but rather a computer. Of course the end result is the same and someone is out a good amount of money.
I’ve always said that these sorts of attacks will not stop until something phenomenal happens and we’re able to find them and prosecute them. Sadly these people can be literally anywhere in the world and finding them is like a needle in the haystack.
Microsoft has put a bounty of $250,000 on the creators of the Downadup/Conflicker worm that’s causing most of these recent problems you’re seeing. Unfortunately I doubt the person will be caught unless they just do something stupid. Just like they can be anywhere in the world anonymously, it could be a friend or family member and you may never know it.
Check out my Web site www.TexasComputerGuru.com for supplemental information and previous articles as well.
Aaron Barbee owns Texas Computer Guru, a local computer services company for on-site business and residential needs. He can be contacted at 281-628-5099. E-mail questions for Aaron to sunnews(at)baytownsun.com.