Computing Now Essay, Research Paper

GUIDE TO (mostly) HARMLESS HACKING

Beginners? Series #2, Section 3.

Hacking from Windows 3.x, 95 and NT

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This lesson will tell you how, armed with even the lamest of on-line

services such as America Online and the Windows 95 operating system, you can

do some fairly serious Internet hacking — today!

In this lesson we will learn how to:

? Use secret Windows 95 DOS commands to track down and port surf computers

used by famous on-line service providers.

? Telnet to computers that will let you use the invaluable hacker tools of

whois, nslookup, and dig.

? Download hacker tools such as port scanners and password crackers designed

for use with Windows.

? Use Internet Explorer to evade restrictions on what programs you can run

on your school or work computers.

Yes, I can hear jericho and Rogue Agent and all the other Super Duper

hackers on this list laughing. I?ll bet already they have quit reading this

and are furiously emailing me flames and making phun of me in 2600 meetings.

Windows hacking? Pooh!

Tell seasoned hackers that you use Windows and they will laugh at you.

They?ll tell you to go away and don?t come back until you?re armed with a

shell account or some sort of Unix on your PC. Actually, I have long shared

their opinion. Shoot, most of the time hacking from Windoze is like using a

1969 Volkswagon to race against a dragster using one of VP Racing?s

high-tech fuels.

But there actually is a good reason to learn to hack from Windows. Some of

your best tools for probing and manipulating Windows networks are found only

on Windows NT. Furthermore, with Win 95 you can practice the Registry

hacking that is central to working your will on Win NT servers and the

networks they administer.

In fact, if you want to become a serious hacker, you eventually will have to

learn Windows. This is because Windows NT is fast taking over the Internet

from Unix. An IDC report projects that the Unix-based Web server market

share will fall from the 65% of 1995 to only 25% by the year 2000.