Can a hacker catch a hacker more easily?

[Victor Leigh]

I came across this news item about liars being more able to detect other liars.

 

It sets me thinking about hackers and hacking. Is it possible that hackers, with their knowledge of hacking, would be the best people to employ to set up anti-hacking security measures? Or are hackers, being hackers, inherently unrealiable for something as critical as security? What do you think?

 

More information about the liars catching liars here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2179710/It-takes-thief-catch-thief-Liars-far-better-spotting-lies-normal-people.html

 

[redinit]

You're misusing the term hackers. Hackers are people who look at code as well program themselves. Crackers are the mischievous ones you hear about breaking into online databases. If you write code, you are a hacker

 

Your question is simple, a person hired to secure your infrastructure, should know how to break into an infrastructure, otherwise how else is he supposed to "fix" something he doesn't know how it's broken in to? He needs to know all the ins/outs, how a cracker would get in, what methods he would use, etc.. When I secure my servers, I think how a cracker would break in, what methods he/she would use, this way I know what I need to lock down

 

You wouldn't hire a mechanic to fix your car, that doesn't know to take cars apart.

[Victor Leigh]

You're misusing the term hackers. Hackers are people who look at code as well program themselves. Crackers are the mischievous ones you hear about breaking into online databases. If you write code, you are a hacker

 

Your question is simple, a person hired to secure your infrastructure, should know how to break into an infrastructure, otherwise how else is he supposed to "fix" something he doesn't know how it's broken in to? He needs to know all the ins/outs, how a cracker would get in, what methods he would use, etc.. When I secure my servers, I think how a cracker would break in, what methods he/she would use, this way I know what I need to lock down

 

You wouldn't hire a mechanic to fix your car, that doesn't know to take cars apart.

 

True. If you need someone to fix your car, you would hire a mechanic who can take cars apart. The question I am asking is more like would you hire someone who is known to steal cars?

[Nathan]

I'm looking for the article now, but I've read several over the years where a person will be caught breaking in somewhere then offered a job. A job making things more secure or any other type of programming.

[Victor Leigh]

I'm looking for the article now, but I've read several over the years where a person will be caught breaking in somewhere then offered a job. A job making things more secure or any other type of programming.

 

That's what made me wonder. If it's true that "once a thief, always a thief", what assurance is there that these guys have turned over a new leaf? What assurance is there that these guys would not someday just quit their security jobs and go back to being the bad guys again? Putting them in charge of security is giving them all kinds to opportunities to create backdoors in the systems which they are supposed to be securing.

[Jessi]

Yep, absolutely. That's why you see those conventions where they offer up prize money for people to hack into this system or that. They want people who are good at it to come in, crack things open and find security holes, that way they can fix them before products go live (or after they're live and having issues). If you don't know there's a problem somewhere, then it's hard to prevent it from possibly becoming an issue.

[SpikeTheLobster]

It sets me thinking about hackers and hacking. Is it possible that hackers, with their knowledge of hacking, would be the best people to employ to set up anti-hacking security measures?

 

Absolutely. It's almost impossible to set up any kind of reliable security without knowing what you're securing your system against. That's why building security consultants are frequently ex-military, ex-cons and so on (or taught by them).

 

You're misusing the term hackers. Hackers are people who look at code as well program themselves. Crackers are the mischievous ones you hear about breaking into online databases. If you write code, you are a hacker

 

No you're not. You're a programmer. Unless, of course, you're using the term "hacker" to define someone in the free software subculture, which is unlikely.

 

A hacker is someone who circumvents security systems - whether they're a white or black hat. It doesn't have to be malicious - and that's where the "controversy" lies in the definition. Traditionally, hackers were always assumed to have evil intent, which just isn't the case. But when it comes down to it, hackers break security no matter which side of the fence they're on.

[GregH]

Wasn't there that German who developed the Blaster was it? That had hundreds of thousands of computers shutting down over night. Quite a big feat from a teenager. But he was offered a job, last I heard he didn't last very long in that job though.

 

Edit: It wasn't the blaster. I'll try to find the name of the worm.

Edited August 9, 2012 by GregH

[Isabellas2007]

My brother-in-law is a white hat hacker and cracker. He ended up hacking at guy who hacked my sites and his servers. He ended up putting his computer in a redirect loop for several weeks. Wrote the code for it and everything to get the guys computer really nice and set up for him. 

[themonk3y]

I'm looking for the article now, but I've read several over the years where a person will be caught breaking in somewhere then offered a job. A job making things more secure or any other type of programming.

 

I read some where once that a some guys hacked Facebook some time ago and made it look like myspace for a short period of time. Later they were caught, well not actually caught the fake account which was used in all the hacking and they end up hiring them on Facebook. 

 

It is a little off topic but I was wondering if anyone here knows any good websites to learn hacking from scratch I am really interested in it but I have never been able to find a website or a forum where you could learn it from scratch.

[JPK0007]

I think that Hackers who are able to breach all kinds of firewalls and security measures are very difficult to get caught by people who don't have much knowledge about the activity of Hacking. An expert Hacker can very easily catch hold of another Hacker because he will be knowing all the tricks and skills of the field. Such hackers who help in determining the vulnerabilities of the security system and catching the real Hackers are called as Ethical Hackers.

[Kaushik]

Well not certainly, but they will have a higher chance in doing so. Because they are hackers themselves, they will have a better idea as to where to start and how to proceed further. They will try it out in their own secret ways which a normal engineer would not be aware of. Hackers are mostly inside the organization, they get to all everything and then use it all against their organization.

[mhingnhormz]

Can a hacker catch a hacker more easily: In my opinion there is big possibilities that a hacker can catch other hacker because they are titled in same aspects so it is possible that the things that first hacker know was also knew by the other hacker but there are also a uniqueness tricks of every hacker has that he already learned in his own ways but it doesn't meann that it will not catch by the other hacker because hacker will always be a hacke he will find a way to catch it.

[davedaot04]

Well, I think it's common sense, and surely a hacker knows more about it because they've been in that shoes, they know how it works and they know the holes, so that they can easily find a way to make it more secure. Hackers can obviously catch a hacker more, because they know how they do it. 

[Martinsx]

It's very possible at least from what I have seen so far in technology movies. Movies where cyber war is carried out, lots of hackers fighting are seen it and they track their activities. 

I don't have any knowledge about hacking, so I can't say more on this subject other what I have said so far. 

[NikSuks]

It really depends on their skills. If they are both skilled, it is difficult for one to catch another and it is difficult for one who is evading the one who is chasing to escape. Those two hackers would probably both have a hard time chasing the other and escaping from the other. But one would surely slip at some point. 

[Jelineex]

I think there is a big possibility that hackers can catch another hackers. Since, they have good orientation with the nature of work. They can always find a way no matter how difficult would it be. Hackers are competitive in terms of their skills. They have better observation and analysis in every possible way. The level of difficulty is a great motivation to prove their expertise. Destroying one's system is their victory.

[Alania]

There's a wonderful saying here, a fisherman sees another fisherman. Meaning that a person from one "profession" is able to notice another one. I believe a hacker might be able to catch a hacker, as long as he's good enough. Otherwise I don't think so.