Computer hacking methods and precautions

QuanTriMang - If you are trying to hack into a Windows computer - whether you forget your password or have a bad intention to infiltrate - you have a few options. Here's how to do it and how to keep your computer protected.

There are several methods to invade a computer, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. We will explore the three best and most common methods, listing their weaknesses so you know what to use. Besides, we also know how to exploit the weaknesses of these methods to keep the computer secure.

Common method: Use the Linux Live CD to access files

If you don't need to access the operating system but only a few files, you don't have to access them all. Users can get any Linux live CD and drag and drop files to the USB drive just like they do with other operating systems.

How it works : Just download the .iso file for any Linux operating system and burn it to a CD. Enter the computer you want to access and boot from that CD. Select ' Try Ubuntu ' when it appears on the screen with the first menu and this option will lead you to the desktop. Here, users can access nearly all their hard drives by going to the Places menu on the menu bar and selecting the hard drive. There will be NTFS drives displayed for users to choose.

Note that, depending on permissions of some files, users need to have root access. If you're having trouble opening or copying some files, open the Terminal window (by accessing Applications → Accessories → Terminal ) and typing gksudo nautilus , leave the password entry blank when a screen appears. Now you have access to everything.

Security solution : This method can provide access to the file system, but its main weakness is that the bad guys cannot access the encrypted files, even when using gksudo . So, if the computer owner (or yourself) has encrypted your files (or encrypted the entire system), you won't have to worry much.

Command-Line Fu command: Reset the system password with the System Rescue CD disk

If you need to access your computer's operating system, the System Rescue CD disk for Linux is a good option to hack. Users will have to perform some commands, but if done strictly according to the instructions, everything will be fine.

How to do it : Just download the iso file of System Rescue Live CD and burn it to disk. Boot from this disk and click on the default option when a blue screen appears. After everything has loaded successfully and you see the command interface, type fdisk -l to see the drives and partitions available on the computer. Select the Windows partition (usually the largest NTFS partition) and pay attention to the name, for example / dev / sda3 .

Then run the following command:

ntfs-3g / dev / sda3 / mnt / windows -o force

Notice that you replace / dev / sda3 with the partition you saw earlier. Next, cd to Windows / System32 / config address book with the following command:

cd / mnt / windows / Windows / System32 / config

We will have to edit the SAM file in this folder, so type the following command to get the list of users:

chntpw –l SAM

Notice the username you want to access, then type the following command, replacing Whitson Gordon with the correct username:

chntpw -u "Whitson Gordon" SAM

On the next screen, select the first option by typing 1 and then press Enter . This way will delete the user password and leave it blank. When asked if you want to write the files, press y and press Enter . After that, there will be confirmation OK and you can type reboot to restart the computer. Once you boot into Windows, you can log in to that user account without a password.

Security solution : Again, the weakness of this method is that it cannot beat encryption. Changing the password will not allow access to encrypted files in case the user has validated the entire system. This makes the method meaningless. However, if you only encrypt a few files, hackers can still access the unencrypted data without any problems.

Brute Force: Break the password with Ophcrack

Although these two methods are easily defeated by encryption, this method will provide access to everything legally accessible users, including encrypted files. This is because this method relies on finding a password, rather than ignoring it.

How it works : All you need to do is download and burn the Ophcrack Live CD file (use the Vista version if you plan to unlock your Windows 7 computer) and boot it on your computer. It will take some time to boot, but it will eventually lead you to the desktop and start the password cracking process. This process will take some time to execute. You will see the password displayed at the top of the window when you find them. In case it is not found, the user will be notified. After that, users were able to boot and log in to the Windows operating system with these passwords.

Security solution : Although this method works with encrypted operating systems, it still cannot crack all passwords. To increase the chances of a password not being cracked, use a complex password of 14 characters or more. The stronger the password, the lower Ophcrack's ability to find them.

There are many methods to infiltrate Windows computer systems. However, only a few methods actually prove to be effective and used a lot. Apart from coding, there are quite a few people using the first two methods. If you don't like the first two methods, you still have Ophcrack to access. Choose your own way to log in to your computer whenever you lose or forget your password. Or, consider the included security solution in case the computer is hacked.