AS you have probably realised by now, Windows isn't a very safe operating system and due to the increase of hackers attacking the students of the school, I have written this
as a guide of simple defence.
The best way to defend yourself seems to be prevention. This means that if you were serious about defending yourself you wouldn't have ICQ and MSN messenger installed as
those programs in Windows aren't secure. You would also have Antivirus running 24/7. However, since many people wouldn't be able to bear the fact of deleting those
programs or changing operating systems, the second best option is to Hide yourself/your IP.
DEFENDING YOUR IP
Everybody has a specific identifier called your IP address. An IP address is in the form *.*.*.* (eg 211.43.98.5). When someone has your IP, they know your exact location on the
internet and hackers in most circumstances need your IP to hack you except on rare occasions which is beyond the scope of this manual. In windows, to determine your IP, just type
winipcfg run on the start menu (on Win2K, use ipconfig). On normal 56K connections, make sure the box on the top says PPP connection but on cable modems the procedure is
different. It says your IP in the box. Make sure that in that box you dont have your network adaptor chosen. On most 56K connections, your IP changes every time you connect.
Except on cable, your IP remains the same. To change your IP on cable internet, click "release all" and then click "renew all". Your IP should change.
If the people you are online with dont know your IP, they cant attack you. The main way to defend your IP is by "spoofing your IP"
Spoofing your IP is easy. The primary method of spoofing your IP is by using an anonymous proxy server. You can get a list of proxy's from
http://www.cyberarmy.com/lists/proxy under the lists sections. Do a security check by going to connections under options in Internet explorer, choosing LAN settings and choosing
use a proxy server. Type in the proxy you want to use and do a security check on cyberarmy. If the IP they return is different to the one in winipcfg, you are anonymous.
Otherwise, choose another. Also, if the internet doesn't seem to work after using a proxy, it probably means the proxy you chose isn't working. Turn off the proxy,
return to cyberarmy and choose another. Each program needs to be configured separately for spoofing. In MSN messenger, you go to options, connections, change the type from socks
4 to Http proxy and type in your anonymous proxy. I HIGHLY recommend this method. It is a simplified method to what elite hackers use except that they actually "chain"
more then 1 proxy. You cant protect yourself in ICQ on the windows platform. I only recommend you use MSN because in ICQ, you cant protect yourself. You can also spoof yourself
using a socks server such as a badly configured wingate server but that is beyond this manual as it involves port scanning. Unless you know some anonymous Socks servers, only
stick to using HTTP proxies. Also, just because you think u are in a low risk situation, you might not be.
USE A FIREWALL
There are 2 types of firewalls, hardware and software. Hardware is superior to Software ones and are more expensive. If you have a cable modem, you probably already have a
Hardware firewall protecting you. PLZ NOTE: A firewall will not defend you when it is on a low setting. On low settings, you are as good as dead anyway. If you use one, set it
to maximum security unless you need to reduce the security for important reasons. Occasionally you will get one random attack but these aren't a threat anymore as long as you
have your firewall. As time goes by, you will see all the attacks that might have intruded your computer before but now can't. Don't turn off your firewall as a
desperate hacker might hang around for days just waiting for that 1 second your firewall is turned off. You may believe I am lying but a lot of people will spend hours pinging an
IP and then the moment the ping works, a script will automatically pentrate the computer. The only time you should panic is when you get spontaneous attacks from one person (eg 50
in ten seconds). IF that happens, I recommend disconnecting for a bit. Unless u are confident. ALSO, A FIREWALL DOES NOT ALWAYS PROTECT. It is possible to bypass. However, it
is Effective in 99.99999999% of cases. It is an excellent deterent BUT you must leave it on max security to be effective.
TURN OFF UNUSED PROTOCOLS.
If you go to network in control panel, you will see a list of protocols and adaptors. For the dial up Adaptor, the only protocol that should be associated with it is TCP/IP. Any
other associations with Dial up adaptor should be turned off. Also, if you aren't using a network, check the file and print sharing setting and make sure they are turned off
as that is a very popular attack... No joking. Also, just cause you are sharing read only, doesn't mean its read only, thats easy to penetrate. Also, if you share one
directory for a drive, you might as well share the whole drive as a bug in windows which allows hackers to use the cd.. command to go back directories is well known.
USING MSN AND ICQ
Dont use ICQ. Mirabilis keeps on promising that they will fix security flaws that people are aware of but release after release haven't. Because of this, hacking programs
have accumulated and you aren't safe. However, even though I hate Microsoft, MSN is much safer then ICQ. Actually this Microsoft-owned network runs better in
Microsoft's competing OS. ICQ is safe in Linux also. There are programs available to hack MSN but they are very rare which means that there are low incidences of hacks on
MSN. However, if someone does suddenly pop up in MSN, who you dont know, who may be a hacker, just block them BUT DONT DELETE THEM OFF YOUR LIST OR THEY GET UNBLOCKED. If they
manage to authorise themself, find out what they can off your computer. If they manage to find your address while threatening you, they must have obtained it off your computer,
but is it there? Otherwise the person hacking you must be in close contact with you. Ask where they got your Email address. If they say on your website, 1) how did they find
your website and 2) Is your Hotmail email address even on your website? Try to trick them into tripping up. What are they capable of. You must know whats on your computer. IF
you have file sharing enabled, go to my computer and temporarily disable all your shares. Run Netwatcher before and determine whether he is even connected to your computer. If
you dont have antivirus installed, a trojan horse might be installed on your computer (things like your CDrom drive popping out and your screen flipping upside down are direct
evidence of this). If they try to send you a file, dont accept it or they get your IP. However, if worse comes to worst, just disconnect from the net (which will change your IP
usually) and if you go online immediately again, keep mSN off temporarily. REmember, they only generally know if your Online if you show up as online in MSN. They wont bother
looking around for you, any other way probably! Also, Never accept a file in MSN from someone who might hack u. Whats known as a DCC connection is set up while doing this, and so
the packets are transferred directly between your computers as opposed to thru the Microsoft server, so he can get your IP... So just dont do it. Chances are that it is a virus
(like killpresidentbush) anyway.
ADVANCED DEFENCE
This section is only for the more advanced users. This is where you learn how to send vicious packets people send you, back to the invader. Port sniffers are an excellent tool.
They log all the packets which your ports accept. They log location, port and what's in the packet if you have a good prog like "Sniff em". If you have a program
capable of sending your custom packets, all you would need to do is change the header for the packets they sent you and send them back to their real IP. Voila. The soln to your
problems. This method would also allow you to determine how people actually break into your computer as well.
IP Chaining is an excellent way to hide your IP. You need a program capable of doing this but chaining IP's is similar to using more then 1 anonymous proxy server making it
more difficult for even the best people to trace you down. I recommend you try this out yourself. The new linux kernals have IP chaining built in and there are many programs in
X-windows in linux that allow u to easily use it. With a slower modem, you are harder to trace because you sometimes dont have enough bandwidth to ping back.
ONE LAST NOTE:
To all the lamerz out there, dont use those dodgy nuke programs. OOB bombs only work on unpatched Windoze 95 machines so before you think you have actually accomplished something
by nuking someone, think again. To windows ME computers, a nuke is just another packet. Also, dont think you are safe just couse you didn't tell no one your email address.
Hacking your computer could be a random incident as people scan huge amounts of IP's for a valnerability.... Which you might have.
