WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.600 Welcome back to the deep dive. Today we are taking 2 00:00:03.640 --> 00:00:07.000 aim at something pretty central to modern life but often 3 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:12.000 really misunderstood, computer hacking. Yeah, definitely forget the cliches, you know, 4 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:15.400 the dark rooms, green tech's flashing. We want to get 5 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:18.760 into the real mindset, the methods, and maybe most importantly, 6 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:21.280 what you can actually do to protect yourself exactly. 7 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:25.960 And I think our mission here for you listening is 8 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:29.359 to move past this idea that hacking is always some 9 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:33.640 super complex code breaking thing. Okay, Often hacking just means 10 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:38.320 well using skills cleverly to find weak spots, and overwhelmingly 11 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:39.759 those weak spots they're. 12 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:41.200 Human human vulnerabilities. 13 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.159 That's it. Technology is moving so fast, but the biggest 14 00:00:44.200 --> 00:00:47.799 threats to your privacy they're often exploiting basic trust, not 15 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:49.000 some futuristic AI. 16 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:51.719 Okay, let's unpack that. Because hacker itself is such a 17 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:54.439 loaded term, we probably need to define who we're actually 18 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:57.560 talking about first, maybe based on like their intention the 19 00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:58.880 old hat analogy. 20 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:02.640 Vercise, it's a good shorthand basically, have three relationships to 21 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:05.280 the system you're interacting with. First, the black hats the 22 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:09.680 bad guys. Yeah, pretty much, they're looking for malicious unauthorized entry. 23 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:14.519 Their goal is you know, theft, damage, messing with data. 24 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:17.719 They're criminals, plain and simple, no permission involved. 25 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.079 Right. Then you've got the opposite, the white hats, ethical 26 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:22.519 hackers exactly. 27 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:27.079 They're the defenders, often hired by big companies think Facebook, Microsoft, Google, 28 00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:30.480 places like that. They're authorized to attack the system, but 29 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:33.280 their job is purely to find those weaknesses and help 30 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:37.040 fix them before the black hats can get there. Essential 31 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:37.799 security work. 32 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:41.239 So protectors basically, right. And the third type, the gray hats. 33 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:44.319 They sound a bit ambiguous, they really are. They operate 34 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:47.560 in this murky middle ground. They might exploit a system, 35 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:51.319 find a vulnerability without permission, okay, but maybe not with 36 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.120 purely evil intent. Often they'll tell the owner, hey, you've 37 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:57.400 got a hole here, But sometimes sometimes they might ask 38 00:01:57.400 --> 00:01:59.519 for a small fee like a bug bounty. They set 39 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.439 themselves to fix it, which puts them in a tricky 40 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.519 ethical spot. Yeah, definitely a gray area. Okay, So we 41 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:09.080 have these different players. But here's what blew my mind 42 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.520 from the sources. When you look at how attacks actually 43 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:17.479 happened today, it's rarely the super technical stuff. It's mostly 44 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:20.560 about people. Social engineering that is. 45 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:25.120 The absolute key takeaway here, it's staggering, really technical flaws. 46 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:28.639 They account for maybe what three percent of successful attacks? 47 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:29.479 Only three percent? 48 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:33.159 Yeah, the other ninety seven percent purely based on social 49 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:34.240 engineer ninety seven. 50 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:37.199 Wow, So the whole game has shifted. It's not about 51 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:41.400 breaking the code, it's about breaking the person exploiting our psychology, 52 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.400 you got it, our instinct to help, maybe our fear 53 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:47.400 of authority or just getting rushed into doing something without thinking. 54 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:50.360 That's the target now, much more than the software itself. 55 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.520 And within that huge ninety seven percent, there's one technique 56 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:54.240 that stands out. 57 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:58.400 Oh yeah, the undisputed king is fishing. The stats suggests 58 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:01.000 something like ninety one percent, nine out of ten data 59 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:02.639 breaches start with a phishing attempt. 60 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:05.159 Hishing. This is the classic email scam, right, trying to 61 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:07.520 lure you into clicking a bad link or giving up 62 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:08.560 your log in details. 63 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:11.360 That's the basics of it. Yeah, but what makes them 64 00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:15.159 work isn't just the email itself, it's the psychology. How 65 00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:18.800 So they deliberately create this sense of urgency or maybe 66 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:21.159 a threat or fear. Yeah, they want to trigger an 67 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:24.639 emotional reaction, so you act fast before your logical brain 68 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:28.759 cakes in. Ah, think about that US Tax Day scam 69 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.759 back in twenty eighteen, emails claiming to be from the 70 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:36.319 IRS demanding tax details immediately. They used fear of the IRS, 71 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:37.879 the deadline pressure. 72 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:40.199 To make people panic and handover info exactly. 73 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.080 And they often use those weird shortened links or links 74 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:45.280 that look legit but actually redirect you to a fake 75 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:47.199 site built just to steal your credentials. 76 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:50.599 Okay, so that's manipulating fear. What about impersonation? How does 77 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:51.719 that work psychologically? 78 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:56.240 Impersonation plays on our respect for authority really, or maybe 79 00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:58.120 just our tendency to do what we're told by someone 80 00:03:58.120 --> 00:03:59.400 who sounds like they're. 81 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:01.560 In charge, boss or IT support. 82 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:06.319 Precisely, criminals pose as an IT executive, a manager and auditor, 83 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:11.560 someone whose request you probably wouldn't question immediately. It takes 84 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.280 more setup for the attacker, sure, but the success rate 85 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:17.079 can be really high. We saw attacks like this jump 86 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:20.279 almost four hundred percent of one year because people just comply. 87 00:04:20.680 --> 00:04:23.680 Wow, that's a huge increase. And it's not just email, right, 88 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:29.360 We also need to think about vishing and smashing voice 89 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:29.959 and text. 90 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:34.879 Absolutely, these often fly under the radar of traditional email filters. Phishing, 91 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:37.879 that's voice fishing happens over the phone. The attacker calls up, 92 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:40.600 tries to get credentials, or sometimes they're more aggressive. They 93 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:42.240 might try to talk you into running a script on 94 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:45.199 your computer or visiting a compromise website while you're on 95 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.600 the call, and they're harder to a tract, much harder, 96 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:50.879 no obvious digital trail like an email header. Remember that 97 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:54.199 massive IRS fishing scam ran for years twenty twelve to 98 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:54.839 twenty sixteen. 99 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:56.399 I do remember hearing about that. 100 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:59.839 Costs victims hundreds of millions, all because people believe they 101 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:03.240 were talking to a real IRS agent demanding immediate payment. 102 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:05.040 That fear factor. 103 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.160 Again, and smishing is the text message version. 104 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:11.399 Correct SMS fishing. They get numbers from breaches, web crawling, 105 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:13.199 sometimes just random generators. 106 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:15.399 And what kind of tricks do they use in texts? 107 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:19.680 All sorts my promise, fake coupons or discounts, playing on greed, 108 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.759 or they'll poses your bank, you know, urgent click here 109 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:28.839 to reactivate your card, or your online account expires today, 110 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:32.720 log in here to renew. Texts feel immediate personal, so 111 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:33.839 people react quickly. 112 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:36.399 It all comes back to that psychological manipulation. Okay, so 113 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:38.680 let's say they see they trick us that ninety seven 114 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:42.000 percent chance? What tools are they actually using them? What's 115 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:45.800 in their like digital toolkit? Once they have that initial access. 116 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:48.759 Right the toolkit, it can get specialized, but the concepts 117 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:51.600 are often quite straightforward. Take keyloggers, for. 118 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:53.920 Instance, teloggers the blog your keys. 119 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:55.920 Exactly that They record every single key stor it you make, 120 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.519 user names, passwords, credit card numbers, private messages, everything. 121 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:00.279 How do they work? 122 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:02.920 Well? Think of your operating system having this thing called 123 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:07.120 an API. It's like a messenger carrying instructions. A keylogger 124 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:11.079 basically attaches itself to that messenger and copies down everything 125 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.720 you type before it even gets processed properly, usually arrives 126 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:16.000 hidden inside some malware. 127 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.720 Nasty. And what about root kits? That sounds even worse. 128 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.759 Yeah, the name is pretty menacing, isn't it. A rootkit 129 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:25.759 is basically a collection of software tools designed to give 130 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:29.839 an attacker deep remote access and control over your system. 131 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:33.639 And crucially, it hides itself really well from detection. 132 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:35.079 So it's like a hidden back. 133 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:37.680 Door kind of. Yeah. If the key lagger is spying 134 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:39.839 on your typing, the root kit is like a secret 135 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:42.839 agent living in your computer, giving the hacker full control 136 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:45.959 to steel files, install more bad stuff, or even crash 137 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.759 the whole system. And again they almost always get installed 138 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:51.800 through those initial social engineering tricks. 139 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:54.519 It's interesting that one tool you mentioned, the vulnerability scanner, 140 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:57.079 is used by both sides, black hats and white hats. 141 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:00.600 Yeah, it's purely a tool like a hammer. White hats 142 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.319 use scanners to find security holes so they can fix 143 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:06.319 them quickly. Black hats use the exact same scanners to 144 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:09.199 look for those same weaknesses, but obviously they want to 145 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.079 exploit them. It's like checking the doors and windows before breakin. 146 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:16.079 Right. Okay, let's talk passwords. We hear password cracking all 147 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:18.639 the time. Can we break down the main ways they 148 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:19.480 actually do. Yeah? 149 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:23.199 Sure. Think of them mostly as automated guessing games. The 150 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:25.199 most famous is probably the brute force attack. 151 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:26.800 That's just trying everything. 152 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:31.920 Pretty much. Automated software just systematically tries every possible combination 153 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:38.079 of letters, numbers, symbols abcaaab AC one two three one 154 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:40.480 A one B, just keeps going until it hits the 155 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:40.839 right one. 156 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.639 Must take ages for complex passwords. 157 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.079 They can, Yeah, that's why password complexity helps. Then you've 158 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:47.879 got a variation called the dictionary attack. 159 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:50.120 Using dictionary words exactly. 160 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:52.800 Uses huge lists of common words, phrases, names, maybe common 161 00:07:52.839 --> 00:07:56.759 modifications like adding what twenty three at the end shockingly 162 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:59.680 effective because well, so many people use simple words or 163 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:00.879 perle patterns. 164 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:04.519 Okay, that makes sense. And the third one reverse brute force. 165 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:05.360 How's that different? 166 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.600 So instead of trying many passwords against one username, reverse 167 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:13.439 brute force takes one really common, leaked or weak password 168 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:16.560 like password one, two three or maybe spring twenty twenty 169 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:20.720 four and tries it against thousands or millions of different usernames. 170 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:24.360 Ah, playing the odds that someone used that specific weak 171 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:25.759 password exactly. 172 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.759 They know a certain percentage of people will always use 173 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:32.440 the easiest option. The defense against all three really is 174 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:37.240 a strong unique password, ideally long random, maybe multi word 175 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:37.840 makes sense. 176 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.320 Let's shift two attacks specifically targeting websites. What's in SQL 177 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:42.919 injection sounds technical? 178 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.360 It is a bit technical, but the concept isn't too bad. 179 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:48.240 Imagine a website search box or the lug in form. 180 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:51.000 Those boxes need to talk to the website's database behind 181 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:53.960 the scenes using a language called SQL. Okay, if the 182 00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:56.279 website code isn't careful about checking what you type into 183 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:59.240 that box, an attacker could actually type in malicious sequel 184 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:00.399 commands instead us a. 185 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:02.320 Search term and trick the database. 186 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:05.519 Yeah, basically trick the database into doing something it shouldn't, 187 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.159 like revealing all the usernames and passwords stored inside or 188 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:12.480 customer data. It's exploiting a loophole in how the website 189 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:13.559 handles user input. 190 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:18.759 Gotcha and the other big web attach DIDO distributed denial of. 191 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:22.039 Service that one's maybe easier to picture. It's basically just 192 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.720 a massive overwhelming traffic jam created on purpose. 193 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:26.639 Traffic jam. 194 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:30.039 Yeah. The attacker uses a network of compromised computers, sometimes 195 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.000 thousands or millions of them, called a botnet, to flood 196 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:36.519 the target website or network with so much junk traffic 197 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:40.200 that legitimate users can't get through. The whole service is 198 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.960 grind to a halt, becomes unusable. 199 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:46.240 Overwhelmed by noise. Okay, let's move to some specific case studies. 200 00:09:46.519 --> 00:09:49.720 The sources talk about something called session hijacking using cross 201 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:53.440 site scripting or EXSS. Can you break that down simply? 202 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:53.879 Okay? 203 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:54.120 Sure? 204 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:56.480 Think about when you log into your bank account online, 205 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.559 you navigate around check balances, make transfers. You don't want 206 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:01.279 to type your password on every single page. 207 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:02.679 Right right, there would be annoying. 208 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:07.120 Exactly. That convenience comes from something called a session ID. 209 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:09.519 Once you log in, the website gives your browser a 210 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:13.720 temporary token, like a digital hall pass. This little piece 211 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:16.720 of data, often stored in something called a cookie, proves 212 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:19.279 to the website that you're already logged in for that session. 213 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:20.840 Okay, so the hacker wants my hall. 214 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:26.639 Pass precisely now. XSS. Cross site scripting happens when a 215 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:30.120 website doesn't properly clean up the input fields, maybe a 216 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:33.960 comment section, a user profile, somewhere users can type stuff. 217 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:38.279 An attacker injects a small piece of malicious code, usually JavaScript, 218 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:42.120 into that field, and then what then? An unsuspecting user, 219 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.200 maybe even someone with high privileges like a site administrator, 220 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.879 visits that page. The malicious script runs silently in their 221 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:51.320 browser and steals their session id that hall pass. 222 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:51.960 Oh wow. 223 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:55.080 The hacker then takes that stolen session ID and uses 224 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:57.720 a tool to basically stick it into their own browsers 225 00:10:57.720 --> 00:11:00.519 request to the website. The website sees the valid hall 226 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:03.480 pass and things the hackers the administrator to get logged in, 227 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:07.759 effectively impersonating the victim without ever needing the password. 228 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:10.519 So they're logged in without actually logging in. That's sneaky, 229 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:11.600 very and. 230 00:11:11.559 --> 00:11:15.519 That's why website security involves constantly checking and cleaning user input, 231 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.919 encrypting those section cookies, setting them to expire quickly, all 232 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:20.480 that stuff. 233 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.240 Right. There was also that incredible story about Instagram. A 234 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:28.960 researcher found a way to potentially hijack any account and 235 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:29.759 got paid for it. 236 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:33.120 Yeah, that was Laxman Maia. He got a thirty thousand 237 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:37.639 dollars bug bounty from Facebook for finding and responsibly reporting it. 238 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:38.159 It was clever. 239 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:40.440 He targeted the password reset. 240 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:42.720 Feature, the one that sends a code to your phone exactly. 241 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:45.720 You get a six digit code via SMS or email. Right, 242 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:49.360 But the trick is that code usually expires pretty quickly, 243 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:53.240 maybe ten minutes, and Instagram, like most services, has rate 244 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:54.799 limiting in place. 245 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:56.799 Meaning you can't just guess codes endlessly. 246 00:11:57.080 --> 00:11:59.240 Right. They block you after a certain number of failed 247 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:02.039 attempts from the same place, the same IP address. Yeah, 248 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.120 but Mathia figured out a way around the rate limit. 249 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.720 He realized he could send a huge number of simultaneous guesses, 250 00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:12.120 but crucially, he sent them from many, many different IP addresses, 251 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.960 all at once, constantly rotating them. The system's rate limiting 252 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:19.039 wasn't sophisticated enough to catch that distributed attack. 253 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.240 So he could just flood it with guesses from everywhere 254 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:22.039 pretty much. 255 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.639 He calculated he'd need about five thousand different IP addresses 256 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:28.480 to have enough guesses to reliably crack the six digit 257 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:30.279 code within that ten minute window. 258 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:31.840 Five thousand ips. 259 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:35.080 That sounds expensive, you'd think so, but here's the kicker. 260 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:38.600 He estimated he could rent those five thousand ips from 261 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:42.960 cloud computing providers for only about one hundred and fifty 262 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:43.759 US dollars. 263 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:46.440 Wow, only one hundred and fifty bucks to potentially take 264 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.879 over any Instagram account. That's sobering. 265 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:51.200 It really shows the economics of these things and why 266 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:54.360 finding and fixing these flaws is so critical and why 267 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.039 responsible disclosure like he did is so important. 268 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:00.840 Absolutely, And speaking of mobile, let's touch on smartphones Pacific attacks. 269 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.360 The sources mentioned they have a high success rate. 270 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:06.440 They do. Yeah, the mobile threat landscape is a bit different. 271 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:10.039 You know. For regular computers, hackers might use rit's remote 272 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:13.320 administration tools things like nanocore or dark comet to get 273 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:16.960 a control. Okay, for smartphones, especially Android, you have similar 274 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.279 tools like androad or droi jack. They can be really effective. 275 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:24.320 But phones also have that unique SMS channel that computers don't. 276 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:29.840 Right. You mentioned vishing and smishing, But are there other SMS. 277 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:32.919 Attacks, Yes, some quite alarming ones. There's something called the 278 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.519 midnight rate. A simple SMS can be crafted to silently 279 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:39.960 trigger actions on the phone, like opening the browser to 280 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:44.320 a malicious site, retrieving devised info like its unique ID number, 281 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:46.080 or even pushing malware onto the. 282 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.240 Device, all from one text message. 283 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:51.000 Potentially, Yes, and then there's the control message attack. This 284 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:54.960 is even scarier. Certain types of control messages, if exploited, 285 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:58.840 could potentially change core phone settings without you knowing, things 286 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:04.200 like disablings security features, maybe unchecking SSL so your encrypted 287 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:08.080 connections aren't actually encrypted anymore, or, in a worst case scenario, 288 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:11.559 pushing a remote wipe command to erase everything on the phone. 289 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.519 Erase everything, Yes, and imagine if that wipe command could 290 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:19.080 then be forwarded to everyone in the hacked phone's contact list. 291 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:22.000 The potential for damage spreads rapidly. 292 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.879 That's terrifying. Okay, let's shift to our final section. This 293 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:29.000 is something a lot of people worry about IP addresses. 294 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:33.000 If someone online gets your IP address, should you panic? 295 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:34.919 Are they in your system, right. 296 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:37.039 This causes a lot of anxiety. Let's be really clear. 297 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:40.080 An IP address by itself is just a number. It's 298 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:41.919 like your house's street address, but for. 299 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:44.600 The Internet, your Internet provider gives it to you exactly. 300 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:47.399 It's assigned by your ISP, and it's necessary for your 301 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:50.480 computer or phone to send and receive data online. Just 302 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:53.559 knowing someone's ipaddress is generally normal. It happens constantly during 303 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:57.600 web browsing, gaming, emailing. It's not inherently illegal or dangerous. 304 00:14:57.639 --> 00:14:59.559 So the danger isn't the IP itself. 305 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:03.639 No, the danger only comes if someone uses that IP 306 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:06.799 address to actually try and attack or violate your device 307 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:11.080 or network. That act is illegal, But simply knowing the 308 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:14.399 number doesn't grant them automatic access. Think of it like 309 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:17.200 knowing someone's home address doesn't mean you can walk through 310 00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:18.200 their locked front door. 311 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:21.399 Okay, that helps clarify, But how do hackers actually track 312 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:24.679 an IP address if they want to target someone specifically? 313 00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:28.399 Well, the most reliable way to silently get someone's IP 314 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.480 is to trick them into sending traffic directly to you 315 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:35.080 or to something you control. A common method involves setting 316 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.159 up a simple, free website. You upload a small script, 317 00:15:38.279 --> 00:15:41.240 often called an IP finder or logger. Then you give 318 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:44.519 the target a specific link to that website, maybe disguised 319 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.759 as a link to an image or an interesting article. 320 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:47.240 And when they click it. 321 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:49.679 When they click the link, their browser connects to your 322 00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:53.279 website to load the content. Your script then automatically logs 323 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:56.240 their IP address, often along with their browser type and 324 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:59.559 operating system details, all silently in the background. 325 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:02.240 Okay, so now the hacker has my IP knows I 326 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:06.679 use Firefox on Windows for example. What can they realistically 327 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:10.200 do with just that information? What's the actual threat level? 328 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:14.519 This is important for many, let's say, less skilled or 329 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:18.600 amateur hackers getting that info the IP the browser is 330 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:19.559 often just used for. 331 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:21.320 Scare tactics, just to frighten people. 332 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:24.320 Yeah, they'll message you saying I have your IP, I 333 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:28.120 know you're using Chrome, I'm hacking you, hoping you'll panic, 334 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.279 maybe even try to extort money from you. In reality, 335 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:32.960 they might not have any deeper access at. 336 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:35.440 All, so it can be a bluff. What about finding 337 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:36.080 my location? 338 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.480 Geolocation from an IP address is not precise. It gives 339 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.600 an approximate location, usually narrowed down to your city or region, 340 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:45.679 maybe a few square kilometers in urban areas, maybe dozens 341 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.799 in rural areas. It points to the general areas served 342 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:52.679 by your ISP's equipment, not your specific house. Only your 343 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:55.519 ISP or law enforcement with a warrant can link that 344 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:57.600 IP to your exact physical address. 345 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:00.279 Okay, so they don't instantly know where I live. A 346 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:02.639 skilled hacker use the IP to actually get in. 347 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:06.240 That's where the complexity comes in. A skilled attacker could 348 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.440 use your IP address as a starting point. They would 349 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.160 likely try to scan your internet router, the box connecting 350 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:16.039 your home network to the Internet, looking for open ports 351 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:17.559 or known vulnerabilities. 352 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:18.519 How would they do that. 353 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:20.279 They try to figure out the make and model of 354 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.160 your router, the software version it's running, and then check 355 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:26.799 databases of known exploits for that specific hardware or software. 356 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:30.160 Or if they find an administrative login page for the 357 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.839 router exposed to the Internet, they might try a brute 358 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.720 force or dictionary attack against the router's password itself. 359 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:38.759 But that sounds difficult and time consuming. 360 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.839 It absolutely is. It's a long, complex process, not instant 361 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:46.680 access by any means. Most home routers have basic security features. 362 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:50.319 Default passwords should always be changed, and keeping firmware updated 363 00:17:50.359 --> 00:17:52.119 helps close known vulnerabilities. 364 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.200 So what's the simplest defense If I'm worried someone has 365 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:55.640 my IP? 366 00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:58.880 Often the easiest thing is just to reboot your router. 367 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:02.559 For most home Internet connections, this will cause your ISP 368 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.359 to assign you a new public IP address. The old 369 00:18:05.400 --> 00:18:07.039 one becomes useless to the attacker. 370 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:10.480 A simple reboot, okay. And for more robust protection. 371 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:13.799 For genuine anonymity and security against IP tracking and some 372 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:18.119 types of scanning, using a reputable VPN virtual private network 373 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:21.920 is a good step, or for higher security using something 374 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:25.359 like the TR network. These services mask your real IP 375 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:27.880 address by routing your traffic through their servers. 376 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:30.599 First makes sense VPNs and TR for masking. 377 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:33.880 Okay. So if we kind of pull all these threads together, 378 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:38.079 what does it all mean? I think the big picture 379 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:41.799 is that no single piece of software, no machine, can 380 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:44.720 give you one hundred percent guaranteed security, especially in a 381 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:48.559 world where technology keeps changing so fast. Awareness, being diligent, 382 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:52.640 staying informed, these are just essential now, particularly when as 383 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:55.440 we saw, ninety seven percent of attacks are aimed squarely 384 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:57.559 at our basic human instincts and reflexes. 385 00:18:57.640 --> 00:18:59.720 That really is the most critical takeaway, isn't It's less 386 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:02.920 about fighting off some super genius coder in a basement. Often, Yeah, 387 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:07.279 and more about recognizing and resisting that social exploitation using strong, 388 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:11.240 unique passwords, not falling for those urgent fear based requests, 389 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:14.640 being skeptical, that's your first and best line of defense. 390 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:18.720 Absolutely, and supporting things like responsible disclosure like the Instagram 391 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:21.880 researcher did is vital too. That helps everyone become safer 392 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:24.559 by getting flaws fixed before they're widely abused. 393 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:27.640 Definitely. Okay, let's wrap up with a final thought for you, 394 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:30.680 our listener, to take away and maybe mull over. Given 395 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:34.480 that the overwhelming majority of successful attacks, that huge ninety 396 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:39.039 seven percent statistic rely not on technical wizardry, but on 397 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:43.480 exploiting basic human psychology, our instinct to help our deference 398 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:46.799 to authority. What's one small daily habit you could change, 399 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:49.920 starting right now, to make yourself less exploitable. Think about 400 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.000 that immediate reaction you have when you get an urgent 401 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:54.119