How To Hack: The Basics
The world of computer forensics is a fascinating one. Before writing Wings of Mayhem (releases 5/18/16) I took several courses on how to hack.
For those who don’t know, the main character in Wings of Mayhem, Shawnee Daniels, is a hacker turned computer forensic specialist who moonlights as a cat burglar. My usual process is to learn everything I can about my characters’ professions so I can slip into their skin. Many things never make it into the book.
For new followers of this blog, my mission has always been to share what I learn here. If I can save you research time in the future, then I consider it a win.
There are three types of hackers:
Black hats: people who use their skill for evil.
White hats: people who use their skill for good.
Gray hats: somewhere in between the two. Shawnee is a gray hat, but don’t judge her too harshly. She’s loyal and loving under all her snarkiness.
Computers 101
These days we all use what’s called Transmission Control Protocal/Internet Protocal or TCP/IP. TCP is how your computer or devise communicates. IP is how it connects to the internet.
I sense your eyes glassing over, but stay with me. If you use a computer on a regular basis, which I assume you do or you wouldn’t be here, by the end of this post you won’t ever look at them in the same way.
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Windowing is the process of one computer communicating with another. To be clear, when I say computer I’m referring to any electronic devise that connects to the Internet.
Information is broken down into “packets,” strings of 1s and 0s (called binary numbers) that make up everything we send. It’s with these strings of 1s and 0s that programmers write code. By manipulating or rewriting code is how hackers cause chaos. They also use skip kiddies, patches, and other “tricks,” but they all stem from writing code (using binary numbers). I’m sticking with the basics here so it doesn’t get too confusing.
How Windowing Works
Let’s say Computer 1 sends Computer 2 a Word.doc. Rather than sending the entire file, Computer 1 will send 1 packet, a string of 1s and 0s (binary numbers) that when combined with the other packets, make up the entire file. Computer 2 acknowledges receipt of that 1 packet. Once Computer 1 gets the acknowledgment it will send 2 packets, double the first communication. The cycle continues, with Computer 1 doubling the packets with each communication and Computer 2 acknowledging receipt of each packet. So if Computer 1 sends 10 packets, Computer 2 will respond by saying, “Received 10 packets.”
But what happens if Computer 2 doesn’t confirm receipt? Let’s say Computer 1 sends 200 packets—mind you, Computer 1 is still only forwarding the Word.doc; there could be 1000s of packets, depending on the size of the file. Computer 2 notices a problem and sends a message that says, “Received 10 packets out of 200.”
Hearing this, Computer 1 will immediately start over, by sending 1 packet and waiting for acknowledgment that Computer 2 received it. When Computer 1 gets the green light, it’ll send 2 packets…just like before…each time doubling the payload.
This is especially important in today’s world with instant communication. When you type a private message on Facebook, or send a text on your iPhone, all this back-and-forth is happening behind the scenes.
Still with me?
IP Address
Your IP Address tells your devise the computer and network. I’m sure you’re familiar with an IP address. For home computers they look like this: 192.168.10.1. Each one of the four sections—called “octets”— are made up of 1s and 0s (binary numbers). Remember, your devise only recognizes 1s and 0s, so it cannot recognize the IP address as 192.168.10.1.
Okay. *rubs palms together* Roll up your sleeves. This is where everything becomes clear.
Octets
We know each IP Address has four Octets. 192 (1st octet).168 (2nd octet). 10 (3rd octet). 1 (fourth octet). Each Octet is made up of bits, strings of 1s and 0s (binary numbers). A value is assigned to each octet using decimal numbers. From left to right each decimal looks like this: 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1. Notice anything about these numbers? If we look at them from right to left, we can see that each value doubles…exactly how a computer sends packets.
Binary numbers are assigned to each decimal number using 1 = on 0 = off
Remember our IP Address? 192.168.10.1
The first Octet = 192
Second Octet = 168
Third Octet = 10
The fourth Octet = 1
It would look like this: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Each IP Address tells you the computer and network. If we added all the (top) decimals, we get 255. And this is where the Subnet comes in. A Subnet (short for “subnetwork”) is an identifiably separate part of an organization’s network. Typically, a Subnet represents all the computers (devises) at one location, in one building, or on the same Local Area Network (LAN). Having an organization’s network divided into subnets allows for multiple devices to connect to the Internet with a single shared network address.
Without subnets, an organization would have to have multiple connections to the Internet, one for each computer. The Subnet tells you what portion of the IP is computer and what is network. Subnets are broken down by class.
Class B Subnet: 255.255.0.0
It would look like this in binary code: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 /0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Class A Subnet: 255.0.0.0
Binary code: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Class C Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Binary code: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The last IP number in our address (a home network) is the Broadcast IP. The Broadcast IP sends information to each computer in the network. Using our IP Address: 192.168.10.1, our Broadcast IP is 1.
So how do hackers target an entire network? They take the IP address and Subnet and convert to binary code to find the Broadcast IP. Then they send packets to the Broadcast IP to infect the entire network.
Cool, right?
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Sue Coletta
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs on the Kill Zone (Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers"), Writers Helping Writers, and StoryEmpire. Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3) and Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-9 and continuing). Sue's appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her murder of crows, who live free but come when called by name. And nature feeds her soul.
24 Comments
Jet
Wow! Interesting and fascinating. I’ve always been curious about that IP address and the meaning of the numbers. I like to research stuff also, but never ventured into this territory. Thanks for the informative post.
Sue Coletta
I had the same reaction, Jet. You’re very welcome. I love sharing what I dig up in research.
Colette Sartor
So cool. You’ve explained this all so clearly, and made it easier for me to understand how a computer hacker’s mind works. I’m so impressed that you took several hacking classes in order to better understand your character. I’m not sure I would have been able to absorb the material the way you clearly were. I can’t wait to read the book!!
Colette Sartor recently posted…Stumbling Toward Optimism
Sue Coletta
Thank you, Colette. I *might* have a small addiction to research. Any chance I get to dig into another area, I take it. This was one of the harder fields to learn. The course took me a solid week at least, all day, every day.
Devorah
I’ve got a friend who actually understands all this stuff, about sending and receiving packets, addresses, etc. To me it’s all white man’s magic.
Sue Coletta
Well, it’s not for everyone. White man’s magic…LOL
Craig
I’ll just sit in the corner and use my finger on my lips to go, “bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb.”
Sue Coletta
LoL I would’ve thought this would be right up your alley, considering your day job.
Susan Nicholls
I admit I leave most of the computer stuff up to the rocket scientist. But I love learning 🙂
Sue Coletta
Must be nice to have rocket scientist at your disposal. 🙂 I love learning, too.
Andrè M. Pietroschek
While it saddened me that we are not transformed into Sue Coletta’s Secret Hacker Minions, the article is easily recognized as helpful and the prose is keeping it simple, too.
One of my oldest fandoms has been Shadowrun, a world in the years 2053 to 2074, within which ‘Hackers’ became ‘Deckers’, using their cyberdecks by linking a kind of bluetooth needle into a brain implant. Thereby no longer staring unto screens, but using the brain’s inbuilt dream-machine to see the Matrix as a virtual world come alive.
While just one example I am certain that ‘authentic details and skilled descriptions’ do help aspiring authors manifold indeed.
Thanks for the time-efficient lesson!
Sue Coletta
Shadowrun sounds fascinating, Andre. Hmm…Sue Coletta’s Secret Hacking Minions. I like it! But then I’d have to reveal how to hack passwords and stuff, and that’s a line I didn’t want to cross.
Andrè M. Pietroschek
One of the oldest classics, undercover cop investigating gang with lots of stuff going wrong, plus a traitor in the own lines:
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Wolf-Shadowrun-Nigel-Findley/dp/0451453670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454607131&sr=8-1&keywords=lone+wolf+nigel
And a cost-free generic background info:
http://www.shadowrun.com/what-is-shadowrun/
And cats are wonderful companions indeed!
Sue Coletta
Thanks for the link!
Patricia Bradley
Thank you! I see that Shawnee and I will become very good friends!
Sue Coletta
You have no idea how happy I am that you said that, Patricia. I absolutely love her, and hope others will too.
Kemberlee
This is what I love about being a writer. Yesterday I can be a sleuth, today I can fall in love, tomorrow I can be a computer hacker. 😉
Sue Coletta
Me too, Kem. It’s the best profession in the world. 🙂
Garry Rodgers
Very interesting, Sue. I knew it somehow worked off series of 1’s & 0’s but this put it into better perspective, especially what the IP addresses mean. Sounds like Shawnee taught you a lot about numbers. Looking forward to seeing her in words 🙂
Garry Rodgers recently posted…THE EXCRUCIATING DEATH OF MISTER RED PEPPER PASTE MAN
Sue Coletta
Yes she did, Garry. Learning hacking was both fascinating and terrifying rolled into one. I took classes every day, all day, for over a week.
Margot Kinberg
Cool, indeed, Sue! And given today’s technology, even writers whose main characters aren’t hackers need to know some of this technology. Computers, the Internet, etc., are everywhere, and it’s a big part of the way police track crime. This is useful stuff.
Sue Coletta
I agree, Margot. The more technical stuff about hacking I didn’t feel comfortable sharing, but everyone should at least be familiar with computer basics.
Mae Clair
Some of this really sticks out in my head from a year or so ago when it seemed like I was having to do ping tests for packets almost weekly (awful long term computer woes). I’d completely forgotten about all of that until your post reminded me of how computers relate to each other. Very informative post, Sue!
Sue Coletta
Thanks, Mae. I studied programming in high school, but forgot most of it until I took hacking classes. Here’s another tip: never save passwords to sites. It’s the easiest thing to hack. During the classes I practiced breaking into my own accounts, and was shocked how fast I got the password to appear.