The GIANT SCAM Cyber Security Pros are hiding.

     

 As you guys may know, I am a huge fan of Adventures in Odyssey and high school stories. That's why I write for rayted.org and ssaltw. Adventures in Odyssey is what got me interested in computers, particularly cybersecurity, with Whit's End getting hacked way back in 1987 and Nicholas Adamsworth changing grades not once but twice. Campbell College's network was hacked in the Novacom saga with hidden cameras and dial-up modes and remote access; it was all so exciting. And back then, yes, you probably had to be scared someone would remotely access your computer; a grade-changing scheme was likely to happen, and you could remotely access a computer via dial-up.

      I was reading Reddit once, and apparently, a student accessed the grade book, which was an Excel spreadsheet with network access. Another student was able to access a master copy of the software that remotely controlled and locked the student PCs and turned his into the control computer and the teachers into slaves to hack the PA system, if I recall correctly. However, this rarely happens today.

          Sure, Windows is the main operating system, but it is mostly used for browsing the internet. Chrome sandboxes tabs, protecting user data from leaking. Auto-run is disabled, most of the ports are closed, and most users don't have or even know how to enable "network discovery." Even then, files would have to be deliberately shared across the network. Users dont even host programs across a network. Nowadays, when people want to share files, they email them to each other or share them via the cloud (which exists above us). 

        Speaking of email, few home users even use email clients, preferring to use their browser to check email, limiting their attack surface even further. Cybersecurity experts warn that if someone should gain access to your home network, the attackers could potentially pivot and gain access to all the devices on your network...

        And do what exactly? HTTPS encrypts website traffic, and our browsers are smart enough to alert us if there is some spoofing going on, not to mention the ten sites, excluding illicit content, are just a search engine and social networks. If your device is relatively updated, it is most likely safe from any remote exploit an attacker has in their toolbox. Quite frankly, it is extremely difficult to access a PC on the same network and gain control over it. The press and cybersecurity companies act like if someone accesses your Wi-Fi, your computer can be completely taken over and remotely controlled like the parental/school control software that lets you literally see and control a user's screen.

        Most hacking is done exploiting older versions of the operating system or other applications. Nowadays, sadly, users idly use Chrome and other "web apps," which are basically bookmarks to a website. No potential for system access there. SMB brute-forcing won't work against a user who doesn't have a file share enabled or any files in said share, and these are just the exploits that can be done when already inside the network. Hacking into a home PC from another network? Forget it; dial-in is long dead. A user would have to physically download a file, which may come bundled with a PDF, but most anti-virus should detect the malware. 

And this is just for PC's. Mobile users who dont install any third-party (APKs) applications are safe. Do you know how hard it is to hack a phone that is PHYSICALLY CONNECTED TO A COMPUTER!! Very, very, hard. Even more so to REMOTELY hack a phone or tablet, and even if you found some exploits on exploit DB nobody will tell you how to even compile the the dang thing.

         This is great for the end user who doesn't have to worry about malware or hackers but is bad for researchers and hobbyists. Trying to research any of these exploits is a nightmare. You are inundated with ads from anti-virus companies and tech sites saying people could access your PC without using their VPN or anti-virus. They always say it's "possible" but never say how. Looking up the answers leads you to a dead end. It's part fear-mongering by the sales teams, part people gatekeeping because they are annoying people (Linux users) as well as trying to keep the info out of cybercriminals' hands. 

      Just remember that when you hear news of a big hack, it's unlikely it would even work on a home network unless you are running an older version of Windows, especially XP or 7... or Vista... for some reason. Then log off right now and update, update, update! 

God Bless And Tech Talk To You Later!!