About hacking and all that... (email, server, wifi, sound)
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I have lots and lots of questions..
First I want to ask about DHCP ( Dynamic Host Protocol Servers) Servers. The text tell me that I am assigned a new IP address every time I log on.
But wait. Are they talking about every time my computer logs on, or are they talking about my router, which, if I understand correctly, is always connected to the internet.
And does this mean my iphone gets a new IP address each time I use it on WiFi?...........
I know how to change my IP address, and I change it from time to time, but if I get a new address every time I turn the computer on I will stop going through the useless motions..
Let's hear what you have to say, and I'll ask more questions as we go along...
IP addresses are "leased" with a certain time limit which is adjustable..they need not change at all if you start and stop the computer before the lease expires....it sound like you have a home router between your computer and actual internet..
your ISP assigns the routers external IP address and then the computer will grab an additional IP address for your internal network usually a 192....
IP addresses are "leased" with a certain time limit which is adjustable..they need not change at all if you start and stop the computer before the lease expires....it sound like you have a home router between your computer and actual internet..
your ISP assigns the routers external IP address and then the computer will grab an additional IP address for your internal network usually a 192....
Your comments are helpful.
I'm using Win 7 64 bit. So I looked at Control Panel; and then found Network Connect Details, which tells me I "leased" the address for 24 hours - from this morning until tomorrow morning. It tells me that my server is DHCP enabled. Fine. I understand that part.
Actually I found all sort of information that doesn't really mean much to me. I'm just curious and trying to understand what goes on a little better.
Are there any particular parameters of functions that I should consider adjusting of enabling or disabling? I am using a home built desk top and want to learn about thwarting hackers - not that I am overly concerned; it's just a matter or curiosity.
having a home router between the actual internet and your computer is the easiest best protection...
the second best protection is to not open suspicious look email funny looking websites etc...
i am guessing you simply set the dhcp provided IP address (from router) to static but there is no need for this and as you see it still works as long as the address is within the routers "range"
people misuse the term "hacked" a lot..setting up a fake Facebook account is not hacking..in 20 years of useing a computer i have never been "hacked"
the windows firewall and a good antivirus/malware software is also needed but several are free
Your comments are helpful.
I'm using Win 7 64 bit. So I looked at Control Panel; and then found Network Connect Details, which tells me I "leased" the address for 24 hours - from this morning until tomorrow morning. It tells me that my server is DHCP enabled. Fine. I understand that part.
Actually I found all sort of information that doesn't really mean much to me. I'm just curious and trying to understand what goes on a little better.
Are there any particular parameters of functions that I should consider adjusting of enabling or disabling? I am using a home built desk top and want to learn about thwarting hackers - not that I am overly concerned; it's just a matter or curiosity.
First DHCP is NOT a security control. DHCP is simply a protocol/system to assign IP addresses to make address management easier as well as to maximize the use of a limited resource. You are leased an address for a period of time. You negotiate a renewal 1/2 way through that lease. If the lease is 1 hour, you negotiate at 30 min. If your lease is 5 days, you negotiate 120 hours in.
The preference is always to obtain the same address.
If your computer is off the network for longer than the lease period, your original address may have been reassigned. So when you connect back on, it will get assigned another address.
The lease period is really dependant on the network management. In enterprise networks where you may have a lot of people moving around, you may have a short lease. In home networks, it's probably not a huge deal to have a long lease (8-12 days) since it's unlikely you'll ever run out of addresses. As for addresses, most networks these days have publicly non-routable addresses. The 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x or 192.168.x.x addresses. Everyone has those because they are only usable internally. The 192.168.1.x is the most common default network for consumers as it provides more than enough addresses (255) for most homes. If you want to learn more - google RFC 1918.
There is really no security feature in DHCP (there was DHCP authentication - but that never really got off the ground). And the main concern is an unauthorized server dishing out addresses or having an unauthorized host leasing addresses. In both cases, the control to minimize/prevent these is not really a DHCP thing per se. Or the concern would be with other areas as opposed to your DHCP implementation.
First DHCP is NOT a security control. DHCP is simply a protocol/system to assign IP addresses to make address management easier as well as to maximize the use of a limited resource. You are leased an address for a period of time. You negotiate a renewal 1/2 way through that lease. If the lease is 1 hour, you negotiate at 30 min. If your lease is 5 days, you negotiate 120 hours in.
The preference is always to obtain the same address.
If your computer is off the network for longer than the lease period, your original address may have been reassigned. So when you connect back on, it will get assigned another address.
The lease period is really dependant on the network management. In enterprise networks where you may have a lot of people moving around, you may have a short lease. In home networks, it's probably not a huge deal to have a long lease (8-12 days) since it's unlikely you'll ever run out of addresses. As for addresses, most networks these days have publicly non-routable addresses. The 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x or 192.168.x.x addresses. Everyone has those because they are only usable internally. The 192.168.1.x is the most common default network for consumers as it provides more than enough addresses (255) for most homes. If you want to learn more - google RFC 1918.
There is really no security feature in DHCP (there was DHCP authentication - but that never really got off the ground). And the main concern is an unauthorized server dishing out addresses or having an unauthorized host leasing addresses. In both cases, the control to minimize/prevent these is not really a DHCP thing per se. Or the concern would be with other areas as opposed to your DHCP implementation.
OK.
Got it.
So how do hackers get in? They see my IP address, and then what do they do? How do they gain access to a computer that is not theirs?
probably runs Hydra on your RTR's admin config page or just Googles the default username/password
if they're really bored then they run Nessus and then Metaploit against systems on your RTR
But if you use best practices this is unlikely. I used the first 5 steps to 'break in' to my Guest WiFi, but I had to use OSINT on myself and build a custom word list with Crunch to do so. If you change the default password on your WiFi, use WPA2, and set a strong enough password you're pretty much good. WPA3 will be out soon also and it's supposed to make de-auths much more difficult.
As other said above, it's more likely that
some kid gets bored
goes on Google
finds modular ransomware code
uses SET to bundle it & email it out
In other words DO NOT click on random stuff in emails! Also, DO NOT pick up random thumb drives in parking lots and plug them into your computer!
Oh, and patch your OS. Windows 10 takes care of this automatically.
So how do hackers get in? They see my IP address, and then what do they do? How do they gain access to a computer that is not theirs?
I should have mentioned, also much more likely than you being targeted directly is that you might get hit by a worm like WannaCry. It wasn't a true Zero Day, but it hit the wild only about 2 months after MS released a patch for the vulnerability that WannaCry targeted and LOTS of systems were not patched at the time.
Use security best practices; patch, update, put a NAT RTR with at least a basic firewall between your home computer and the Internet, put people you can't really trust not to hit random click bait [aka your kids] on a guest WiFi or different LAN entirely, let Windows Defender do it's thing. Oh, and don't pick up thumb drives you find in a parking lot and stick them in your computer (https://www.wearethemighty.com/histo...ber-attack-usb).
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