Returning To The Scene

The prudent hacker will build himself or herself a trap door to allow easy entry if further penetrations are required. Mainly this means setting up a dummy account to use in successive hacks. After all, there is no guarantee that the account you used the first time will still be valid the next time you login, or that the password or some other critical item won't have been changed, barring your entrance. If you have gained access not through a password, but through some fluke hidden command or technical means, you will definitely want to add a trap door just so you don't have to go through all that rigmarole the next time you want to get in.

On many operating systems, programs can be set to run even after the user has logged off. Sometimes the program can be put on a timer, to begin execution at a specified future time. Writing a suitable program and then running it under one of these commands can make your return easier to accomplish.

Mission Accomplished... Almost!

Hey! Look at what you've done!

You've done your research, found your computer, broken in, and now, you've dabbled around inside. These four components are what hacking is all about. This is what it means to be a hacker.

But there is also a fifth level of hacking to consider.

These first four parts had to be done in linear order, one following the other. The final part is really not final at all. It is something you should be doing from the very beginning, thinking about every step of the way.

Because you see, this thing you've done, this hacking, is illegal. And so you must protect yourself.

So now let's look at what exactly it is about hacking that our society considers wrong. Then we will see how we can keep on hacking forever unscathed. Finally, we will tie up loose ends and look ahead to your future as a hacker.