ACM Chapter SOA

Inside The Mind of a Hacker

Computer Science Department

Shiv Nadar University Chennai

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Dr. Rourab Paul

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Cyber Security

Why This Matters

• Your data = money
• Students are easy targets
• Cyber attacks happen every second

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Quick Question

• How many of you reuse passwords?
• How many use public WiFi?
• You are already a target.

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Sarah Palin

Clicked “Forgot Password”

Answered simple questions:

• Date of birth
• High school name

Found answers via:

• Google
• Public information (Wikipedia)

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What is Cybersecurity?

• Protecting systems, data, and identity from attacks.
• Not just companies—YOU.

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How Hackers Think

• Look for weakest link
• Exploit human mistakes
• Automate attacks

Who is a Hacker?

• Not always criminal
• Problem solver
• Types:
• White hat
• Black hat
• Grey hat

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Common Attack #1: Phishing

• Fake emails/login pages
• Goal: steal your credentials
• skills: website/app design

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1. Download html, css, js of the login

page of popular websites

• Register a domain name like faceb00k.com, facebook.com or anything. We hardly notice address bar.
• Upload the webpage in new domain. Share the link with targets
• Target may log in with tier credential, collect data, redirect to original website

Common Attack #2: Password Attacks

• Weak passwords
• Brute force & dictionary attacks

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1. Your Friends email: rahul123@gmail.com
2. checks: Instagram bio Birthday posts Pet names Favorite team : Example guesses: Rahul@123 Rahul2002 Messi@10
3. OSINTT tool to gather information
4. Automation Tool Software tries thousands of passwords per second
5. Automation may be prevented by Captcha

Common Attack #3: Social Engineering

• Manipulating people
• “Hi, I’m from your bank…”

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1. Information Gathering – collect victim details

(name, phone, bank, social media)

• Impersonation – pretend to be a trusted entity

(bank, support, friend)

• Trust Building – use convincing language and context
• Trigger Action – create urgency (OTP, password, link click)
• Access Gained – victim shares sensitive information�Exploitation – misuse data (fraud, account takeover)

Live Thinking

• Would you click this link?
• Would you trust this email?

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• Think before you act.

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Real Impact

• Money loss
• Identity theft
• Reputation damage

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Ukraine power grid cyberattack 2015

In 2015, hackers attacked Ukraine’s power system

Around 230,000 people lost electricity

How the attack worked

1. Phishing emails
• Employees received infected emails
2. Malware installed
• Hackers gained access to systems
3. Remote control
• Took control of power grid computers
4. Power shutdown
• Turned off electricity remotely

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WannaCry ransomware attack 2016

Spread across 150+ countries

Locked computers and demanded money

How the attack worked

• Exploited unpatched Windows systems
• Spread automatically (worm)

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Hospitals, banks, companies affected

UK healthcare system disrupted

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Tools Hackers Use Generally

• Automation tools
• Password crackers
• Phishing kits

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Cybersecurity Careers

• Ethical Hacker
• Security Analyst
• Bug Bounty Hunter

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Cybersecurity Careers

• Computer fundamentals (how OS, files, and programs work)
• Networking basics (IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS)
• Operating Systems (especially Linux basics)
• Programming basics (Python / C / scripting)
• Web fundamentals (how websites and logins work)
• Cybersecurity basics (common attacks like phishing, malware)

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Cybersecurity Careers

• Nmap – network scanning & port discovery
• Wireshark – analyze network traffic
• Burp Suite – test web applications
• Metasploit – exploit vulnerabilities
• John the Ripper – password testing
• Aircrack-ng – WiFi security analysis

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Cybersecurity Certifications

🟢 Beginner Friendly

• Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate� → Good starting point, no prior experience needed
• Introduction to Cyber Security� → Basics of threats, networks, security

🔵 Hands-on Learning (Highly Recommended)

• TryHackMe� → Interactive labs, beginner to advanced
• Hack The Box� → Real-world hacking challenges

🟡 Certification (for career growth)

• CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)� → Popular but more theory-based
• CompTIA Security+� → Strong foundation, industry recognized

🔴 Advanced (later stage)

• OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)� → Highly respected, hands-on, tough�

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OWASP

Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP)

• A global non-profit organization for web security
• Provides top security risks & best practices
• Used by companies worldwide

In simple words:

“OWASP tells us what mistakes make websites hackable.”

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OSINTT

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)

• Collecting information from public sources
• No hacking required
• Uses:
• Google
• Social media
• Public records

In simple words:

“OSINT = finding secrets that people accidentally make public.”

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Post Quantum Cryptography

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Post Quantum Cryptography

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Post Quantum Cryptography

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Post Quantum Cryptography

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Post Quantum Cryptography

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Post Quantum Cryptography

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Public Key Cryptography

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Public Key Cryptography

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Thank You

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Hackers don’t hack systems…

They hack humans.

Be aware. Stay secure.