Hacker trainer for law enforcement agents
Intruder School

© Neliana Kostadinova, Fotolia.com
A former intrusion specialist is training a gathering of European law enforcement agents in how the bad guys work on the Internet. Contributing editor Markus Feilner stops in for a lesson in attack techniques.
November 2008. Freiburg is supposed to be Germany's "sunniest city," but today, on my way to a special forensics conference, the rain is constant. Tobi, an ex-hacker who is now a forensics expert and trainer, is training 20 representatives from a smattering of European law enforcement agencies (Figure 1). The sessions over the next few days will cover topics such as rootkits, CSS scripting attacks, and browser compromise. The participants will also learn how attackers use professional software to create, distribute, and administer botnets, trojans, and viruses.
Even showing up for this event invites some legal risk. German law forbids such training. Yet many agencies feel it is impossible to maintain IT security without an understanding of the tools used by professional intruders.
The whole problem is that the criminal world isn't too worried about statutes. A well-trained and highly organized community of intrusion specialists even distributes user-friendly software to aspiring beginners so that anyone can get in the game. One of the agents groans, "By now, any mouse-pusher or script kiddie can practice his art at breakneck speed."
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.