Windows Vista Login Hacks

Helen Keller said, "Security is mostly a superstition," which might explain why computer security is such a profitable business. Indeed, security has been a major selling point for Windows Vista, despite the fact that some of its best security features are turned off by default.

For example, a password—that teensy group of characters that none of us seems capable of committing to memory—is optional in Vista, yet you can't share files on a network without one. Of course, once you create a password, you're doomed to retype it each time you power on your PC. And thus begin the daily visits to the Welcome/log-in screen. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to tweak this seemingly invariable interface, for convenience and greater system security.

Note that all these hacks require administrator-level privileges.

Log In Automatically

Vista Log-In
To keep your password intact yet skip the Welcome screen and have Vista log you in automatically each time you start up Windows, enter the User Accounts window—but not the one in the Control Panel. To get to the first of two advanced User Accounts tools in Vista, open the Start menu and in the search box type control userpasswords2 and hit Enter. Select your username from the list, turn off the Users must enter a username and password to use this computer option, and then click OK. When prompted, enter your password (twice) and click OK.

Next, open the Power Options window in Control Panel. Click Change plan settings under the currently selected plan, and then click Change advanced power settings on the next page. Now, under the Additional settings branch, set the Require a password on wakeup option to No and click OK.

The last step is to jump to the Personalization page in the Control Panel and then click Screen Saver. Here, turn off the On resume, display logon screen option, and click OK. With all these options disabled, you'll get to your desktop more quickly and with less typing.

Hide the List of Users

What's Your Name?
Of course, if you want to use your password to actually protect your PC and its data, take a step to make the Welcome screen more secure. By default, Vista shows a list of all the user accounts on your PC to anyone sitting at your keyboard, but you can hide this list with a quick hack.

Open the Start menu and in the search box type secpol.msc; press Enter to open the Local Security Policy editor. On the left, expand the branches to Local Policies\Security Options. Then, on the right, double-click the Interactive logon: Do not display last user name option, select Enabled, and click OK.

If you're using the Home Basic/Premium edition of Vista and don't have the secpol.msc file, don't fret. Just open the Registry Editor and expand the branches to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\System. Double-click the DontDisplayLastUsername value in the right-hand pane and type 1 into the value data field. If the value is not there, right-click an empty area of the right pane, select New and then DWORD (32-bit) Value, and then type DontDisplayLastUsername for the name of the new value. (It should, but doesn't, go without saying that you should back up your Registry before making any changes to it: see go.pcmag.com/saferegedit for instructions on safely editing the Windows Registry.)

The Other User Accounts Windows
The change takes effect right away; the next time you log out or boot your PC, you'll need to type both your username and password to log in. Note that while this hack does indeed hide the user list from would-be intruders, anyone with an administrator-level account on the PC can still see a list of users by logging in and opening the User Accounts page in Control Panel.

Rotate Your Password

Keep Those Passwords Changing
Want to make your PC even more secure? Think of your password as a target and keep it moving. If you're using Vista Ultimate or Business, you can set up Windows to insist that you routinely change your password. (If you have Home Basic/Premium, you'll need to rely on a somewhat less-sophisticated solution, such as an annoying reminder in your calendar.) Open the Start menu and in the search box type lusrmgr.msc; press Enter to open the Local Users and Groups window (the second of the advanced User Accounts tools). Open the Users folder and double-click your username. Turn off the Password never expires option, click OK, and then do the same for all the other accounts on your PC (if applicable). Close the Local Users and Groups window when you're done.

Next, go back to the Local Security Policy editor (secpol.msc) and expand the branches to Account Policies\Password Policy. On the right, double-click the Maximum password age entry, and choose a length of time before each of the passwords on your PC expires; 90 days seems reasonable.

Change the Welcome Screen Wallpaper

Unless you've decided to log on automatically, you'll undoubtedly be spending time with your PC's Welcome screen, in which case you might as well gussy it up. In earlier versions of Windows, you could change the background wallpaper with a quick Registry change, but in Vista, a little more hacking is required.

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to your \Windows\system32 folder. Right-click the imageres.dll file, select Properties, and choose the Security tab. Click the Advanced button, choose the Owner tab, and then click Edit. Now select Administrators in the list, and click OK in each of the four open windows. Then right-click imageres.dll again, select Properties, choose the Security tab, and click the Edit button. Choose Administrators in the list, place a check in the Allow column next to Full control, and then click OK, Yes, OK.

Now that you've taken ownership of the file, make two copies of it right in the \Windows\system32 folder and name them imageres-new.dll and imageres-old.dll.

Next, you'll need to install XN Resource Editor, a free utility available at www.wilsonc.demon.co.uk/d10resourceeditor .htm. Open XN, select View | Options, and from the Choose which parser to use list, select XN Resource Editor internal resource parser. Click OK and then, from the File menu, select Open, find the imageres-new .dll file, and open it.

On the left, you'll see a tree you can use to navigate the various graphical and user-interface resources in the file; -expand the IMAGE branch and then open one of the numbered folders therein. Inside each numbered folder is a single entry representing a different resolution of the stock Welcome screen background image. Choose the one corresponding to your PC's current display resolution (the dimensions are shown in the gray box once you select the entry); if you don't know your current resolution, open the Personalization page in Control Panel and click Display Settings.

You can edit the image right in XN -Resource Editor, but you'll likely want to grab a photo from somewhere else. Any photo will do, provided it has exactly the same pixel dimensions as the one it's replacing. If it's too big, use your favorite image editor to shrink and crop it to size. Too small? Just pad it with black space. When you're ready, copy your new image to the clipboard (Ctrl-C) and then return to XN and press Ctrl-V to paste it over the selected image. Save the file and close XN when you're done.

The last step is to replace the imageres .dll file with the one you've modified, but since it's in use, Windows won't let you touch it. To get around this, restart Windows. After the screen goes black, but just before you see the Windows boot screen, press the F8 key to display the Advanced Boot Options menu. (Restart again if you miss your chance.) Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode with Command Prompt, and press Enter. When the Command Prompt window appears, click the window and type:

copy imageres-new.dll imageres.dll

and answer Y to confirm that you want to replace the file. When you're done, press Ctrl-Alt-Del, click the arrow next to the red button on the bottom right-hand side of the screen and select Restart. The next time you see the Welcome screen, it should look different, if not better.

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Maximise performance of OS : Windows Vista

EVERY WINDOWS USER HAS EXPERIENCED sudden, mysterious slowdowns in system performance. Routine actions that normally take a few microseconds suddenly cause your computer to stop responding. Your hard disk chatters incessantly. You’re forced to wait when switching between programs. Surprisingly, you don’t need an engineering degree, an oscilloscope, or expensive third-party software to determine the cause of and solution to problems such as these.

Windows Vista includes a number of tools that you can use to pinpoint performance bottlenecks. Some of these, such as the System Health Report, the Windows Experience Index, and the Reliability Monitor, provide static snapshots showing the resources available to your system and where those resources might not be adequate to your needs. Others, such as the venerable Windows Task Manager, the new Resource Overview, and Performance Monitor (an improved version of the tool known in Windows XP as System Monitor), let you track a variety of performance metrics in real time.

In addition to these snapshot and monitoring utilities, Windows Vista incorporates the following forms of performance-enhancing technology:

• SuperFetch

• ReadyBoost

• ReadyDrive

All three of these are designed to reduce the amount of time your system spends engaged in performance-degrading disk IO.

SuperFetch is a memory-management technology that observes your computer usage patterns over extended stretches of time (noting the programs you run and the days and times you typically run them) and adjusts caching behavior to accommodate your own particularities.

ReadyBoost uses external memory devices (such as USB 2.0 flash disks) to cache disk content of all kinds, reducing the need for time-consuming hard disk access.

ReadyDrive is technology that supports the use of hybrid hard disk drives—drives that incorporate nonvolatile flash memory (NVRAM) as well as conventional rotating disk media. Hybrid drives are particularly useful for extending battery life on portable computers, because they reduce the need for drive spin.

SuperFetch is useful to anyone running Windows Vista. You don’t need to do anything except be glad that it’s there. ReadyDrive should be of interest if you’re in the market for a new computer and hybrid drives are a purchase option. ReadyBoost, in contrast, is of no value unless you implement it—by attaching a suitable external memory device to your system. For details, see “Using ReadyBoost” later in this article.

This article will review these basic performance-enhancing strategies:

1. Ensuring that you have adequate RAM
2. Ensuring that you have an adequate virtual-memory configuration
3. Using ReadyBoost
4. Managing startup programs
5. Keeping your disks defragmented
6. Maintaining adequate free space on your disks
7. Avoiding tweaks of dubious value

Ensuring that you have adequate RAM

Random access memory (RAM) is the vital stuff that keeps Windows running smoothly. Having enough physical (main) memory helps reduce the operating system’s dependence on virtual memory, thereby minimizing the number of number of times Windows has to swap information between fast memory chips and your (relatively slow) hard disk. How much memory do you need?

The “Windows Vista Capable” and “Windows Vista Premium Ready” stickers that appear on some new hardware are based on standards expressed at the Windows Vista Enterprise Hardware Planning Guidance site. According to these standards, a system needs 512 MB to be “Windows Vista Capable” and at least 1 GB to be “Windows Vista Premium Ready.” You should consider “Windows Vista Capable” to mean adequate (if barely) for Windows Vista Home Basic. For the more feature-rich editions of Windows Vista—Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate—treat the “Windows Vista Premium Ready” standards as a minimum. In any case, doubling these minimums will provide a better ride for most users.

You can gauge the adequacy of your computer’s physical memory by watching the Memory graph in the Resource Overview section of the Reliability and Performance Monitor (to open this tool, click the Start button Picture of the Start button , type perfmon, and then press ENTER). The blue line on the graph indicates the percentage of your physical memory that’s currently in use. If this line hovers in the sub-arctic zone (say, north of 60 percent) most of the time under your typical working conditions, you might want to consider adding memory to your computer, particularly if you are also seeing the green line on the same graph, the line that indicates the number of hard faults per second your system is generating, spike off the top of the graph for extended periods of time. (A hard fault, which despite its name is not an error condition, is an instance where a block of memory needed by the operating system has to be fetched from the page file on the hard disk. A high number of hard faults per second indicates a large—perhaps excessive—reliance on virtual memory, with consequent adverse performance effects.)

On the other hand, if the blue line on the Memory graph typically dwells in tropical or temperate regions (say, at 45 percent or less), you’re not likely to see sharp performance gains from an increase in physical memory.

Ensuring that you have an adequate virtual-memory configuration

Physical memory might be the vital lubricant of a happily humming Windows machine, but Windows is not designed to run on RAM chips alone, no matter how many of them you have. In addition to using physical RAM to store programs and data, Windows creates a hidden file on your primary hard disk and uses that file to swap pages of data out of physical memory when necessary. The “swap file” (these days more commonly called a page file) acts as an extension of main memory—or, in other words, as virtual memory.

In a default installation, Windows creates the page file in the root folder on the same drive that holds the Windows system files. The size of the page file is determined by the amount of RAM in your system. By default, the minimum size is 1.5 times the amount of physical RAM, and the maximum size is three times the amount of RAM (twice the minimum). You can see the page file in a Windows Explorer window if you configure Windows to show hidden and system files; look for Pagefile.sys in the root of your system drive.

To see the current configuration of your system’s virtual memory, click the Start button, click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, click Performance Information and Tools, click Advanced Tools (in the Tasks pane at the left side of the dialog box), and then click Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows. After answering the User Account Control prompt, you’ll arrive at the Performance Options dialog box. You’re nearly there; click the Advanced tab, and then click Change. The image below shows the Virtual Memory dialog box, with default settings for a machine with 2 GB of RAM (default, that is, except that we cleared the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box to make the rest of the dialog box easier to read).

Picture of Virtual Memory dialog box

By default, Windows creates a single page file in the root folder on the same volume that holds the Windows system files and manages its size for you. The Currently allocated number near the bottom of the dialog box shows you how large the file is now. If conditions on your system change (you run an unusually large assortment of memory-intensive applications, for example), Windows might expand the page file. It might then return the file to its original size (or a smaller size) if the demand subsides. All this happens without intervention or notification if you leave the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box selected.

If you don’t want Windows to do this for you, you have the following options:

• You can move the page file to a different volume, if you have more than one.

• If you have more than one volume, you can establish more than one page file.

• For any page file, you can choose between System managed size and Custom size.

• If you choose Custom size, you can specify an initial size and a maximum size.

You can remove a paging file from a volume by selecting the volume and choosing No paging file. (You can even get rid of all paging files this way, although doing so is not recommended, even on systems with a lot of RAM.)

Should you get involved in page-file management, and, if so, how?

If you have more than one physical disk, moving the page file to a fast drive that doesn’t contain your Windows system files is a good idea. Using multiple page files split over two or more physical disks is an even better idea, because your disk controller can process multiple requests to read or write data concurrently. Don’t make the mistake of creating two or more page files using multiple volumes on a single physical disk, however. If you have a single hard disk that contains C, D, and E volumes, for example, and you split the page file over two or more of these, you might actually make your computer run more slowly than before. In that configuration, the heads on the physical disk have to do more work, loading pages from different portions of the same disk sequentially, rather than loading data from a single contiguous region of the hard disk.

If you are short of hard disk space, you might consider setting a smaller initial page file size. You can use a handy script from Windows MVP Bill James to monitor current page file usage and session peak usage. This tool, a free download at BillsWay.com, was written for Windows XP but works fine in Windows Vista. If this script nearly always shows current and peak usage levels well below the current page file size, you might want to consider reducing the initial size to save disk space. On the other hand, if you’re not short of disk space, there’s nothing to be gained from doing this and you might occasionally overload your custom settings, thereby degrading the performance of your system.

Should you enlarge your page file? Most users won’t need to do this. But you might want to keep an eye on the green line in the Memory graph of Resource Overview, as described above in "Ensuring that you have adequate RAM." If that line is spiking off the top of the graph a great deal of the time during your normal work, you might consider increasing the maximum size of your page file. (Disregard page file spikes and disk activity in general that takes place while you’re not actually working. This is likely to be the result of search indexing, defragmentation, or other background processes and does not indicate a problem with your actual work performance.)

Note-For more information about page file management in Windows, we recommend the article “Virtual Memory in Windows XP” on the Windows Support Center website. Although the file magnitudes discussed in this article are pertinent to the Windows XP environment rather than to Windows Vista, the basic information about how Windows manages and uses page files is still useful and valid.

Using ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost technology takes advantage of the fact that flash memory offers lower seek times than hard disks. Essentially that means that your system can get to a given location on a flash disk more quickly than it can to a corresponding spot on a hard disk. Hard disks are faster for large sequential reads; flash disks are quicker for small, random reads. When a supported external memory device is available, ReadyBoost caches small chunks in flash memory and is thus able to retrieve those chunks, when needed, more quickly than it could if it relied only on the hard disk.

Because an external memory device can be removed without warning to the system, all data cached via ReadyBoost is encrypted and backed up on the hard disk (as well as being compressed). Encryption ensures that the data can’t be read on another system, and backup enables Windows to revert to the hard disk cache in the event that the ReadyBoost drive is removed.

Windows supports the following form factors for ReadyBoost:

• USB 2.0 flash disks

• Secure Digital (SD) cards

• CompactFlash cards

When you connect a device of one of these types to your system, Windows runs a quick performance test to see if the device meets minimum standards required for ReadyBoost. Those standards are:

• 2.5 MB / second throughout for 4 KB random reads

• 1.75 MB / second throughout for 512 KB random writes

In addition, the device must have at least 256 MB available for the ReadyBoost cache.

NoteReadyBoost does not support external card readers. If Windows Explorer shows a volume letter for a drive without media (as it does, for example, for card-reader drives or floppy drives), inserting flash media for that volume letter will not give you a ReadyBoost drive. In addition, Windows Vista does not support multiple ReadyBoost drives. (Microsoft has indicated that multiple-drive support is under consideration for future versions.)

How much boost will you get from ReadyBoost? As with so many other performance issues, it depends. If your internal memory is well above the amount you actually need, ReadyBoost won’t do much for you. If not, you should definitely see some performance improvement. To use ReadyBoost, follow these steps:

1. Plug a suitable external memory device into your computer. An AutoPlay window similar to the following will appear (it won’t say READYBOOST, unless you’ve already assigned that name to the volume)
2. Click Speed up my system. If your system passes an initial ReadyBoost test, the Properties dialog box will appear, with the ReadyBoost tab selected: Use the slider to set aside space on your memory device for ReadyBoost
3. Select Use this device, and then adjust the slider to specify the amount of space you want to use for ReadyBoost. Then click OK.

How much of the external memory device you want to assign to ReadyBoost will depend on whether you also want to use the device for ordinary storage. Microsoft estimates that you can benefit from a ReadyBoost cache equal to approximately 150 percent of your system RAM—for example, a 1.5 GB ReadyBoost cache on a 1 GB system.

Managing startup programs

A common performance problem occurs when Windows automatically loads an excessive number of programs at startup. The result, especially on systems with minimal memory, is unpleasant: Startup takes unnecessarily long, applications that you never use steal memory from programs you use frequently, and the page file gets more of a workout than it should. Some programs, such as antivirus utilities, need to start up automatically. But in most cases, you’re better served by running programs when you need them and closing them when they’re not needed.

Overcrowded startups are most common on computer systems sold in retail outlets, where Windows Vista is preinstalled, along with a heaping helping of applications. In some cases, the bundled programs are welcome, but a free software program is no bargain if it takes up memory and you never use it.

Keeping your disks defragmented

A “fragmented” hard disk, in which large files are stored in discontiguous sectors, makes read and write heads work overtime and puts a drag on performance. Fortunately, Windows Vista, by default, performs disk defragmentation for you as a weekly scheduled task, so you shouldn’t have to worry about fragmentation. The “defrag” utility (defrag.exe) runs as a background task, silently shifting the furniture while your system is idle. (The default schedule has defrag running at 1 a.m. If your machine is turned off at that hour, the task runs as soon as possible after you come back online. It always runs as a low-priority background task, however, so you shouldn’t find it obtrusive.)

Maintaining adequate free space on your disks

A hard disk cluttered with stuff you no longer need may or may not be an impediment to performance (it certainly can be if the disk is home to a page file), but it’s a nuisance at best. If a volume is running short of space, you can tidy up a bit with the Disk Cleanup wizard. Click the Start button, click Computer, right-click the disk in question, and then choose Properties. Then, on the General tab of the Properties dialog box, click Disk Cleanup. You’ll be given the opportunity to choose between cleaning up your own files only or all files on the disk (including those created by other users). You’ll need administrative credentials to go for the latter option.

Avoiding tweaks of dubious value

Among diehard tweakers, the urge to squeeze out every last bit of performance from a computer is irresistible. As a result, even a casual web search turns up dozens of tips intended to help you improve performance in Windows. Many of these tips repeat information that we cover in this chapter, including the truism that the best way to tune up Windows is to throw hardware at it. Nothing speeds up a sluggish system like a healthy dose of extra RAM.

Unfortunately, many of the Windows-tuning tips we’ve seen are of dubious value, and a few can actually hurt performance when indiscriminately applied. Some of these spurious tips are derived from techniques that worked with older Windows versions but are irrelevant now. Others are based on seemingly logical but erroneous extrapolations of how would-be experts think Windows works.

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Nokia Secret Codes

Nokia Secret Codes

On the main screen type

*#06# for checking the IMEI (International Mobile

Equipment Identity).

*#7780# reset to factory settings.

*#67705646# This will clear the LCD display (operator

logo).

*#0000# To view software version.

*#2820# Bluetooth device address.

*#746025625# Sim clock allowed status.

*#62209526# - Display the MAC address of the WLAN

adapter. This is available only in the newer devices that

support WLAN

#pw+1234567890+1# Shows if sim have restrictions.



*#92702689# - takes you to a secret menu where you

may find some of the information below:

1. Displays Serial Number.

2. Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture

3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was

purchased (MMYY)

4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000)

5. Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start)

*#3370# - Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) activation.

Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also

help if u want to use GPRS and the service is not

responding or too slow. Phone battery will drain faster

though.

*#3370* - (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically

restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone

receives less signal from network.

*#4720# - Half Rate Codec activation.

*#4720* - Half Rate Codec deactivation. The phone will

automatically restart



If you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone, use this

code reset: *#7370925538#

Note, your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask

you the lock code. Default lock code is: 12345



Press *#3925538# to delete the contents and code of

wallet.



Unlock service provider: Insert sim, turn phone on and

press vol up(arrow keys) for 3 seconds, should say pin

code. Press C,then press * message should flash, press *

again and 04*pin*pin*pin#



*#7328748263373738# resets security code.

Default security code is 12345

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Download links of Hacking Tools

Hacking Tools

How to be a hacker 101, School in session. ( this post was made first by a member called Bobbreny. Thank you for yout time effort writing this post). I simple edited adding some more material to the post.

Ahhhhh n00bs please speak proper english when asking questions. No leet speaking or "u no wot 1 mean" stuff.

Quite often we get asked to mentor or teach hacking here is your answer:

OK so you’re going to be an Ace #1 hacker. Wanna know
How to get into a system, here is a step by step instruction,
Not only to get into a server but take over the NETWORK, Own it: but the guy that will be tracking you to put your ass in JAIL.

Though you should know who will be after you.
These are the TOP 10 ways into server’s (thanks Riff-raff)

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/E...5&Culture=en-US

(Actually 14 ways into a server) Don't call us for Bail.
But do let us know when you get busted...

O.K. so your not quite up for that yet?

Here are some programs and reading. Contributed by Strader

Here:
Security Links

§ A totally HUGE security archive http://neworder.box.sk/
§ THE best security forums http://www.security-forums.com/
§ Current and archived exploits http://www.securiteam.com/exploits/
§ 'Underground' search engine http://www.warez.com/
§ Default login’s for all sorts of devices http://www.governmentsecurity.org
§ One of the top mainstream security sites http://www.securityfocus.com/
§ TESO Computer security http://teso.scene.at/
§ Asian security group, lots of advisories http://www.shadowpenguin.org/
§ w00w00 Security development http://www.w00w00.org/
§ USSR a strong security group http://www.ussrback.com/
§ Good all around security site http://www.packetstormsecurity.nl
§ Exploits, backdoors, Trojans and more http://www.tlsecurity.net
§ SANS Security Institute with articles on EVERYTHING http://www.sans.org/
§ A Fairly immense WWW security FAQ http://www.w3.org/Security/Faq/
§ Computer Security Encyclopedia http://www.itsecurity.com/
§ Java Security information http://java.sun.com/security/
§ Help Net Security http://www.net-security.org/
§ Security Search Engine http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/
§ Free BSD security information http://www.freebsd.org/security/
§ Netscape security information http://home.netscape.com/security/
§ Linux security community centre http://www.linuxsecurity.com/
§ Dutch Security Information Network http://www.dsinet.org/
§ Network Security Library http://secinf.net/
§ Infamous happy hacker http://www.happyhacker.org/
§ A once great site from a white hat hacker http://www.antionline.com/
§ Infosec papers and articles http://www.infosecwriters.com/
§ Security/privacy/crypto software archive http://www.wiretapped.net/
§ ISB - Info Sec Bible http://www.securityflaw.com/bible
§ Security tool’s Http://foundstone.com/
http://securitystats.com

Privacy and Anonymity

ÿ All about privacy http://www.privacy.net
ÿ Anonymity, privacy and security http://www.stack.nl/~galactus/remailers/
ÿ Free, anonymous web surfing http://www.anonymizer.com/
ÿ IDSecure service http://www.idzap.com/
ÿ News, information and action http://www.privacy.org/
ÿ Sam Spade Tools http://www.samspade.org/t/
ÿ International PGP homepage http://www.pgpi.org
ÿ Encryptable web-mail http://www.hushmail.com/
ÿ Anonymity software http://www.skuz.net/potatoware/
ÿ REALLY delete your data http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/
ÿ Anonymous access http://www.safeproxy.org/
ÿ Web privacy http://www.rewebber.de/
ÿ A list of web anonymisers http://mikhed.narod.ru/


Cryptography & Encryption

æ All about RSA http://www.rsasecurity.com/
æ Cryptography Archives http://www.kremlinencrypt.com/
æ Cryptography links http://cryptography.org/freecryp.htm
æ Cryptography Info http://world.std.com/~franl/crypto/
æ DriveCrypt http://www.e4m.net/
æ CCIPS http://www.cybercrime.gov/crypto.html
æ Cryptography resource http://www.crypto.com/
æ Bruce Schneier's operation http://www.counterpane.com/
æ Huge Crypto archive http://www.cryptome.org
æ A list of Crypto links http://www.security-forums.com/crypto


Source: http://www.darknet.org.uk/

There could be dead links among those; I got the list from the source above.

The rest of the story
Viruses /Trojans & Firewalls

¿ Trojan archive http://packetstormsecurity.nl/trojans/
¿ Up to date Trojan archive http://www.trojanforge.net/
¿ Fearless, everything Trojan http://www.areyoufearless.com/
¿ A good archive with info on each one http://www.dark-e.com
¿ (I'm a moron)'s official Home Page http://www.(I'm a moron).net/
¿ The BO2k project http://bo2k.sourceforge.net/
¿ Another comprehensive Trojan archive http://www.tlsecurity.net/amt.htm
¿ Home of BackOrifice http://www.cultdeadcow.com/
¿ Huge Trojan removal database http://www.anti-trojan.org/
¿ Excellent Anti-Viral software and Virii Database http://www.sophos.com/
¿ Mcafee's Searchable Virus Information Library http://vil.mcafee.com/
¿ Firewall Guide http://www.firewallguide.com/
Virus Writing
http://vx.netlux.org/lib/static/vdat/tutorial.htm

Nice find Strader...
¿ Firewall FAQ http://www.interhack.net/pubs/fwfaq/
¿ Firewall How To http://www.grennan.com/Firewall-HOWTO.html
¿ Squid http://www.squid-cache.org/
¿ Excellent virus news and info http://www.antivirus-online.de/english/
¿ The ULTIMATE IPTables resource http://www.linuxguruz.org/iptables/



Programming

PHP IDE http://www.phpide.de/
ç Scripts, Source and Books http://www.scriptsearch.com/
ç Java & Internet Glossary http://www.mindprod.com/jgloss.html
ç Java homepage http://java.sun.com/
ç Absolute Java FAQ http://www.javafaq.nu/
ç Thinking in Java http://www.mindview.net/Books/TIJ/
ç JavaScript Resource http://www.javascript.com
ç JavaScripts,tutorials & references http://javascript.internet.com/
ç MySQL home http://www.mysql.com
ç PostgreSQL home http://www.postgresql.org/
ç PHP home page http://www.programmersheaven.com/
ç PHP from hotscripts http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/
ç PHP resource index http://php.resourceindex.com/
ç PHP FAQ's http://www.faqts.com/
ç PHP Developer resources http://www.phpbuilder.com/
ç Building dynamic sites with PHP http://www.phpwizard.net
ç PHP Developer network http://www.evilwalrus.com/
ç PHP Tutorials and more http://www.thescripts.com/serversidescripting/php
ç PHP Resource list http://www.security-forums.com/forum/php
ç ASPTear http://www.alphasierrapapa.com/IisD...nents/AspTear/
ç ASP Codes and techniques http://www.asptoday.com/
ç ASP, HTML, SQL and more http://www.w3schools.com/
ç Think ASP think... http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/
ç ASP 101 http://www.asp101.com/
ç ASP developers site http://haneng.com/
ç PERL Archive http://www.perlarchive.com/
ç PERL tutorials http://www.perlmonks.org/index.pl?node=Tutorials
ç Old school PERL programming http://www.cgi101.com/
ç Windows programming tools http://www.programmerstools.org/
ç Python homepage http://www.python.org/
ç Object Oriented Programming http://www.oopweb.com/
ç XML 101 http://www.xml101.com
ç Dev-X XML zone http://www.devx.com/xml/
ç Programmers Heaven http://www.programmersheaven.com/
ç Loads of tutorials http://www.echoecho.com
ç Plenty of Web Development scripts http://www.hotscripts.com
ç Code for everything http://www.planet-source-code.com/
ç The definitive Assembly resource http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/ASM
ç C Course http://www.strath.ac.uk/IT/Docs/Ccourse/
ç Another good C course http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/cclass/notes/top.html
'Legal' Hacking

Ð Zebulun http://www.cyberarmy.com/zebulun/
Ð Hack me http://loginmatrix.com/hackme/
Ð Try2Hack http://www.try2hack.nl/
Ð Hack3r/Roothack http://roothack.org/
Ð Pull The Plug http://www.pulltheplug.com/

News Groups

A great source of information, discussion and answers to questions
Depending how you put them

ñ alt.hacking.
ñ alt.binaries.hacking.beginner.
ñ alt.computer.security.
ñ alt.security.
ñ alt.os.security.
ñ alt.security.pgp.
ñ alt.security.pgp.patches.
ñ comp.os.linux.security.
ñ comp.os.ms-windows.nt.admin.security.
ñ comp.security.unix.
ñ comp.security.pgp.backdoors.
ñ comp.security.unix.
ñ microsoft.public.security.
ñ microsoft.public.sqlserver.security.
ñ microsoft.public.win2000.security.


tools, google it:

Tools

» THE ultimate port scanner nmap.
» The one and only NT password cracker L0phtcrack.
» Get the latest version of john the ripper.
» Windows process listener Inzider.
» The best packet assembler/analyzer hping.
» Hackers swiss army knife netcat.
» A tool for network monitoring and data acquisition TCPDump.
» The ONLY packet sniffer Ethereal.
» An active reconnaissance network security tool Firewalk.
» Grep your network traffic NGrep.
» NIDS tester from NIDSbench fragrouter.
» The best OS fingerprinter Xprobe.
» Port mapper fport.
» File Integrity checker Tripwire.
» Check for rootkits chkrootkit.
» OSS instrusion detection Snort.
» Security Scanner Nessus.
» TCP/IP Toolkit Paketto.


Nice find Strader........

Hackers Manifesto
http://www.infowar.com/forums/showthread.p...=&threadid=1162

"don't do anything illegal"

Pratice:
http://www.scifi.pages.at/hackits/
(Thanks newbie)

http://www.hackerslab.org/eorg/
(thanks newbie)

http://www.learntohack.org/
(thanks newbie)

http://neworder.box.sk/codebox.links.php?key=36581
(Thanks Net Buster)

http://www.hackthissite.org/
(thanks 55)

Programs applications and other need tools

Browsers
Mozilla Firefox 9.1
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Opera
http://www.opera.com/
Netscape 7.1
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp

Anti Virus programs Free
Avast
http://www.avast.com/
AVG
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Free antivirus listing page
http://www.freebyte.com/antivirus/

Anti Trojan applications
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/

Firewalls free
Zone labs
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/conte...reeDownload.jsp
Sygate
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm
Outpost
http://www.agnitum.com/download/
Kerio
http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html


Test sites for firewall security
Pcflank
http://www.pcflank.com/
Gibson Research Corporation
http://www.grc.com/default.htm


Misc. sites that have been posted over the years
How to read NETSTAT –an
http://www.geocities.com/merijn_bel.../netstatan.html
Dshield Distributed Intrusion Detection System
http://www.dshield.org/index.php
Hackers watch
http://www.hackerwatch.org/
TCP/ IP Ports list
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~rakerman/port-table.html
Network Tools
http://lists.gpick.com/pages/Network_Tools.htm
Hacking text files (older stuff but still useful )\
http://www.textfiles.com/hacking/INTERNET/
Beta News
http://www.betanews.com/
GIF works
http://www.gifworks.com/
Secunia Security pages virus alerts and such
http://secunia.com/ multiple_browse...ty_te
st/

Anti spyware apps
Spyware blaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/
Spybot S&D
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/fi...id,22262,00.asp
Spyware guard
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
Adware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



Here are some tools posted by my friend Splabster(thank you for taking the time typing those tools) :



General System & Network Probing:

Sam Spade http://www.samspade.org/ssw
Online tools http://www.network-tools.com
Online tool http://visualroute.visualware.com
Online tool http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/domreg-alpha.html
Nmap http://www.nmap.org
Scanline http://www.foundstone.com
SuperScan http://www.foundstone.com
Icmpenum http://razor.bindview.com/tools/des...num_readme.html
Snscan http://www.foundstone.com
Ethereal http://www.ethereal.com
Ettercap http://ettercap.sourceforge.net
Xprobe2 http://www.sys-security.com/html/projects/X.html
Hping2 http://www.hping.org/
SQLping http://www.sqlsecurity.com/scripts.asp
Amap http://www.thc.org/releases.php
Tcp Traceroute http://michael.toren.net/code/tcptraceroute
VisualRoute http://www.visualware.com/visualroute/index.html

Enumerating & Compromising Windows

Netcat http://www.atstake.com/research/tools/index.html
Zebedee http://www.winton.org.uk/sebedee/
Desproxy http://desproxy.courceforge.net/
Winfo http://ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/winfo
enum http://razor.bindview.com/tools/des...num_readme.html
Ldp LDAP query tool available in the windows 2000 server cd-rom
DumpSec http://www.somarsoft.com/
Userdump http://www.hammerofgod.com/download.htm
NTFSdos http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/NTFDOS.shtml
Chntpw http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
PWDump3 http://www.polivec.com/pwdump3.html
Lsadump2 http://razor.bindview.com/tools/index.shtml
PipeUpAdmin http://content.443.ch/pub/security/...peup/W2KPipeUp/
Psexec http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psexec.shtml
Ettercap address above
Brutus http://www.hoobie.net/brutus/index.html
Hydra http://www.thc.org/releases.php
John http://www.openwall.com/john
VNCcrack http://www.phenoelit.de/fr/tools.html
Cain & Abel http://www.oxid.it/projects.html
ClearLogs http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/
WinZapper http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/
SQLdict http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/sqldict

Enumerating & Compromising UNIX

Netcat
Zebedee
Desproxy
Ettercap
Xscan http://packetstormsecurity.nl/Exploit_Code_Archive/
Xwhatchwin http://www.deter.com/unix/software/xwatchwin.tgz
Xkey http://www.deter.com/unix/software/xkey.c
Xspy http://www.deter.com/unix/software/xspy-1.0c.tgz
YPX http://www.deter.com/unix/software/ypx.sh.gz
Hunt http://lin.fsid.cvut.cz/~kra/index.html#HUNT
John
Brutus
Hydra
VNCcrack
SQLdict
Zap3 http://packetstormsecurity.nl/UNIX/...ion/log-wipers/

Enumerating & Compromising Novell

Pandora http://www.nmrc.org/project/pandora/index.html
On-site Admin http://www.environmental-center.com/freeware/onsite.htm
NCPQuery http://razor.bindview.com/tools/index.shtml

Enumerating & Compromising Wireless

Netstumbler http://www.netstumbler.com
Kismet http://www.kismetwireless.net/download.shtml
kisMac (for mac users) http://www.binaervarianz.de/projekt...ac/download.php
Airsnort http://airsnort.shmoo.com/
Airtraf http://www.elixar.com/index.html
SMAC http://www.klcconsulting.net/smac
Accessories http://www.fab-corp.com

General System & Network Vulnerability Checking

Nessus http://www.nessus.org
SARA http://www-arc.com/products.shtml
Nikto http://www.cirt.net/code/nikto.shtml

System Forensics Tools

Vision http://www.foundstone.com/knowledge...esc/vision.html
ListDLLs http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/f.../listdlls.shtml
Process Explorer http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/f...e/procexp.shtml
Coroner's Toolkit http://porcupine.org/forensics/tct.html
LADS http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/f.../listdlls.shtml
Chkrootkit http://www.chkrootkit.org/
WinHex http://www.winhex.com/winhex/index-m.html
Active @ Undelete http://www.active-undelete.com/

Web Hacking tools

Black Widow http://www.softbytelabs.com/Frames.html
Web Sleuth http://sandsprite.com/Sleuth
Wfetch http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...B;en-us;q284285
Tsql http://www.aspalliance.com/mtgal/source_code/tsql.exe
Spike Proxy http://www.immunitysec.com/spike.html

Remote Command Shell/Remote Access Trojans/Rootkits

(I'm a moron) Trojan http://(I'm a moron).net/
Barok active Trojan http://www.thenewbiesarea.com/trojans.shtml
AckCmd backdoor http://ntsecurity.ni/toolbox/
Tini backdoor http://ntsecurity.ni/toolbox/
Psexec r-shell http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/psexec.shtml
Rwwwshell r-shell http://www.thc.org/releases/rwwwshell-2.0.pl.gz
LRK5 rootkit http://www.hackersplayground.org/tools.html
Knark 2.4 rootkit http://www.hackersplayground.org/tools.html

Miscellaneous Tools

Fragrouter http://packetstorm.widexs.nl/UNIX/I.../nidsbench.html
Stunnel http://www.stunnel.org
WinRelay http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/
Fpipe http://www.foundstone.com/resources/freetools.htm
Tight VNC http://www.tightvnc.com
FileGateway http://www.steelbytes.com
Remote Anything http://remote-anything.com/en/ra_index.htm
TinyWeb http://www.ritlabs.com/tinyweb/index.html
IKS 200 key logger http://www.amecisco.com/index.htm
KLogger http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/
ShowWin http://www.foundstone.com/knowledge/free_tools.html
KEYhatcher http://www.keykatcher.com/howit.htm
Hex Editors http://www.expertcomsoft.com
http://www.winhex.com/winhex/index-m.html
Secure hard disk wiping and deletion
http://www.heidi.ie
http://www.jetico.com
http://www.winhex.com/winhex/index-m.html
Trinux http://trinux.sourceforge.net/
Silk Rope 2K http://www.hackersplayground.org/tools.html
CMOS killer http://www.hackersplayground.org/tools.html
LDAP Browser http://www.softerra.com/products/ldabrowser.php
QTODBC http://gpoulose.home.att.net/Tools/QTADO40_sr.exe

Host Lockdown/Protection/Assessment Tools

Bastille http://www.bastille-linux.org
lpchains http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxpla...torials/2100/3/
Apache Shell http://ftp.porcupine.org/pub/security/index.html
Titan http://www.fish.com/titan
Tara http://www-arc.com/products.shtml
Tcpwrappers http://www.linuxsecurity.com/docs/colsfaq.html#4.5
URLscan http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/
IISLockdown http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/
Tripwire http://www.tripwire.com/
HFNETchk http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/
MS SQL Lockdown Script http://www.sqlsecurity.com/DesktopD...ndex=4&tabid=12
UNIX/Windows/router assessment tools http://www.cisecurity.org/
Secure Cisco Router Template http://www.cymru.com/Documents/secure-ios-template.html
Secure Cisco Switch Template
http://www.qorbit.net/documents/cat...re-template.pdf
Snort http://www.snort.org
Swatch http://swatch.sourceforge.net
Secure Remote Password http://srp.stanford.edu/
Software Code Review links https://sardonix.org/auditing_Resources.html
Sawmill http://www.sawmill.net/features.html


courtesy : criticalsecurity

read more "Download links of Hacking Tools"

Microsoft Windows XP Tips And Tricks

Microsoft Windows XP Tips And Tricks
Part 1

Take shortcuts
Create your own shortcut-key combinations to your favourite applications by right-clicking the app of choice and selecting Properties. Under the Shortcut tab, enter your own key combination, such as Ctrl+6, in the "Shortcut key" field. If the combination you choose is already taken, Windows selects something similar.

Eliminate animations
Ending useless animations in Windows will improve performance. Right-click the desktop, choose Properties, and then the Appearance tab. Click the Effects button and make sure everything is unchecked in the next window.

Terminate indexing
For a slight speed boost, try disabling Windows' Indexing, a feature that keeps a record of all files on your hard drive. Go to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Administrative Tools, and double-click Services. Scroll down to Indexing Service, then double-click it. In the General tab, select Disabled from the "Startup type" pull-down menu and click OK.

Instant copies
You can quickly burn a CD using Windows' integrated applet. To begin, go to Start > My Music, and navigate to the folder with the tunes you want to burn, if you're not already there. On the left side of the window, select "Copy all items to CD," or highlight the songs you want to burn and click Copy to Audio CD. You can also copy a single song by right-clicking the file and selecting Copy to CD or Device.

Synchronise Windows' clock
If your Windows clock has a habit of losing track of time, synchronise it with an Internet time server. Double-click the time located on your taskbar. Select the Internet Time tab and check "Automatically synchronise with an Internet time server." Don't bet your next job interview on it, though -- the time's synchronised only once a week. If you want to synchronise immediately, click Update Now

Apps in an instant
For one-click access to frequently used apps, right-click the taskbar, select Toolbars and check Quick Launch. Now drag your shortcut icons onto the Quick Launch bar to the right of the Start button. To view more of them, click the double chevron for a list, or hover your mouse over the dotted area until it turns into a double-sided arrow and slide it over to the right.

Disable balloon help
To disable balloon pop-ups, click Start > Run, type regedit and hit Enter. In the left column, drill down to HKEY_CURRENT_ USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Explorer > Advanced. Right-click anywhere in the right column, select New > DWORD Value, and rename it EnableBalloonTips. Double-click this new entry, and give it a hexadecimal value of 0. Then close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Just be careful; Registry mistakes are irreversible.

Hide all windows
For instant access to your desktop, hold down the Windows key and hit D

read more "Microsoft Windows XP Tips And Tricks"