15yr Old Boy ho Hacked Secuty Syetems

Is the Internet really secure nowadays? Do we really have secure systems? What does security really entail? Human or Machine factor! I stumbled across the article titled "The Hacker God Who Fell To Earth" which narrated the story of COSMO. I was perturbed with high-scale hacking he performed at just 15. Mat Honan says "He's just 15 but COSMO fooled the most sophisticated internet security systems, as well as Google, Paypal and the CIA". Read the full story below and share your comment: COSMO was 6ft 7in (2m) the last time he was measured at a detention facility in California. But he’s still growing because Cosmo – also known as Cosmo The God who weaseled his way past security systems at Amazon, Apple, AOL, PayPal, Netflix and Microsoft – is just 15 years old. Arrested along with dozens of others in an FBI sting, he doesn’t know what he’s been charged with – it’s tough to narrow it down – but freely admits to his participation in an array of crimes. He is currently awaiting a court date. With his group UGNazi (short for Underground Nazi), Cosmo allegedly helped bring down sites linked to the Nasdaq stock market and the CIA. They even took out Papa John’s website after it failed to deliver a pizza on time. They’ve apparently bypassed Google’s verification systems and posted New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s address and social security number on the internet. Then, after breaking into one billing agency, they dumped 500,000 credit card numbers online. Cosmo expresses remorse for the people still having accounts compromised via methods he pioneered but, despite his impressive arsenal of tricks, he’s still just a child. I met him after hackers broke into my Apple and Amazon accounts. I fell into their world, where Cosmo told me about all manner of other account vulnerabilities – and that the FBI sting wasn’t his first brush with the law. ‘I also got, I guess you could say arrested, in October 2011,’ he says. ‘Someone called in a bomb threat to my school. They did it every day of the school week and on the fifth day they called in, said my name and that I had a gun. It was other hackers.’ Cosmo’s name and address have long been published online, making him a target for other hackers jealous of his notorious reputation. ‘Someone also swatted my house,’ he says. ‘It happens a lot to me.’ Swatting is a prank where a hacker uses an internet call system to report a hostage situation, which scrambles emergency services to the victim’s doorstep. Cosmo got into hacking via online gaming. He discovered how to obtain opponents’ details using off-the-shelf programmes such as Cain & Abel. Once he had a gamer’s basic details, he could infiltrate other accounts. ‘I called Netflix and it was so easy,’ Cosmo says. ‘They asked: “What’s your name?” and I said: “Todd,” gave them his e-mail address and they said: “Alright, your password is 12345,” and I was signed in. I figured if Netflix could score, so could any big provider. Back then, Amazon was easier.’ Some of Cosmo’s techniques are incredibly complicated, such as the method he developed for getting into PayPal. PAYPAL accounts are a trove of information. That information can, in turn, be used to obtain password resets on all sorts of other sites. What’s more, once inside someone’s PayPal account, you can rob them. ‘You have to add a bank account,’ explains Cosmo. ‘You can make a virtual bank account on eTrade.com with info from FakeNameGenerator.com.’ Cosmo says he’s incriminating himself before his trial to tell me about a specific AOL security loophole he wants closed. To get a password reset on a free AOL e-mail account, you have to give the over-the-phone tech support worker the first and last name and postcode. For a paid account, AOL asks for an address or the last four digits of the credit card on file. ‘That’s all you need to do,’ adds Cosmo. As a direct result of Cosmo coming forward, PayPal and AOL have now changed their account security procedures. Cosmo squirms in his chair as we sit in his grandmother’s living room. Her small apartment, with dark brown carpeting, is directly downstairs from his own. It’s hot, even sitting next to a fan. There is a picture of Jesus on a table. Cosmo lives in the apartment upstairs with his mother, who he says typically works six days a week. She gets home late in the evening. He doesn’t speak to his father. When I look up their address on Crime Reports, it is right on the border of a zone where crime is extremely frequent and violent. Cosmo was still sleeping when the police arrived at his apartment. Officers and a detective with the Long Beach Police Department searched his home and seized three of his netbooks and his iPod Touch. They put him in handcuffs and refused to let him change clothes. Then they took him to the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, where he spent the next two days. They raided his grandmother’s home, too. I wonder how much of what Cosmo has told me is true. The only thing I am certain of is that online security is an illusion Read more: http://www.theinfostrides.com/index.php?topic=96656.0#ixzz2ahyYwyDg

Top 100 Universities In America-2010

Following is the list of Top 100 Universities in USA. Ranking is based on 3 factors as listed below: 1. Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students) 2. Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), 3. Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country) Top 100 Universities in USA 1. Univ. of California, San Diego 2. University of California, Berkeley 3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles 4. Stanford University (CA) 5. University of Texas, Austin 6. University of California, Davis 7. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 8. Syracuse University (NY) 9. Harvard University (MA) 10. College of William and Mary (VA) 11. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara 12. University of Chicago 13. U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 14. South Carolina State University 15. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology 16. University of Washington 17. Case Western Reserve Univ. (OH) 18. Rutgers, St. U. of N.J., Newark 19. Georgetown University (DC) 20. Texas A&M U., Col. Station 21. Dartmouth College (NH) 22. Johns Hopkins University (MD) 23. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison 24. Princeton University (NJ) 25. Rice University (TX) 26. SUNY Col. of Envir. Sci. & For. (NY) 27. U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 28. Tennessee State University 29. Duke University (NC) 30. University of Rochester (NY) 31. Fordham University (NY) 32. Marquette University (WI) 33. Yale University (CT) 34. University of Pennsylvania 35. Pennsylvania State U., University Park 36. Washington University in St. Louis 37. Vanderbilt University (TN) 38. Cornell University (NY) 39. Univ. of Southern California 40. Univ. of California, Riverside 41. California Institute of Technology 42. University of Florida 43. U. of Minnesota, Twin Cities 44. University of Virginia 45. Jackson State University (MS)* 46. Ohio State Univ., Columbus 47. New York University 48. Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 49. Michigan State University* 50. University of California, Irvine 51. Clark University (MA) 52. Virginia Tech 53. Tufts University (MA) 54. Iowa State University 55. University of San Diego 56. Widener University (PA) 57. University of Notre Dame (IN) 58. Rutgers, St. U. of N.J., New Brun. 59. Boston College 60. Tulane University (LA) 61. Clark Atlanta University (GA) 62. Clemson University (SC) 63. Brown University (RI) 64. Georgia Institute of Technology 65. Northwestern University (IL) 66. St. John’s University (NY) 67. Columbia University (NY) 68. University of Idaho* 69. Azusa Pacific University (CA) 70. Howard University (DC) 71. George Washington Univ. (DC) 72. Duquesne University (PA) 73. University of San Francisco 74. Florida A&M University 75. Wake Forest University (NC) 76. N.C. State Univ., Raleigh 77. University of Dayton (OH) 78. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY) 79. SUNY, Binghamton (NY)* 80. Clarkson University (NY) 81. Miami Univ., Oxford (OH)* 82. Brandeis University (MA) 83. Purdue U., W. Lafayette (IN)* 84. Colorado State University* 85. Spalding University (KY) 86. American University (DC) 87. Emory University (GA) 88. North Carolina A&T State Univ. 89. St. Louis University 90. Loyola University Chicago 91. U. of Maryland, College Park 92. Univ. of Missouri 93. U. of California, Santa Cruz 94. University of Georgia 95. University of Arizona 96. Univ. of S.C., Columbia 97. University of Connecticut 98. Polytechnic Inst. of New York U. 99. SUNY, Stony Brook (NY) 100. University of Memphis Above rankings as part of Washington Monthly rankings for Top 100 Universities in USA (National Universities) Read more: http://www.theinfostrides.com/index.php?topic=6051.0#ixzz2ahxa0bw5

Neco Results Are Out,Hurry And Check Yours

This thread will guide through the process of checking your NECO result online and issues related to Nigeria's NECO results. When the National Examination Council – NECO released its SSCE results for either May/June, June/July, or November / December, update is usually posted for your information. Always read through the discussions for your benefit. You can follow this thread for updated information about how to check your results online and also explore the following information: 2011 NECO Results: NECO 2011 June / July Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Results - TheInfoStrides.com 2010 NECO Results: 2010 NECO Results Released - Check Your Result Now - TheInfoStrides.com These are the two official website of NECO but they seem not have been updated: - NECO Online Results Service - NECO Result Portal Here is another link that provide result checking service for NECO in Nigeria but not so sure of its authenticity: Converged Examination Management Technology Platform If you able to successfully used 'Converged Examination Management Technology Platform', please post below for confirmation. Thanks. To access the NECO result checker and check your NECO result follow the steps below: 1. Go to NECO Online Results Service oR NECO Result Portal 2. Select the year you sat for the NECO examinations 3. Select your NECO examination type 4. Enter your NECO registration number and click view results Read more: http://www.theinfostrides.com/index.php?topic=6099.0#ixzz2ahvzhPPo

Lmao,10 Things American And Indian Movies Teach Us

5 things American Movies Teach Us: 1. Chinese Have Nothing Better To Do Than Teaching Or Practice Kung Fu. 2. More Than 50% Of U.S. Population Are FBI/CIA Agents, Working Undercover. 3. The Purpose Of School System Of U.S. Is To Promote Basketball/Baseball. 4. Aliens Have Special Interest In Attacking the U.S. 5. U.S. Is A Place Where You Can Meet All Mythical Creatures Like Werewolves & Vampires. 5 things Indian Movies Teach Us: 1. At Least One Of The Identical Twins Is Born Evil. 2. While Defusing A Bomb, Don't Worry, Whichever Wire You Cut… You “Always Choose The Right One". 3. A Hero Will Show No Pain, While Getting Beaten Up; But Will Show Pain When A Girl Cleans up His Wound. 4. A Detective Can Solve A Case Only When He Is Suspended From Duty. *The Most Hilarious* 5. If You Decide To Start Dancing On The Street, Everyone You Meet Will Know The Steps Read more: http://www.theinfostrides.com/index.php?topic=158474.0#ixzz2ahv20AIY

The History Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria

History of Nigeria The earliest known inhabitants of what is now Nigeria were members of the ancient Nok culture. The Nigeria-Cameroon border was home to peoples who spoke the Bantu group of languages, which are spoken in most African countries south of the Sahara Desert. Over 2,000 years, different kingdoms were established, including the northeastern kingdom of Kanem-Borno, the Hausa kingdoms of Katsina, Kano, Zaria and Gobir in northern-central Nigeria, the Yoruba kingdoms of Ife, Oyo and Ijebu in southwestern Nigeria, the southern kingdom of Benin, and the Ibo communities in the east. Precolonial History of Nigeria Between the 11th century and European colonial conquest in the late 19th century, the area in and around Nigeria was home to a number of sophisticated and influential societies. Among the most important were the northeastern kingdom of Borno, the Hausa city-state/kingdoms of Katsina, Kano, Zaria, and Gobir in northern-central Nigeria, the Yoruba city-states/kingdoms of Ife, Oyo, and Ijebu in southwestern Nigeria, the southern kingdom of Benin, and the Igbo communities of eastern Nigeria. Extensive trading networks developed among these societies and northwards across the Sahara. During the 19th century, the abolition of the slave trade cleared the way for expansion of trade in agricultural produce from Africa to Europe, particularly palm oil from the West African coastal areas. The coastal enclave of Lagos became a British colony in 1861, a center for expansion of British trade, missions, and political influence. Late 19th century and early 20th century Lagos was also a center for educated West African elites who were to play prominent roles in the development of Pan-Africanism as well as Nigerian nationalism. By the end of the 19th century, Britain began an aggressive military expansion in the region. A protectorate was declared over northern Nigeria in 1900. Despite the loss of sovereignty, the strong political and cultural traditions of these societies initially enabled many to accommodate nominal British rule with little change in their way of life. Colonial History of Nigeria Nigeria came under the colonial rule of the British (United Kingdom) during the second half of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century. The United Kingdom conquered the territory of present-day Nigeria, except for the section of former German-controlled Kamerun in several stages. The British dependencies of Northern and Southern Nigeria were merged into a single territory in 1914, and a legislative council, initially with limited African representation was created in 1922. Traditional native rulers, however, administered various territories under the supervision of the colonial authorities. In 1947, a federal system of government was established under a new Nigerian constitution introduced by the United Kingdom. This system was based on three regions: Eastern, Western and Northern. The idea was to reconcile the regional and religious tensions as well as accommodating the interest of diverse ethnic groups: mainly the Ibo (in the east), the Yoruba (in the west) and the Hausa and Fulani (in the north). Nigerian Independence Nigeria was granted full independence in October 1960 under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary government and a substantial measure of self-government for the country's three regions. From 1959 to 1960, Jaja Wachuku was the First black Speaker of the Nigerian Parliament - also called the House of Representatives. Wachuku replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe of Great Britain. Notably, as First Speaker of the House, Jaja Wachuku received Nigeria's Instrument of Independence - also known as Freedom Charter - on October 1, 1960, from Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Queen's representative at the Nigerian independence ceremonies. The federal government was given exclusive powers in defense, foreign relations, and commercial and fiscal policy. The monarch of Nigeria was still head of state but legislative power was vested in a bicameral parliament, executive power in a prime minister and cabinet, and judicial authority in a Federal Supreme Court. Political parties, however, tended to reflect the make up of the three main ethnic groups. The NPC (Nigerian people's Congress) represented conservative, Muslim, largely Hausa interests, and dominated the Northern Region. The NCNC (National Convention of Nigerian Citizens), was Igbo- and Christian-dominated, ruling in the Eastern Region, and the AG (Action Group) was a left-leaning party that controlled the Yoruba west. The first post-independence National Government was formed by a conservative alliance of the NCNC and the NPC, with Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a Hausa, becoming Nigeria's first Prime Minister. The Yoruba-dominated AG became the opposition under its charismatic leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Post Independence History of Nigeria Nigeria was granted full independence in October 1960, as a federation of three regions (northern, western, and eastern) under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary form of government. Under the constitution, each of the three regions retained a substantial measure of self-government. The emergence of a democratic Nigeria in May 1999 ended 16 years of consecutive military rule. Olusegun Obasanjo became the steward of a country suffering economic stagnation and the deterioration of most of its democratic institutions. Obasanjo, a former general, was admired for his stand against the Abacha dictatorship, his record of returning the federal government to civilian rule in 1979, and his claim to represent all Nigerians regardless of religion. The new President took over a country that faced many problems, including a dysfunctional bureaucracy, collapsed infrastructure, and a military that wanted a reward for returning quietly to the barracks. The President moved quickly and retired hundreds of military officers who held political positions, established a blue-ribbon panel to investigate human rights violations, ordered the release of scores of persons held without charge, and rescinded a number of questionable licenses and contracts let by the previous military regimes. The government also moved to recover millions of dollars in funds secreted in overseas accounts. Read more: http://www.theinfostrides.com/index.php?topic=6373.0#ixzz2ahrte8Cv