[bandors]

I too used to be a young punk hacker teen. I spent some formative years on this forum running ops and getting bags.
My only advice for the newer generation is to learn 'legit' hacking sooner. Get started on CTFs and chase certificates.

Phishing and kiddie stuff only takes you so far and eventually you WILL need to become competent or 'git gud' as the kids say these days.

If I could grab the 12 years ago version of me when I first registered here, I would slap myself around and focus on getting good sooner.

Also, if you're American or German, French, UK, or EU in general, whitehat work will always pay more. I promise. The Russians do this shit because their only other option is literally farming potatoes.

Anyways I kinda miss being young and running around like I had a get out of jail free card. Oh well, to be young :)

[AiDenti]

Thanks Dad, appreciate the advice.

What are your thoughts on balancing between white hat and black hat?

[bandors]

Thanks Dad, appreciate the advice.

What are your thoughts on balancing between white hat and black hat?

If you're an American you have no excuse to be blackhat. Minimal study into web exploitation is enough for a certification and six figure salary.
If you're from fucking Moldova or something you need to do whatever you can to get a bag and get out.


Everything in life is a spectrum, even your cleanest whitehat has probably fucked around at some point. Just don't get caught.
I have seen time and time again that the most retarded age group is specifically 18-20 because you're now old enough to have some skills but young enough to not appreciate how quickly you can fuck up your entire life if you are not serious about your Opsec. You've made some friends in the scene and they know your XYZ alias, and you're too lazy/trusting to cut ties and build a proper new alias that's disconnected from your childhood Opsec mistakes.


For example, my hackforums account here. I registered in early '12 and I for sure made a good amount of Opsec fuckups because well, I was 14 :)

But! At least I knew that I could not keep rocking the same Alias/accounts friends after I turned 18.

[AiDenti]

If you're an American you have no excuse to be blackhat.

This is the only part I really disagree with. Not everyone is motivated by money.

Personally, I've been around the block in this community and hobby and what you're saying about opsec is 100% true. I've burned a lot of accounts and good usernames trying to secure myself. This account has been the first I feel fairly secure with. I appreciate the perspective, thanks.

[bandors]

This is the only part I really disagree with. Not everyone is motivated by money.

Personally, I've been around the block in this community and hobby and what you're saying about opsec is 100% true. I've burned a lot of accounts and good usernames trying to secure myself. This account has been the first I feel fairly secure with. I appreciate the perspective, thanks.

Okay... now ask yourself about the following checklist:
Have you ever connected this account to the same network that you use social media with?
VPN does not matter, if you use VPN from XYZ IP and then you accidentally load youtube, do a google, open facebook, etc, the government now associates that VPN ip with you.
You need a totally separate computer, and you need to use burner phone sims for your access point. Consider whonix for fuckup prevention.


Do you have full disc encryption with Veracrypt? (Not bitlocker)
Do you have proper dual pass encryption, where if you're forced to give a password, it will then load into an alternate benign operating system?

Do you still associate with the same people after breaking aliases?

Stay safe. 🕵️

[AiDenti]

Okay... now ask yourself about the following checklist:
Have you ever connected this account to the same network that you use social media with?
VPN does not matter, if you use VPN from XYZ IP and then you accidentally load youtube, do a google, open facebook, etc, the government now associates that VPN ip with you.
You need a totally separate computer, and you need to use burner phone sims for your access point. Consider whonix for fuckup prevention.


Do you have full disc encryption with Veracrypt? (Not bitlocker)
Do you have proper dual pass encryption, where if you're forced to give a password, it will then load into an alternate benign operating system?

Do you still associate with the same people after breaking aliases?

Stay safe. 🕵️

All good points. Luckily, my fun time activities are extremely low priority for the government. I'm aware of what they can do and I do my best not to piss them off.

I'm more concerned with staying anonymous from ordinary people.

[Vibe]

Also, if you're American or German, French, UK, or EU in general, whitehat work will always pay more. I promise. The Russians do this shit because their only other option is literally farming potatoes.

So it’s okay if I move to Idaho?

[bandors]

So it’s okay if I move to Idaho?

Anywhere but Ohio :^)

[Vibe]

Anywhere but Ohio :^)

Been there done that’s😂😂