OTW, a digital forensics practitioner and author behind OccupyTheWeb, shares expertise on detecting hacks using OSQuery, a powerful tool that turns system data into a queryable database. He discusses real-world cases involving harassment and business disputes to illustrate key signs of compromise, including suspicious processes and registry entries. Listeners learn how to identify fileless malware and the limitations of traditional antivirus systems. OTW provides practical SQL-style commands to help users investigate potential breaches effectively.
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insights INSIGHT
Turn Your Host Into A Database
OSQuery turns an endpoint into a queryable database of system state for detection and forensics.
Facebook released it cross-platform, letting users inspect Windows, macOS, and Linux hosts locally.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Hacking As Personal Or Business Warfare
OTW described cases where people hire hackers in divorce or business disputes to harass targets.
One case involved a husband taking over his wife's devices and smart home, showing real-world personal attacks.
insights INSIGHT
Two Essentials Of A Compromise
Effective compromises need both a service on the host and a network connection for remote control.
So detection should focus on services, connections, and persistence mechanisms like registry or scheduled tasks.
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Big thanks to Brilliant for sponsoring this video. To try everything Brilliant has to offer, visit https://brilliant.org/davidbombal or scan the QR code onscreen – You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
Think you’ve been hacked? In this video, David Bombal and OTW (OccupyTheWeb)
walk you through OSQuery - a free, open-source tool that lets you query your
operating system like a database. You’ll learn the exact SQL-style commands to find:
• Listening processes & remote connections (spot command-and-control)
• Suspicious services and misspelled look-alikes
• Persistence via registry startup items and scheduled tasks
• Fileless malware (on_disk = 0) running only in RAM
OTW draws from real digital forensics cases (200+ inquiries/month),
including harassment, divorce disputes, and business rivalries. We also
explain why antivirus often fails once malware is resident—and what you can
do next (kill the process, remove the file, and harden startup entries).
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Linux Basics for Hackers 2nd Ed
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Getting Started Becoming a Master Hacker
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Network Basics for hackers:
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// YouTube video REFERENCE //
Have you been hacked? Hacker explains how to find out: • Have you been hacked? Hacker explains how ...
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// MENU //
0:00 - Coming Up
0:35 - Introduction
01:08 - The New Python Book
01:41 - Sponsored Section
02:49 - OTW Shares a Cool Tool
05:11 - Why This Tool is Powerful
06:45 - Latest Hacking Trends
09:59 - Who Should Use This Tool (and When)
10:54 - What Happens When You’re Hacked
11:20 - Why Hackers Need Access First
12:02 - After Installing the Software
12:39 - How to Query a Database
14:43 - Exploring OS Query’s Page
16:14 - Finding Unwanted Services on Your Computer
18:06 - Narrowing Down the Data
22:06 - Tracing the Hacker’s Footsteps
23:11 - The Case of the Husband Who Hacked His Wife
24:31 - Are You Being Hacked by the CIA?
25:31 - The Attacker’s Go-To Move
26:25 - Understanding the Windows Registry
29:55 - Investigating Scheduled Tasks
30:48 - Common Hacker Techniques
32:11 - Checking the Processes Running on Your System
33:48 - Is Chrome Malicious?
35:05 - Why Most Home Users Get Hacked
36:16 - Should You Rely on Anti-Virus?
37:48 - Windows vs Mac: Which Gets Hacked More?
38:30 - Getting Hacked Through a Friend’s Link
39:10 - Tutorials for Finding Malware on Your System
39:34 - Outro & Conclusion
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Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.
#hacked #osquery #cybersecurity
David Bombal