I Broke Into My House Using Social Engineering (The Art Of Hacking)

One of the topics in cyber security I do find intriguing is social engineering, I mean, think about it; the ability to hack a human being, the ability to hack outside the computer environment.

Let's start from the very beginning. Before 7 am I was already up, I had to go get my Covid 19 vaccine, later than most people because I was still very sceptic about it, I still am, I know Bill gates will not mind control me, but then...
To sort out what I needed to sort out, I needed the evidence that I collecting the vaccine.

I started my day with morning devotion, I kept re-reading Samuel's first encounter with God and then came my own father's voice "It is until night you will go and collect your vaccine abi" I could smell the sarcasticness in his voice, it was more than that, it was condescending.
I dressed up, ate a little in preparation for my vaccination, and went out with my mum, leaving my dad home.

I got to the health centre, my mum went her way and I approached the woman who told me on Monday to come today; Wednesday, I approached her, and told her the reason I came, she denied telling me to come on wednesday, she said it was friday she told me on monday. I was sure she said wednesday, but I didn't argue, I left and walked back home using a shortcut.

I meet my dad on the way, he asked why I was coming back so early and instructed me not to pass a particular place because I was walking alone, I should have told him I was a Liverpool fan, but what was the point, I went home and avoided that route.

I was about to get home, I called my mum and asked her to call me back to save my credit, she called and the first thing she said was that I forgot my key, that wasn't why I called, I called to give her an update on my unsuccessful covid vaccination. I checked my pockets and I answered yes ma, I told her I would wait outside till she came back from work.

I sat at the front and planned how to use my battery for 8 hours, pending the time my mum would be back from work.

I thought to myself, how do I enter, brute force? this is not a computer system neither is it a server, I looked at the gigantic padlock, I could break it I thought to myself, buy a replica make it look as old as the current one then change my parent's key without them knowing it, the professor of La Casa de Papel in me arose, even if I could jack it, even if I could find a replica, even if I could make it look as old as this old one, even if I could replace my parents key with the new one, even if? lack of money destroyed my even ifs, My La professor is broke.

I knew the other door into the house was locked, we usually lock it from the inside, and there was no opening it.

I figured I could break the wall and enter, but my parents would simply send me back to the person who gave me to them. I wasn't ready for that so I didn't dare entertain that idea again.

I thought of two other ways I could enter, it was logical, it was tested and it has been proven to work, but apart from the fact that it was used in extreme cases of emergencies, it was also dangerous, I know for a fact the first out of the two ways works because robbers used it to break into our house about 13 years ago or something. It was bold, dangerous nonetheless.

I knew the second method worked because one of our neighbour used it during an emergency, skilful people did it with the permission of the owner but it was still very dangerous.

I sat straight, I used my phone to finish my morning devotion, I was ready to wait till my mother came back from work, and right there I remembered something, it made me motivated, and I now had a reason to want to enter the house.

The low-budget Mr Robot in me revealed himself, I walked around the house looking for a vulnerability, and I found 3 subtle indirect vulnerabilities and I choose the feasible one.

What was the vulnerability? you might wonder. The feasible vulnerability was a missing bolt, I could see six steps ahead, Pablo Escobar has nothing on me right there, I could see myself inside the house.

I needed a lot of information about the house and about me before I could even identify it as a vulnerability, l lived in the house, and I have lived in it for years, I had all the information I needed.

I walked around picking tools that might be needed, who knew Sherlock Holmes was black and back? I asked myself.

I went around, I picked one big stone, one medium stone, I picked one thin iron wire, I divided it into 3, I picked 2 long something ( I don't want to tell you what) I found lying around, 2 medium something (I don't want to tell you) lying around.

I had to remove some things I needed from where it was, planning to return them when I was done.

I made my equipment, I made my exploit for getting access into my house, this root user might not have known his password, didn't use a backdoor, but he did turn a technicality into a backdoor, all because he has information, not just information but useful information.
Information is power, I felt the power coursing through my veins.

I started my exploit, and it failed, but I kept trying, again and again, things seemed to only get worse, my ability to enter the house was going father and father away, I stopped cleared my head, thought about my goal, asked God to help me, I tried again and again, adjust my approach slightly each time.

I got my access after a series of trials and error, after I had burned my hand with the heat generated from separating thin iron and after I had almost given up.

I entered the house, and I thanked God for success as I was rushing into the kitchen. I stared at what was motivating me all along, I stared at the food my mum cooked, the food I ate very little of before I went out of the house without my key to go collect my covid vaccine.

In cyber security, to hack is not enough, you have to leave no trace, many of us learnt that the hard way, but we learnt it nonetheless.

I left a trace while hacking into my house, was it obvious? No, was it like a needle in a haystack no? It was like a strand of hay in a haystack, I could fix it when I have gotten access to the house, but I didn't because what if I needed to do it all over? what if I needed to break into my house using social engineering?