[LadyDia]

Hello, I am still a video game hacker sometimes, but I am getting tired of it, and want to try something more constructive. So, in an effort to search for that goal, I'd figure I could take my chances here.

For starters, I want to learn to become an ethical hacker, and my ultimate goal is to decrypt encrypted files.

A friend of mine mentioned that there was a contest to crack an encryption method, but while that has passed, I only started to feel interested in trying it out lately.

I've been researching into how compilers work, and how the hardware reads data. Video game hacking has showed me a lot on that side.

While that is the case, it doesn't keep my interest for long, since it's only like messing with a toy. It's fun at first, but down the road I've been finding it's a colossal waste of time that doesn't get me money. So, if I want to hack anything, ethical hacking is something that interests me, and I also want to learn the higher levels of hacking if I'm going to use my free time to hack a video game anyways.

That is why I'm here, looking for a challenge to satisfy my hobby needs.

I'm annoyed with just hacking games. I need something real.

So, if anyone can give me starting pointers on what to read up on, that would be great.

I have gotten very familiar and comfortable with ASM language, so don't worry about me being difficult to give a good boost on some advanced topics. I might have difficulties understanding certain things (given) but I want to see where I can push myself.

I am more likely to be dedicated to something hacking or programming-related than the annoying computer tasks I have to work with on a regular basis. Please indulge me.

If you need to know me better, I am a light-hearted person with a social life, and not afraid to take on something head-on. I've gotten to be a bit more adventurous in the past few years, but I need something I'm not familiar with to test my skills.

I might balance my life like a double-life, but when I sit at my desk, games are starting to drain my intellect.

Anything relating to encryption will help me out. I also want to install a decent Linux OS to use, and I've been looking at some that claim to be hacker-friendly, but I could use some pointers on tools and such to look at for getting started.

Any help would be great, you don't have to give me a ladder to climb, but some planks of wood is all I need to get something to work on if that's what you feel comfortable with.

Thanks.