All of the above, and more. For example, in the HBGary hack, they used a combination of SQL injection to expose passwords, got lucky when some of these passwor

All of the above, and more. For example, in the HBGary hack, they used a combination of SQL injection to expose passwords, got lucky when some of these passwords could be re-used for SSH access, then had to resort to good ol' social engineering for full control of the system. This article provides some good insights: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/anonymous-speaks-the-inside-story-of-the-hbgary-hack.ars/1 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/anonymous-sp... There is no magic bullet to stop these types of hackers. It's important that you practice good security culture, since some of these guys do use very advanced techniques. Your home internet security could be defeated by a cunning hacker with a multimeter claiming he/she is there from Comcast to 'upgrade' your router.