Where to find Linux security experts?
 

My bullies hacked my ubuntu desktop and i'm having a hard time finding someone to have a look at it, even after posting jobs at the major freelance sites. I can pay up to 300 so it is not that i want a sucker to work for free. Any advice would be appreciated. I'm getting really desperate.

I would think that the problem is asking someone to answer an unknown in a finite time.

A legitimate contractor can expect that 1/2 his charge rate will go to cover his self employment taxes and given the level of expertise that may be needed...

3 hours at $100/hr nets ~$50/hr with a limit of 3 hours.
Can I solve this problem in 3 hours or will I [ get fired | work for free ]?

IMO, this should either 1) go in the job posting section here at LQ; or 2) be directed to something like oDesk.

Moved to LQ Job Marketplace.

I'll leave a link behind in LQSEC for at least a week. Good luck! :)

Any specific reasons why you would want a contractor in the first place? If it's a machine of some importance then I'd say trawl your local LUG for help if you require physical presence or ask the for pointers to reputable and thrustworthy people. If you're adamant you should shell out wads of cash for a formal investigation then expect to pay much more than that. Else (not implying we are of ill repute or not worthy of at least some form of trust ;-p), isn't this something we could deal with slash guide you through in the Linux Security forum?

Feel free to donate to LQ afterwards...

Any seasoned member of the forum feel free to have a look at it, if he finds something he'll get $300 and I'll donate $100 to the forum. It's a 1.3Gb clonezilla gzipped image. I've contacted more than 100 people on elance, freelancer, odesk, guru since december and my bullies have prevented me from completing any deal so I'm quite positive that this desktop is compromised. Help me bring down these retard hats!

2009-12-01-23-img
ubuntu 9.10
MD5SUM b761182fd0beab508b647f0b22bf8e57 (after joining)
File: Join with hjsplit or 7zip
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=204D9NZT
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M6M9AKX8
Clonezilla info:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CWHPR3M8
Admin: u denimierda p RipcUrl9

Could I request you please first create a thread in the Linux Security forum and state your case based on known facts alone? TIA.

With respect, that statement sounds a wee bit odd. Complete the deal from a different (non-compromised) system, then.

What leads you to believe the system was compromised?

Digging around a Gig's worth of data for an unspecified something-or-other is worse than the adage "finding a needle in a haystack." The haystack owner believes there is *something* in the haystack, but doesn't know what. could be a needle, could be a nail, could be nothing.

For $50, I'll give you a short list of apps you should be using to give you an idea of what you should be running on a system to reliably audit it on a daily basis.