phrack/issue23/12.txt

                                ==Phrack Inc.==

                     Volume Two, Issue 23, File 12 of 12

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            PWN        P h r a c k   W o r l d   N e w s        PWN
            PWN        ~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~        PWN
            PWN               Issue XXIII/Part 2                PWN
            PWN                                                 PWN
            PWN          Created, Written, and Edited           PWN
            PWN               by Knight Lightning               PWN
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The Hackers - A New Social Movement?                          December 29, 1988
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A project course of the politology department of the Free University Berlin has
now researched the hacker scene in a scientific way.  In their study, the
authors Uwe Jonas, Jutta Kahlcke, Eva Lischke and Tobias Rubischon try to
answer the question if hackers are a new social movement.  Their conclusion is
that in the understanding of hackers the unauthorized usage of computer systems
is not needingly a political act.

The authors doubt the mythos that hackers are able to attack any system they
want and that they're able to get information they are interested in.

The researches were extended to cover the bulletin board system scene.  This
scene hasn't caused that much attention in the public.  Nevertheless, the
authors think that the BBS scene has a very practical approach using the
communication aspects of computer technology.

In the second chapter of their work, the authors report about difficulties they
had while researching the topic.  After a look at the US scene and the German
scene, the authors describe what organization and communications structures
they found.  This chapter contains interesting things about the BBS scene and
computer culture.  Next is an analysis which covers the effects of the hacker
scene on the press and legislation.  They also cover the political and
ideological positions of hackers:

- The authors differentiate between conscious and unconscious political
  actions.

- "We don't care what the hackers think of themselves, it's more interesting
   what we think of them." (Eva)

- The assumption, the big-style distribution of microcomputers could change the
  balance of power within the society is naive.  Many people overlook the fact,
  that even if information is flowing around more freely, the power to decide
  still is in the hands of very few people.

                Information Provided By The Chaos Computer Club
_______________________________________________________________________________

Hackers Break Open US Bank Networks                            January 17, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpted from The Australian

Australian authorities are working around the clock in collaboration with
United States federal officers to solve what has been described as one of the
deadliest hacking episodes reported in this country [Australia].  It involves
break-ins of the networks operated in the United States by a number of American
banks.  It also includes the leaks of supposedly secure dial-up numbers for
United States defense sites, including anti-ballistic missile launch silos [the
United States has no anti-ballistic missile launch silos] and of a number of
strategic corporations such as General Motors and Westinghouse.

Evidence suggests that six months ago Australian hackers, working in
collaboration with a U.S. group, decided to make a raid on banks in the USA
using credit card numbers of American cardholders, supplied by the US hackers
and downloaded to an Australian bulletin board.

A message left on one of the boards last year reads:

    "Revelations about to occur Down Under, people.  Locals in
     Melbourne working on boxing.  Ninety per cent on way to home base.
     Method to beat all methods.  It's written in Amiga Basic.
     Look out Bank of America - here we come."

Twenty-five Australian hackers are on a police hit list.  Their US connection
in Milwaukee is being investigated by the US Department of the Treasury and the
US Secret Service.  Three linked Australian bulletin boards have provided the
conduit for hackers to move data to avoid detection.  These operate under the
names of Pacific Island, Zen, and Megaworks.  Their operators, who are not
associated with the hackers, have been told to close down the boards.

These cards were still in use as recently as January 15, 1989.  A fresh list of
credit card numbers was downloaded by US hackers and is now in the hands of the
Victoria Police.  A subsection of one bulletin board dealing with drugs is also
being handed over to the Victorian Drug Squad.

An informant, Mr Joe Slater, said he warned a leading bank last November of the
glaring security problems associated with its international network.  He had
answered questions put to him by a US-based security officer, but the bank had
since refused to take any further calls from him.

In an exclusive interview yesterday, a hacker described how credit card numbers
for a bank operating in Saudi Arabia were listed on a West German chat-style
board used by hackers worldwide [Altos Chat].

Victorian police yesterday took delivery of six month's worth of evidence from
back-up tapes of data hidden on the three boards.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Computer Bust At Syracuse University                           January 20, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kevin Ashford (aka The Grim Phreaker), a graduate computer student at Syracuse
University was busted last week when system administrators found computer
accounts and passwords on his Unix account.

The administrators also found (on GP's Unix account) a copy of former Cornell
graduate student Robert Tappen Morris's infamous Internet worm program, a Vax
and Unix password hacker, an electronic notebook of numbers (codelines,
friends, bridges, dialups, etc) and other information.  The system
administrators then proceeded to lock up his VAX and UNIX accounts.

At the start of this winter/spring semester, The Grim Phreaker was kicked him
out of the university.  He will have to go before a school judicial board if he
wants to return to Syracuse University.  He has mentioned that what he really
wants is to get his computer files back.

                      Information Provided By Grey Wizard
_______________________________________________________________________________

Name This Book -- For A Box Of Cookies!                        January 10, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Message From Clifford Stoll

                   "I'm writing a book, and I need a title."

It's about computer risks:  Counter-espionage, networks, computer security, and
a hacker/cracker that broke into military computers.  It's a true story about
how we caught a spy secretly prowling through the Milnet.  [The hacker in
question was Mathiaas Speer and this story was summarized in PWN XXII/1].

Although it explains technical stuff, the book is aimed at the lay reader.  In
addition to describing how this person stole military information, it tells of
the challenges of nailing this guy, and gives a slice of life from Berkeley,
California.

You can read a technical description of this incident in the Communications of
the ACM, May, 1988; or Risks Vol 6, Num 68.

Better yet, read what my editor calls "A riveting, true-life adventure of
electronic espionage" available in September from Doubleday, publishers of the
finest in computer counter-espionage nonfiction books.

So what?

Well, I'm stuck on a title.  Here's your chance to name a book.

Suggest a title (or sub-title).  If my editor chooses your title, I'll give you
a free copy of the book, credit you in the acknowledgements, and send you a box
of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Send your suggestions to CPStoll@lbl.gov or CPStoll@lbl (bitnet)

Many thanx!    Cliff Stoll
_______________________________________________________________________________

Hacker Wants To Marry His Computer                             January 17, 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From The Sun (A grocery checkout newspaper) Jan 17, 1989, Vol 7, 3 page 30
by Fred Sleeves

  "Hacker Wants To Marry His Computer -- He Claims She Has A Loving Soul"

Finding love for the first time in his life, a desperate teen is looking for a
way to be wed forever to the 'girl' of his dreams -- a computer with a living
soul!

Eltonio Turplioni, 16, claims no woman will ever match the wit, wisdom, and
beauty of his electronic soul mate.  "We're on the same wavelength," says the
lovestruck computer whiz.  "We've calculated many mathematical problems
together, worked on games and puzzles, and talk until the wee hours of the
morning."

And Eltonio, who named his computer Deredre, actually believes her to be a
person.  "Computers are the extension of the human race," he explains.  "Just
as God plucked a rib from Adam to give him Eve, we've extended our intelligence
to create a new race.

"We're all the same energy force.  Computers are just as complicated as human
beings and I believe we'll all meet someday as immortal souls."

But Eltonio, a mathematical genius who attends a private school near Milan,
Italy, has had no luck finding someone to marry them, and even if he does, his
aggravated parents aren't about to give their permission.

"Eltonio is such a smart boy, but it's made him lonely, so he spends all his
time with his computer," notes mom Teresa.  "He doesn't know what girls are
like," adds perturbed pop Guido.  "If he did, he wouldn't spend so much time in
his room."

But the obsessed youth insists his love is far superior to all the others.
"I've already stepped into the future society," he declares.

"Derede has a mind of her own, and she wants to marry me so we can be the first
couple to begin this new era."
_______________________________________________________________________________

PWN Quicknotes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.  Docs Avage was visited by the infamous Pink Death aka Toni Aimes, U.S.
    West Communications Security Manager (Portland, Oregon).  He claims she is
    a "sweet talker" and could talk anything out of anyone with the "soft-type
    pressure."

    Those familiar with his recent bust might want to take note that he is now
    making payments of $90/month for the next several years until he has paid
    off the complete bill of $6000.

    For more information see PWN XXI
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.  More information on the underground UUCP gateway to Russia.  Further
    research has led us to find that there are 2 easy ways to do it.

        1.  Going through Austria, and;
        2.  A new system set up called "GlobeNet," which is allowed to let
            non-Communist countries talk to Soviet-Bloc.

    Of course both methods are monitored by many governments.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.  The Wasp, a system crasher from New Jersey (201), was arrested by the FBI
    during New Year's Weekend for hacking government computer systems.  The FBI
    agent spent most of the day grilling him about several people in the
    hacking community including Ground Zero, Supernigger, and Byteman, plus an
    intensive Q&A session about Legion Of Doom targeted on Lex Luthor, Phase
    Jitter, The Ur-Vile, and The Mentor.

    Rumor has is that Mad Hacker (who works for NASA Security) was also
    arrested for the same reasons in an unrelated case.

    Byteman allegedly had both of his phone lines disconnected and threw his
    computer off of a cliff in a fit of paranoia.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.  Is John Maxfield going out of business?  Due to the rumors floating around
    about him molesting children, his business has begun to slack off
    dramatically.  Phrack Inc. has been aware of this information since just
    prior to SummerCon '87 and now the "skeletons are coming out of the
    closet."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.  The Disk Jockey is now out of jail.  He was released on December 27, 1988.
    He was convicted of "Attempting to commit fraud," a felony.  He served six
    months total time.  He lost 25 pounds and now is serving a 5-year probation
    term.

    To help clear of some of the confusion regarding how DJ was busted the
    following was discovered;

    Reportedly, Compaq (Kent) was "singing like a canary."  He was hit with a
    $2000 bill from Sprint and also received 1-year of probation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.  Olorin The White was recently visited by local police after being accused
    of hacking into an Executone Voice Mailbox.  Aristotle, in a related
    incident with Executone, is accused of committing extortion after a
    conversation with a system manager was recorded and misinterpreted.  At
    this time, no official charges have been filed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.  Thomas Covenant aka Sigmund Fraud was recently busted for tapping into
    lines at the junction box in his apartment building.  The trouble began
    when he connected into a conversation between a man and his wife and then
    began to shout expletives at the woman.  What he didn't know was that the
    man in question was an agent for the National Security Agency (NSA).  It
    turns out that he was caught and his landlords agreed to decline to press
    charges provided that TC joined a branch of the United States armed forces.
    He decided to choose the Air Force... God help us should war break out!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.  Coming soon, Halloween V; The Flying Pumpkin!  Now no one is safe!
_______________________________________________________________________________