hacking

	==Phrack Inc.==
	Volume Three, Issue Thirty-one, Phile #8 or 10
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	Operation "Sun-Devil"
	=====================
	May 9th and 10th brought on two day thats would be marked in every hackers
	history book. The reason we assume these days will be important to many, is
	that maybe it's time we opened are eyes and saw the witch hunt currently in
	progress.
	In less than 48 hours, 150 Secret Service men and other law officials
	served 30 search warrents in 14 cities around the nation (This thing was hudge).
	Operation "Sun-Devil" (As the Attorney General in Phoenix called it), was
	a success on their part. "The investigation though is not over, and there are
	more warrents to be executed.", said Jim Folwer of L.A's Secret Service.
	Any details of the investigation are not being given out at this time.
	The Asst. Attorney General of Pheonix told Phrack Inc. that there were other
	problems involving the investigation and that it was an ongoing investigation
	for the last TWO years.
	It is my understanding that Gail Thackeray and the Secret Service are not,
	taking this lightly. She told Phrack inc. that they are not distinquishing
	pirates, hackers, or phreakers. Basically, it's any kid with a modem that calls
	a BBS with an alias. Yes, we are the witches, and we are being
	hunted.
	The following are Two news releases obtianed via fax through the U.S.
	Secret Service for Phrack Inc.

	N E W S R E L E A S E
	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Gail Thackeray
	------------------------ Assitant Attorney General
	May 9, 1990 @ 11:00 A.M. (602) 542-4266

	Attorney General Bob Corbin announced today that in
	connection with an eighteen-month joint investigation into
	computer crime conducted with the United States Secret
	Service and the United States Attorney's office, the Arizona
	Attorney General's office has executed seven search warrants
	in which computers, electronic bulletin boards, telephone
	test equipment and records have been seized.
	The Organized Crime and Racketeering Division
	investigation involved complaints by Arizona and out of state
	victims of substantial financial losses resulting from credit
	card fraud and theft of long distance telephone and data
	communications services, and by victims of attacks on
	computer systems operated by government agencies, private
	corporations, telephone companies, financial institutions,
	credit bureaus, and a hospital.
	The Arizona Attorney General's office received
	information and technical assistance from the Glendale,
	Arizona Police Department's Computer Crime Unit, and from
	many private sector sources, including Bellcore (Bell
	Communications Research), American Express, Communications
	carriers U.S. Sprint, AT&T, MCI, Com Systems, MidAmerican
	Communications, LDL Communications, and Shared Use Network.
	Without the cooperation of these companies and of numerous
	federal, state and local law enforcement agencies around the
	country, this investigation would have been impossible.
	The privacy of our citizens and the health of our
	economy depend upon secure, reliable computer systems.
	Computer fraud and attempts to compromise senstitive public
	and private computer systems will not be tolerated.
	Individuals who commit these offenses in Arizona can expect
	to be prosecuted.

	.end.
	P R E S S R E L E A S E
	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Wendy Harnagel
	Wednesday, May 9, 1990 United States Attorney's Office
	---------------------- (602) 379-3011
	PHOENIX -- Stephen M. McNamee, United States Attorney
	District of Arizona, Robert K. Corbin, Attorney General for
	the State of Arizona, and Henry R. Potosky, Acting Special
	Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Office in
	Phoenix, today announced that approximately twenty-seven
	search warrants were executed on Monday and Tuesday, May 7
	and 8, 1990, in various cities across the nation by 150
	Secret Service agents along with state and local law
	enforcement officials. The warrants were issued as a part of
	Operation Sundevil, which was a two year investigation into
	alleged illegal computer hacking activities.
	The United States Secret Service, in cooperation with
	the United States Attorney's Office, and the Attorney General
	for the State of Arizona, established an operation utilizing
	sophisticated investigative techniques, targeting computer
	hackers who were alleged to have trafficked in and abuse
	stolen credit card numbers, unauthorized long distance
	dialing codes, and who conduct unauthorized access and damage
	to computers. While the total amount of losses cannot be
	calculated at this time, it is estimated that the losses may
	run into the millions of dollars. For example, the
	unauthorized accessing of long distance telephone credit
	cards have resulted in uncollectible charges. The same is
	true of the use of stolen credit card numbers. Individuals
	are able to utilize the charge accounts to purchase items for
	which no payment is made.
	Federal search warrants were executed in the following
	cities:

	Chicago, IL
	Cincinatti, OH
	Detroit, MI
	Los Angeles, CA
	Miami, FL
	Newark, NJ
	New York, NY
	Phoenix, AZ
	Pittsburgh, PA
	Plano, TX
	Richmond, VA
	San Diego, CA
	San Jose, CA
	Unlawful computer hacking imperils the health and
	welfare of individuals, corporations and government agencies
	in the United States who rely on computers and telephones to
	communicate.
	Technical and expert assistance was provided to the
	United States Secret Service by telecommunication companies
	including Pac Bel, AT&T, Bellcore, Bell South, MCI, U.S.
	Sprint, Mid-American, Southwestern Bell, NYNEX, U.S. West,
	and by the many corporate victims. All are to be commended
	for their efforts for their efforts in researching intrusions
	and documenting losses.
	McNamee and Corbin expressed concern that the improper
	and alleged illegal use of computers may become the White
	Collar crime of the 1990's. McNamee and Corbin reiterated
	that the state and federal government will vigorously pursue
	criminal violations of statutes under their jurisdiction.
	Three individuals were arrested yesterday in other
	jurisdictions on collateral or independent state charges.
	The investigations surrounding the activities of Operation
	Sundevil are continuing.
	The investigations are being conducted by agents of the
	United States Secret Service and Assistant United States
	Attoryney Tim Holtzen, District of Arizona, and Assistant
	Arizona Attorney General Gail Thackery.

	.end.
	_______________________________________________________________________________
	Virus mania
	===========
	Robert T. Morris started it all. Who cares, it's over and done with.
	Never the less, it's being dragged out in every national paper. It's old news
	so we won't cover it here, but we will tell you about something the Army has up
	its sleeve.
	Army is Looking for a Few Good Viruses
	By Rory J. O'conner
	Knight-Ridder Newspapers
	______________________________________
	The U.S. Army is looking for help to develop the seeds of a new-age germ
	warfare: It wants business to help it turn computer "viruses" into military
	weapons.
	Experts predict the viruses, if sucessfully developed, could be used to
	wreak havoc on the increasing number of computers in the battlefield. The
	destructive computer programs which have increasingly damaged commercial and
	research computer systems in the past four years, could be used to disrupt
	military communications and feed misleading data to enemy commanders.
	The viruses could aslo be used to alter the programming of crucial
	communications satellites serving combat units, the experts said.
	The Army is soliciting bids from small businesses to determine the
	feasibility of using computer viruses in warefare. And it is willing to pay up
	to $550,000 to a company that comes up with a plan for creating the programs -
	and figures out how to use military radio systems to introduce them into enemy
	computers.
	A computer virus is a kind of program designed to disrupt normal operation
	of a computer system or damage data ont hat system by altering or destroying
	it. The rogue programs are most effective when introduced secretly into the
	computer system of an unsuspecting user and when their damage is subtle or
	hidden fromt he user for some time.
	Viruses are also self-duplicating and can spread undetected from an
	infected computer to other computer systems they contact.
	So far, more than 60 computer viruses have been identified, most of them
	attacking poorly guarded personal computers used by businesses, universities
	and inividuals. The Army's virus would have to be more sophisticated than
	those programs.
	But some detractors of the concept say the Army could wind up with the
	same problem it has with biological weapons: Creating destructive elements
	that might get loose and cause widespread damage to its own forces as well as
	civilians.
	"This stuff is very dangerous, and most people involved in creating
	viruses are not aware of the threat," said a Bay Area virus expert who asked ot
	to be named. "You can't spread anthrax around the world and not have it come
	back around to you. And the enemy is using the same kind of computers and
	software that we are."
	Many experts who are fighting the explosion in virus activity by amateur
	programmers are especially angry at government efforts to develop the programs
	for the military. Some say it is particulary troubling in light of the
	sentencing of Robert T. Morris Jr. (Ed -Ick), convicted in federal court of
	sending a similar program through a government sponsored network in 1988.
	"It bothers me that the government says in one breath (viruses) are bad
	and illegal and then asks for someone to develop them," said Glenn Tenney, a
	San Mateco, Calif., programmer and organizer of the annual Computer Hackers
	Conference. "If Morris had done the same thing for the Army, they'd have paid
	him hundreds of thousands to do it. But he did it on the wrong side and got
	punished."
	Computer experts say creating a virus to the Army's specifications is
	possible with current technology - although some of the Army's requirements
	could make developing it more difficult than creating an ordinary personal
	computer virus.
	First, military computer systems are usually designed with far more
	security features than commercial systems, making it much harder for a virus to
	enter the systems. Second, the Army is emphasizings the use of radio
	communication to inject the virus into enemy systems. Normally, computer
	viruses spread through the exchange of floppy disks that contain the rogue
	program or along wires connecting several computers. Using complex military
	radio signals instead would require expertise that mose programmers don't have.
	.end
	_______________________________________________________________________________
	RIPCO May 8th, 1990
	----- -------------
	Operation Sun-Devil claimed more than just a few "Codelords" around the
	states, it claimed one of the oldest and more popular boards. Nobody knows
	when or if RIPCO shall return.
	Reportedly, Dr. Ripco was charge on a hand-gun violation after his house
	was searched. Phrack inc. can't comment on this.
	The following is the exact transcript of the message left on RIPCO's
	answering maching after Operation Sun-Devil.
	- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
	This is 528-5020.
	As you are probably aware, on May 8, the Secret Service conducted a series
	of raids across the country. Early news reports indicate these raids
	involved people and computers that could be connected with credit card and
	long distance toll fraud. Although no arrests or charges were made, Ripco
	BBS was confiscated on that morning. It's involvement at this time is
	unknown. Since it is unlikely that the system will ever return, I'd just l
	say goodbye, and thanks for your support for the last six and a half years.
	It's been interesting, to say the least.
	Talk to ya later.
	{Dr. Ricpo}
	* END OF VOICE MESSAGE *
	_______________________________________________________________________________