Ü
  ÜÛßÛÜ  ÜÛÛÜ ßßßÛÜ  Released: 8/3/96 by Korrupt
  ÞÝÜÛÛ Û ß Û ÞÛÝ ß  Type: Report on hacks into the Department of Defense
  ÞÝßÛÜ Û   Û ÞÛÝ      - Rebels of Telecommunications -
  ÛÛÝÛÛÝÛÛÜÛÛ ÞÛÝ               - Returns -
   ß Ûß  ßßß   ß           - To the H/P/A Scene -

         -/-  REPORT `HACKS' AT VALID INTERNET USE  -/-

    Brace yourselves: A fresh wave of anti-Internet hysteria is 
about to break over the Pentagon. 
    First we heard the horror stories that portrayed the Net as one 
huge porno shop. Then we heard about decent, hard-working Americans 
swindled out of their meager fortunes with a few fast keystrokes. Now 
comes the biggest shock: Evil hackers could render our nation 
defenseless by cracking into the Pentagon's computer system. 
    In a report to Congress, the General Accounting Office concluded 
that the Pentagon's reliance on the super computer network was its 
Achilles' heel. 
    By the Defense Department's own estimates, its system was 
"hacked" (computer parlance for attacked) as many as 250,000 times 
in 1995. About 65 percent of those attacks were successful -- meaning 
that an outside user gained access to a restricted computer system 
or database. Worse yet, the Pentagon's security procedures are 
outdated and inadequate, and so far, its plans for encrypting data to 
keep it out of the hands of hackers are not foolproof. 
    Net surprisingly, Congress is shocked and outraged. Its early 
reaction could be a more tightly regulated Internet and the closing 
of Pentagon computer system to the public. 
    Like most cases of hysteria involving the Internet, a reputable 
information source -- in this case, the GAO -- has used a few valid 
facts to reach an erroneous conclusion. Yes, hackers do pose a threat 
to the Pentagon, but the military's critical defense systems remain 
safe. 
    So what about the 250,000 attacks? Every hacker wants to play in 
the big leagues, and there's no bigger league than the Department of 
Defense. According to defense officials, no secret computer system ever 
has been breached. But "sensitive" systems are penetrated regularly. 
For example, a collection of official communications to Navy personnel 
detailers was kept on a closed database, because it had -- useful 
career information on it. 
    In other words, much of what the military considers sensitive 
should be public knowledge. And even if it is not  disseminated, 
it's no real security risk if some hacker manages to read it. 
    As for the computer systems containing secret information, most 
are stand-alone systems that must be dialed into or accessed by an 
in-house computer. In fact, an overzealous Congress might well be a 
bigger threat to national security than hackers. If lawmakers shut 
the door on the Pentagon's use of the Internet, they will make it 
harder for military researchers to do their job, harder for military 
people to get training, and harder for the public to understand why 
the United States spends $250 billion each year on the military. 
    Here's hoping this is one GAO report that does not exceed its 
grasp. 

                -/-  Hacking Posing Greater Threat  -/-

    Computer hacking isn't just a game for 16-year-old cyber joy riders
anymore, according to a congressional study. U.S. companies and
government agencies are increasingly threatened by sophisticated computer
spies and saboteurs, and few are equipped to withstand such attacks, the
report, released last week, says.
   Among the findings of the 63-page study, released at a Senate
subcommittee on investigations hearing:

   * Defense Department experts who test security can break into
non-classified department networks about 88% of the time using commonly
available hacker tools.

   * In the movie "The Net," a hacker electronically breaks into the
Bethesda Naval Medical Center and changes the medical records of the
secretary of defense. Although that was fiction, hackers could, until
recently, have easily made such a change. An official said those security
holes have since been closed.

   * Officials at the Federal Aviation Administration told investigators
that air traffic control computers are "relatively safe" from intrusion.
That is largely because the machines are "so antiquated and consist of so
many separate and incompatible systems [that] they are more resistant to
modern hacking tools." As the FAA upgrades its technology, however, it
may become more vulnerable to hackers.

   Forty-two percent of the 428 respondents to a study carried out by the
Computer Security Institute in San Francisco and the FBI said their
systems had been invaded within the past year. However, few government
agencies regularly collect data about security problems.

   The investigators said many of the government agencies they
interviewed reported that they had no in-house individual or office
responsible for computer security.

    Smooth, go for it:

        Did you read that last paragraph above, WOW. No one there
to watch, all that leaves is for you to divert your call so you won't
get traced and you have a chance to hack right in. Ok now check this
out, I did a little calculating and found out that of the the 250,000
DoD hack attempts 162,500 of the succesfully broke into the system.
Now for hackers that is great, as for our government, that really
sucks. I think they need to get there act together and give people
a harder challenge. Throw up some kind of new security or something.
But in the meantime if you try and break in go for the gold, but
don't do anything stupid. This Public Notice has been brought to you
by Rebels of Telecommunications, sign up now at a local phone booth
near you.....