234 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
234 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
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#######################################
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# #
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# ======== =\ = ====== #
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# == = \ = ====== #
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# <Tolmes News Service> #
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# ''''''''''''''''''''' #
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# #
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# > Written by Dr. Hugo P. Tolmes < #
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#######################################
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Issue Number: 26
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Release Date: February 20, 1988
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Tolmes News Service Issue #26 will deal with computer viruses;the Trojan Horse.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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TITLE: COMPUTER TERRORISM!
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FROM: The Chicago Sun-Times
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DATE: January 17, 1988
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By Jim Ritter
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Malicious hackers have discovered a new weapns for disabling computers:
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an electronic "virus" that bears similarities to the AIDS virus.
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An electronic virus is a set of instruction hidden within a computer
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that destroys programs, wipes out data and does other mischief. Worst of all,
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it reproduces itself like a biological viruse, and "infects" other computers
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it contacts.
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"It might do to computers what AIDS has done to sex," said Shai Bushinsky,
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an Israeli computer expert. "The current free flow of information will stop.
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Everyone will be careful who they come into contact and with whom they share
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their information."
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In Jerusalem, a virus infecting Hebrew University computers threatens to
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destroy thousands of electronic files and wipe out years of research. Whoever
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introduced it "wanted to wield power over others and didn't care how he did
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it," said programmer Yisrael Radan.
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Last November, a virus spread through personal computers at Lehigh
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University in Bethlehem, Pa. Several hundred people lost data and programs,
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including term papers written on word processors and financial ledgers
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prepared for business classes.
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An before Christmas, some grinch infected computers in IBM corporate
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offices with a virus that brought the corporation's computer mail network to
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a virtual halt for a few hours.
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"The problem has really just surfaced," said Donn Parker, an expert on
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computer security for SRI International. "Once one of these things is done,
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it's like a break in the dam. Malicious hackers will pick up on the idea and
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try to do one better than the next guy."
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Computer viruses are the latest weapons to be used by the disgruntled
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employees, irresponsible hackers and teenage "twits" who have been terrorizing
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computer users throughout the 1980s.
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The saboteur begins by using a secret code to hide his virus in a
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seemingly legitimate program known as a Trojan Horse.
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At first, the virus lays dormant and the unsuspecting user doesn't notice
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anything wrong. The program continues to do its intended job, such as word
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processing or accounting functions.
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Meanwhile, the virus spreads to programs in other computers. The
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affliction can spread quickly because computer users swap programs all the
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time. One common method is putand lending it out.
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Another popular practice is hooking up to elec-
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Weapons of Computer Sabotage
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TROJAN HORSE: Program within a program, containing secret instructions. Attacks
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unsuspecting user by unleashing sinister activities known as viruses, time
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bombs, worms, and salami attacks.
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VIRUS: Destroys data or program instructions stored in a computer disc by
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writing over it. Reproduces itself so that it can "infect" and destroy other
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programs it contacts.
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TIME BOMB: Instructions that tell a virus when to attack. It may explode, for
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example, on Friday the 13th, or the moment a fired employee's I.D. number is
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removed from the payroll records.
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WORM: Destroys data as it wriggles through a program. For example, one type
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of worm makes thousands of copies of itself, wiping out everything else in
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the program's memory.
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SALAMI ATTACK: Instructs computer in a financial institution to divert small
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ammount of money from thousands of accounts into the user's accout. It's
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like stealing thin slices of salami from other people's sausages to make your
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own roll.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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tronic "bulletin boards," where users swap programs, games, and messages over
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telephone lines.
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The virus attacks at a predetermined time. At Hebrew University,
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for example, the virus was programmed to do damage every Friday and on the
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13th day of each month.
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Not all viruses are destructive. Indeed, one computer game involves a
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viruse that reproduces itself within the computer without damaging anything.
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The object is to write instructions that search out and destroy the virus.
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The virus that infected IBM's computer mail network may have been
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meant more as a prank than a malicious act. The prankster's "letter" was a
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drawing of a Christmas tree. It appeared on the screen when the receiver
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opened his electronic mail.
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The virus spread rapidly, like a chain letter. It would go to every
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colleague on the user's mailing list, and then to every one on his colleagues'
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mailing lists. Before long, the network was as jammed as the Dan Ryan at rush
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hour. But no permanent damage was done.
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By contrast, a virulent virus is meant to destroy data or progrms stored
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in a computer, known as software. Such a virus doesn't harm the computer itself
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but the software is more valuable. Unleashing a virus is like destroying an
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authors 400 page manuscript but leaving his typewriter alone.
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Viruses can be killed by writing search-and-destroy programs. But
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because viruses can do great damage before their detected, it's best not to
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contact them in the first place.
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There are several defenses. One example is protective software, such as
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the program CHK4BOMB ("check for bomb"). CHK4BOMB screens programs for
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suspicious instructions that may contain a virus.
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Users also record backup copies of valuable software on floppy discs. They
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should be stored away from the computer where they can't be infected. Perhatant, users should swap programs only with people they trust.
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But none of these measures are foolproof. As with AIDS, the only
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completely safe strategy is abstinence: Never trade discs or swap programs on
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bulletin boards.
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But computer celibacy isn't likely to catch on, said Curtis Sahakian, a
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leading bulletin board operator. The Chicago area alone has at least 100
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bulletin boards, some receiving hundreds of calls a day.
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"People will not stop using them," Sahakian said. "Nor will they stop
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having sex."
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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NOTA:
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I like the how they compared it with AIDS..... yeah.. right.
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Some things to not about the article:
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"malicious hackers"-
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Whenever they use the word hacker, they have the work malicious or perhaps
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irresponsible in front of it.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"bears similarities to the AIDS virus"-
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It's nice that they could compare those things.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"'The problem has really just surfaced,' said Donn Parker, an expert on
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computer security for SRI International. 'Once one of these things is done,
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it's like a break in the dam. Malicious hackers will pick up on the idea and
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try to do one better than the next guy.'-
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I know very little about Donn Parker but I do know that every time there is
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some news story about hackers they always consult him. It seems like they
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always have a quote from Donn Parker on computer security. You'll notice how he
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says "malicious" hackers.
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And doesn't everybody want to make the latest K-R/\D virus....d00d??
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Hackers aren't trying to create better and better viruses.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"At first, the virus lays dormant and the unsuspecting user doesn't notice
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anything wrong."-
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Viruses can remain dormant. This is true. One example it the GIMME A COOKIE
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virus and the ARF! ARF! GOTCHA virus.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"Computer viruses are the latest weapons to be used by the disgruntled
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employees, irresponsible hackers and teenage 'twits' who have been terrorizing
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computer users throughout the 1980s."-
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Actually computer viruses have been used for quite some time.. all the way
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back to the first hackers. Yes there have been some people who have terrorized
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computer users... but these people are... what's the word??...twits.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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ABOUT THE DEFINITIONS:
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My favorite definition is the "Salami Attack." Where did they get that one?
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hmm.... wasn't there something like that in Superman III or something like
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that... Anyway, I've never heard of that one before.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"The virus that infected IBM's computwork may have been
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meant more as a prank than a malicious act. The prankster's 'letter' was a
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drawing of a Christmas tree. It appeared on the screen when the receiver
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opened his electronic mail."-
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I might have even heard of this. I know of a case very similar to this where
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the electronic mail service was all screwed up. It might be the same case..
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I'm not sure.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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EXTRA NOTES:
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Right below the title to the article is a drawing of a computer. On the screen
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is some guy holding an M-60 machine gun (some Ramboish guy)...; thereby giving
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a picture of the danger of computer terrorism.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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