198 lines
9.6 KiB
Plaintext
198 lines
9.6 KiB
Plaintext
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#######################################
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# #
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# #
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# ======== =\ = ====== #
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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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# > Written by Dr. Hugo P. Tolmes < #
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# #
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#######################################
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Issue Number: 32
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Release Date: March 20, 1988
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Here's an interesting little article that I recently picked up. It is on a
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topic that has been going around for quite some time: computer viruses.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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COMPUTER TERROR!
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Some strange things have been happening in the computer community. In
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recent months there have been a number of strange deletions of certain computer
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programs from around the country. What is causing this: computer viruses.
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Viruses for computers act in much the same way as other viruses. They are
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spread by people who trade software and the program containing the viruse is
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copied. From there come multiple copies of the virus which spread to other
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programs and infect whole collections of software.
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After a certain period of time, the viruses start their work. Programs
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disappear from disks. Software starts to malfunction. Many of these viruses
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are called "Trojan Horses," due to the fact that they are not apparent upon
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observation of the program.
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The cause of these viruses is usually a so-called "hacker" who writes
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the virus to wreak havoc in the computer community. These hackers are the same
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people who invade computer systems and delete software from the outside.
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PROTECTION:
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The only protection from these viruses is to stop trading software with
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people you don't know. There are a number of "antidote" programs that are
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designed to get rid of viruses in case you are already infected.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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THREE YOUTHS SUSPECTED IN PHONE FRAUD
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by Robert McMillan
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Three California youths have been arrested for allegedly using their
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computers to steal thousands of hours of long-distance service from Sprint,
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MCI, AT&T, and other common carriers. The youths reportedly used their
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computers to dial MCI computers and enter random codes in an attempt to use
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MCI services without paying.
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Other long-distance identification codes were received from computer
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"bulletin boards" where other illegal information was obtained. Upon examing
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several of the bulletin boards, police officials found plans for making bombs,
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credit-card account numbers, long-distance identification codes, pornography,
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and messages dealing with drugs and terrorism. Most of the bulletin boards
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had "phreak" sections where telecommunications fraud was discussed.
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The youths used names such as Dr. Phreak, PhalToxic Waste to hide their real identities.
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The three youths frequently called these bulletin boards to exchange
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information with others who were defrauding common carriers. The youths
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reportedly stole an estimated $150,000 from Sprint, MCI, AT&T and other common
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carriers. All of their computer equipment was seized after their arrest.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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TELEPHONE FRAUD INVESTIGATION CALLED THE LARGEST IN US HISTORY
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. (April 27) Authorities have released more names of those arrested this week
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in what now is being called the largest investigation of telephone access fraud
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in history. As reported here earlier (GO OLT-476), arrest warrants started
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coming down yesterday in Honolulu, where an eight-month undercover operation by
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the US Secret Service was based. The suspects are accused of acquiring
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unauthorized long-distance credit card numbers and access codes, then using and
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selling the codes to defraud the phone companies. As part of the sweep, search
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warrants have been executed in New York City, Rome, N.Y., Newark, N.J.,
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Chicago, Seattle, Ashland, Ore., Mountain View, Calif., Los Angeles, Murray,
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Utah, Sierra Vista, Ariz., Albuquerque, N.M., Dennison, Texas, Gulf Breeze,
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Fla., Vero Beach, Fla., Jensen Beach, Fla., Provo, Utah and Little Rock, Ark.
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Speaking with Ron Todt of United Press International, federal authorities in
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Honolulu said that in most cases, computer crackers broke into phone company
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systems and stole the access codes. The numbers then were sold to distributors
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who operated through a nationwide network, and eventually to individuals or
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small businesses who bought the codes after they are promised unlimited long
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distance service. US Attorney Dan Bent told Todt that usually the unauthorized
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use was detected within an average'oo three days, and the user would then get a
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new code. Bent added that the suppliers had a variety of "ingenious"
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explanations for the need to change codes so often. Steve Ramsay of the Secret
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Service added, "Hundreds of people throughout the country bought these stolen
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access codes belonging to several long-distance carriers for $100 to $150 per
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month for unlimited long-distance service." UPI says the Secret Service
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infiltrated the suppliers' networks last August, putting out the story that
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they would be interested in buying codes. By October, they were in contact with
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some suppliers and, as noted yesterday, they received more than 600 such codes.
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Says the wire service, "They eventually began selling codes, provided by the
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long-
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distance companies who cooperated in the investigation, to cement the
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relationship and track the use of the codes. Authorities said the proliferation
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of the codes was 'staggering.' One number was released Dec. 9 and then shut
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down four days later on Dec. 12. ... In just four days, $73,592 worth of
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illicit charges were made on the number." Bent characterized phone fraud as "a
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crime of the future," because "it used sophisticated computer technology to get
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off the grountainly used computer technology to investigate the
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crime." He added that the defendants, if convicted, face five years and a
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$250,000 fine on each of the 33 counts. UPI identified those arrested so far
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as: -:- Billie Alexander of Los Angeles. -:- Steven Hayes of Syracuse, N.Y. -:-
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Christopher Lowe of Seattle. -:- Alan Inga of Newark, N.J. -:- Renee Bounds of
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Portland, Ore. -:- Robert Danek of Albuquerque, N.M. -:- John Fechser of Salt
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Lake City. -:- John Doe, also known as Alex, of New York. -:- Eileen Avanzino
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of Little Rock, Ark. -:- Clayton Parker of Dallas. -:- Bert Zimmerman of
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Tucson, Ariz. -:- Ann Thompson of Tallahassee, Fla. -:- Jeff Lewis of Chicago.
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-:- Richard Denning of Salt Lake City. -:- Howard Golub, Bill Rosemeyer, Scott
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Mosman and Dieter Thate, all of West Palm Beach, Fla. Authorities also told UPI
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that two others were investigated in searches yesterday on 24 warrants.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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TNS Quick/\/otes
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----------------
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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A bulletin board known as the Black Hole was taken down by authorities in
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Boston. Credit-card numbers and codes were frequently posted on the bulletin
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board.
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Jack the Ripper was busted a while ago. There was an article printed about how
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he was busted which I am trying to get. It is unknown if this is the same Jack
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the Ripper who is an old-time phreak/hacker from long ago.
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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There was an article in USA Today about John Maxfield and BoardScan. If I am
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able to get it, it will be in a future issue somewhere.
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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A new group has been formed in the hack/phreak community. It goes by the name
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of:
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The CIA
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The initials CIA are said to stand for: The Computer Invasion Association.
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This group, $CIA$, is said to be a group of some of the TOP hackers and some
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of the top phreaks around. It is very militant and seems to be similar to
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LOD/H. The group is private. No member list is availiable since all of the
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members are being very discreet about the whole thing to avoid any attempt
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by the Secret Service or federal officials to undermine the organization.
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They have their own bbs which is only for the group, which is made up of only
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8-12 members. They are very elite and little information is availiable on the
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group. Not even the name of the bbs on which they meet is known. All of these
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precautions are to protect the members.
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It is also said that many of the members are not well known or not members
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of other groups. They are, however, extremely ELITE and their actions are
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very confidential. Their main targets seem to be military computers and
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educational computers. They are also targetting systems on Telenet.
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We'll be looking for more information on the $CIA$.
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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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