The Hacker Chronicles - A Tour of the Computer Underground

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============================================================================ THE SYNDICATE REPORT Information Transmittal No. 16 (Part 1) Released October 21, 1987 Featuring: Exposition / Author's Note (sr ;32-50) FCC Lengthens Access Charge Comment Period (i.w 9\21;74) Judge Greene Eases Information Services Restrictions on BOCs (i.w 9\21;94) Cellular Phones and Cops (b.w 9\21;134) IBM Enhanced Telecommunications Wares (i.w 10\6;177) 5$ Billion Federal Phone System -- New Players in GSA Game (b.w 10\6;190) FAX and AT&T .08$ Per-Page Agreement (b.w 10\7;208) Syndicate Report Brief Notes (digest 9\17;227) by The Sensei ============================================================================ Exposition: TSR Once again, TSReport now excepts outside sources. Anyone can write/provide information to The Syndicate Report. Articles/Information may be provided through TSR Newsline (see below), via voice VMS System. Any info such as Busts, Phreaking, Hacking, Data / TeleCommunications, and new developments on any the previous mentioned specialities will be: accepted, labeled, and given full actual credit by the article/info provider(s), or writer(s). -- All articles have been presented by me unless shown at the end of the article as the information provider(s), or writer(s). You can reach me at The Syndicate Voice Mail System at 415-468-2950 My box number is #2005. I may have updates to the Syndicate Report on the Syndicate VMS -- Check it out. ============================================================================ Author's Note: TSR Hello, I'm writing this the day the report is due out for official Sponsor Systems such as FreeWorld // Private (# listed later). All other systems get the report on the day of distribution, or whenever it gets uploaded by me or another user. A lot has been going on this past month. To start out, the (local to myself) Minnesota Twins are currently combating for the World Series Title. 2 games have already been played against The St. Lois Cardinals, which The Twins have already won 2 with ease. The 1st game was 10-1, and the 2nd game was 8-4. It's not really telecommunications news - but it is history. And it do think the Twins will take it for '87. Secondly on the list, and not also not really related to telecom is The Stock Market Crash. On the date of 10-19-87, the Market took over a 500 point plung, beating Black Tuesday's record (Starting the G.Depression). Thirdly, Iran and the the United States are slapping each other in the face. We just got done bombing a few Oil Bases - thus Iran declared WAR. This is of course not official until the US also declares war. Reagan's quote of the history books "They're not that stupid." And lastly, but not nearly as record breaking...I was busted for hacking my local PhoneMail VMS System. (Details later in the Report). -Enjoy. ============================================================================ FCC LENGHTENS ACCESS CHARGE COMMENT PERIOD: TSR The FCC has extended the cOmment period for its proposed acces chanrges that could raise on-line provider rates as much as 5$ an hour. Originally, the last date for public comment was to have been Sept. 14. In August the FCC extended the comment period until Sept. 24, and replies can be submitted until October 26. The extension was requested by a consortium of 23 companies and organizations headed by Adapso, the computer software and services trade group. The group said it needed more time to prepare its responses to the FCC access charge proposals. In the meantime, public comment on the matter (Docket No. 87-215) has been running overwhelmingly against the proposal, with many letters from on-line service users at major universities protesting the financial hardship the new access charges would inflict on them. * Again People! - Send in those COMMENTS to the FCC! * -Ts ============================================================================ JUDGE GREENE EASES INFORMATION SERVICES RESTRICTIONS ON BOCs: TSR The federal judge who presided over the breakup of the Bell System has decided to relax some restrictions barring the Regional BOCs (Bell Operating Companies) from providing information services. In a 223-page decision, US District Judge Harold H. Greene from the District of Columbia said he is prepared to let BOCs provide gateways to infomation services, including X.25 protocol conversion, but BOCs would not be allowed to provide contun: for those services. Greene ordered interested parties to submit proposals by Sept. 30. After a short reply period, Greene said he will issue an order modifying the present restrictions. Judge Greene's action disappointed Regional BOCs, which, with the US Justice Dept., had advocated lifting all restrictions on BOCs providing information services. "Today's decision places the benefits of modern tele- communications services just beyong the reach of most telephone customers," read a statement from Arthur C. Latno, executive vice president of Pacific Telesis Group, a San Franciso-based BOC. "We sincerely hope that today's ruling will be short-lived and that potentially damaging consequences to our telecommunications infrastructure don't result." The Information Industry Assoc. (IIA), which represents information providers such as CompuServe, applauded Greene's decision. "By permitting the BOCs to provide gateway services, the Judge's decision is expected to further the development of new information services," said Paul Zurkowski, president of the IIA. In the opinion, Greene noted that the United States lags behind other countries, particularly France, in providing information services to consumers. "The French information services scheme permits individual citizens to secure an enormous number of variety of information services with ease and at a reasonable cost," Greene stated. ::::::::::::::::::::Information Provided by Phiber Optic:::::::::::::::::::: ============================================================================ CELLULAR PHONES AND COPS: The cellular phone's versatility is winning big fans in local govern- ments across the country. The Sheriff's Dept. in Boulder County, Colo., uses 13 cellular phones for more extended and private conversations than it can get from its regular police radios, according to Captain Charles Co. Pringle, head of staff services at the department. But criminals are gong high-tech, too. For some time now, drug dealers in New York City's South Bronx have used radio-paging devices to reach customers. Now that they've gone cellular,these people can make calls that automatically are switched among the cellular systems's 333 frequencies -- and law-enforcements officials are find finding it increasingly hard to eavesdrop on perpetrators. Some facts for the interested: THE TOP 10 CELLULAR PHONE COMPANIES ----------------------------------- McCaw Cellular 37.1 SouthWestern Bell Mobile 25.0 PacTel Cellular 23.0 GE MobilNet 21.4 Bell Atlantic Mobile 17.5 BellSouth Mobility 16.9 Nynex Mobile 16.4 Linn Broadcasting 16.3 AmeriTech Mobile 15.1 New Vector (U.S. West) 10.8 ----------------------------------- ^^^^ POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS (MILLIONS) ============================================================================ IBM ENCHANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS WARES: TSR IBM is expected to make some high-end telecommunications announcements tomorrow in New York. Frank Dzubeck, president of Communications Network Architects Inc., said IBM's Rolm subsidiary will announce enhancements and modifications to the company's PBX products. IBM may also announce some minor enhancements to its Netview network management system on a level that Dzubeck referred to as "tweaking." IBM spokeswoman Jeanett a Maher confirmed that the announcements concerned Rolm but would not provide details. ============================================================================ 5$ BILLION FEDERAL PHONE SYSTEM TSR NEW PLAYERS IN GSA GAME: NOTE: [This articles is a follow up on '$5 Billion Dollar Contract Out For New Government Phone System - Syndicate Report Transmittal #15 Part 1] The General Services Administration (GSA), bowing to the wishes of House Government Operations Committee Chairman Jack Brooks (D-Tex), now wants two contractors instead of one for the new $5 Billion Fed. TelePhone System (FTS). But several government agencies may seek their own phone systems rather than wait for FTS to materialize. The bidding pits AT&T, the incumbent supplier of phone services, and its partner, Boeing, against 12-member team consisting of Marin Marietta, MCI, and AT&T's former local phone companies. Two dropouts, General Motors' Electronic Data Systems and partner US Sprint, may reenter the bidding. ============================================================================ FAX AND AT&T .08$ PER-PAGE AGREEMENT: Digital Tech. has been improving fax machines for several years now. The most sophosticated models can send a page anywhere in seconds, instead of the minutres required by conventional machines, cutting long-distance bills. But with price tags of 10,000$, the advanced machines are a bit expensive. Now US Fax Inc. says it can give owners of conventional machnes the savings of digital transmission. The Philadelphia startup will take fax messages over local phone lines and then relay them over long distancs via AT&T Co.'s high speed digital network. A customer with a touch-tone phone simply calls a local US Fax number and sends a message. The service costs 2$ a month plus .25$ for each call and a charge of about .08$ per page. The new service also provides other high-cost fax features, such as the ability to broadcast the message to multiple to multiple receivers. ============================================================================ ::SYNDICATE REPORT BRIEF NOTES:: No Data Bases For The Baby Bells: Information companies are breathing easier after a US District Court ruling on Sept. 10 that bars the seven regional Bell companies from thecomputer data-base business -- for the next few years, at least. Although Judge Harold H. Greenes order does let the Bells transmit information gathered by others, it's uncertain whether centralized phone-answering services and electronic mail are still prohibited. A 45-day public comment period should help clariy the questions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FCC Tax Info: FCC will most likely not be charging private/Bul.Board Systems such as FreeWorld //, Osuny BBS etc. The 5.00$/hr tax will be directed to the large computer databases such as the Source, CompuServe, etc. The BILL (Docket No. 87-215) does look like it's going to be passed (If not already), according to B. Maher, FCC Policy Official. The number to reach him is at 202-632-6047. :::::::::::::::::::::Information Provided by The AutoCat:::::::::::::::::::: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cops Capture Clear FingerPrints: A new device was made recently calls Veridex. The machine's maker, Fingermatrix Inc. of North White Plains, NY., says it produces electronic fingerprints 10 times clearer than those made with ink -- which 40% of all ink cards are ususable. Veridex' secret is an opticaal scanner hooked up to a laser printer. Stick a finger under the scanner, and it produces a digitized topographic "prnt" that can be copied onto a standard law enforcementcard or transmitted electronically to an automated fingerprint file. While each print takes about a minute to make, the machine can churn out as many as 15 copies every 30 seconds. Drawbacks? Perhaps one: At a cost of up to 100,000$ for the full package, this device is too expensive for every detective's pockets. Still, Fingermatrix says the machines is being tested by the Federal Bureau of Intevestigation, the California Justice Dept., and others. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- U S Sprint Receiving ANI: A recent rumor was confirmed that U S Sprint will be getting ANI soon. In LA, they will be replacing DEC 600 with a DMS 250. This will allow U S Sprint to receive CCIS data from all the incoming T1 Links from Class 4 Tandem Offices - so they will have originating number on all feature group A, B and D calls. This process is called CCS7 and is another step towards ISDN. Installation date for the 0777 Los Angelas switch is scheduled January '88. The Oct 22 rumor date is the official start up date. This however, is not for sure. CCS7 will also allow a direct link between BELL and the Sprint billing computers -- clearing up Sprint's billing problems. Many of the other major LDS's will be switching to CCS7. AT&T already have completed the cross-over. It was also found out that with feature group B and D, Sprint does'nt have to actually pick up a local line and dial the destination #, it's done by Wink - Start and Inband Standard Multi Freq. Touch Tones directly conneting the Sprint originated call to the local Bell Network. Some LDS's do still use feature group A, which actually picks up a line, listens for tone, then dials your destination number. Some of you might have found these numbers and intercepted calls by dialing the dial out number, and waiting for it to pick up. Agent Steals adds that a complete verification should be done by interested users. ::::::::::::::Information Provided by Agent Steal on OSUNY BBS:::::::::::::: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 612 Area - Realm of Reality is an official Syndicate Report sponsor BBS. The system operator is Appolusionist. Realm of Reality runs from 300 to 2400 Baud. You have the choice of logging into a BBS or AE Line while logging in. The latest Syndicate Reports are uploaded to RofR regularly. -Realm of Reality 612-420-6486 300-2400 Baud AE/BBS System- ================================\=========================================== TSR will accept additional sponsor/support Systems. If you have an interest in the Report, and wish to provide support to TSR -- Leave your BBS number and any other information to TSR VMS Lines listed above. ================================\=========================================== FreeWorld // 301-668-7657 : Brewery 314-394-8259 : Lunatic Labs 612-645-7132 Realm of Reality 612-420-6486 : Osuny* 914-725-4060 : Exec. Inn 915-581-5145 ============================================================================ This concludes this Transmittal No. 16 (Part 1) by The Sensei of The Syndicate Report Released October 21st, 1987 ===============================@============================================ THE SYNDICATE REPORT Information Transmittal No. 16 (Part 2) Released October 21, 1987 Featuring: Exposition / Author's Note (sr ;35-51) PCs and Phone Companies Not Ideal Couples (b.w 10\10;74) Japan Is Getting a Truly Smart Credit Card (b.w 10\10;90) Visa USA Takes to The Airwaves to Nail Thieves (b.w 10\10;109) NJ Bell Tests Service That Displays Incoming Calls (dig.lg 10\10; ) Wang & ITT Considered Merger (cis 10\20; ) Pactel Proposes Definition For Bell Information Services (cis 10\20; ) TSR Editor Gets Visit From Local VMS Officials (sr 10\20; ) Syndicate Report Brief Notes (digest 9\17;175) by The Sensei ===============================@============================================ Exposition: TSR Once again, TSReport now excepts outside sources. Anyone can write/provide information to The Syndicate Report. Articles/Information may be provided through TSR Newsline (see below), via voice VMS System. Any info such as Busts, Phreaking, Hacking, Data / TeleCommunications, and new developments on any the previous mentioned specialities will be: accepted, labeled, and given full actual credit by the article/info provider(s), or writer(s). -- All articles have been presented by me unless shown at the end of the article as the information provider(s), or writer(s). Syndicate Voice Mail System - 415-468-2950 box #2005 ============================================================================ Author's Note: TSR Welcome to Part 2 of TSR #16. Not much more to say, I typed out a summary of this month in Part 1 pretty well. Just a few things on note: Phrack Inc. has a transfer system. It's running under a Unix V System. Now for you hackers that are licking their lips at Unix V's...the login shell is all automatic...no commands. This may change, but I doubt Mt. Phrack Unix V Transfer System: (Set up by The Disk Jockey) 317-962-0277 login: phrack Here's my Unix V System info....act's much that same as Phrack's but you have to enter 'mail' when logged in. Syndicate Report Xfer System: 612-829-2298 login: larryl -Happy Hacking. ============================================================================ PCs AND PHONE COMPANIES NOT IDEAL COUPLES: TSR When the seven regional Bell Phone CO's were first allowed to flex their muscles, computer stores looked like a great oportunity. But not the Baby Bell's experiments in computer retaiing look like an expensive lesson in free enterprise. Bell Atlantic Corp. is closing 24 of its 40 remaining CompuShop Inc. stores -- ater shuttering 27 a year ago -- and laying off 30% of its computer sales force. Nynex Corp., which built a 92-store chain largely by acquiring 81 former International Business Machines Corp. outlets, it telling analysists that, after three years, its stores will finally break even in the fourth quarter. :::::::::::::::::Information Provided by Suicidal Tandemcies:::::::::::::::: ============================================================================ JAPAN IS GETTING A TRULY SMART CREDIT CARD: TSR VISA International has plans to est 2,00 supersmart credit cards in Japan next fall. If all goes will, full-scale production could begin in 1990. Thecards looks like a creditcard ont the front. On the back, it looks like a calculator. Inside, it has the smarts of a portable computer, including a micropocessor and memory. When a purchase is made, the amount of the transaction plus an identification code must be entered. If all is in order, the card authorizes the purchase and records the new balance in its memory. Toshiba Corp., which will make the cards, is testing the card with VISA and NT&T, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. NT&T has plans to install phones that let the card work as an automatic dialer. [Have fun credit card fraudists!] -The Sensei / TSR :::::::::::::::::::Information Provided by The Disk Jockey:::::::::::::::::: ============================================================================ ...VISA USA TAKES TO THE AIRWAVES TO NAIL THIEVES: TSR In the US, Visa USA Inc. is experimenting with another technology: transmitting data via FM radio waves. Using services and equipment supplied by Indesys Inc. in Sunnyvale, Calif., Visa is testing a system for sending retailers information about stolen or invalid credit cards. In some stores, the system could place the printed lists of fraudulent and stolen card numbersthat Visa now istributes every week or two. Here's how it works: Visa sends a nightly update to its credit card data base to Indesys headquarters, which then relays the data to commmercial radio stations for broadcasting. Each sLLS: TSR NEWARK, N.J. - Local telephone customers in New Jersey will be able to screen their incoming calls in a controversial test by New Jersey Bell Telephone Co., beginning in early November. The New Jersey Board OF Management services on about 250,000 local customers. The test will occur in six exchange areas in Atlantic and Hudson counties to determine whether the services, call CLASS, should be offered statewide. The experiment is scheduled to last until September 1989. New Jersey Bell originally sought permission to test CLASS last November, but withdrew the proposal in March for further study. The telephone company has said the delay had nothing to do with opposition to one of the CLASS services, called Call Identification. Call Identification would let users with special display attachments view the number of the person placing the incoming call. That would enable the answering party to decide whether to take the call. Another CLASS service, Call Trace, lets customers have the phone company trace a call - but only for law enforcement purposes - by hanging up on the call and dialing prescribed digits. Other services grouped under CLASS include the ability to let customers dial back the last incoming call whether or not the user answered it; re-dial the last outgoing call; key in up c+c%MQ%9 Q%3I%9;=9%kA=IQ9#5)Ealls; block unwanted calls; and forward calls. Excepting Call Identification and Call Trace, CLASS will cost residential users $4 per month for the first service and $1.50 per month for each additional service. Call Identification will cost $6.50 per month for residential customers and $8.50 per month forbusiness users. The display attachment, about $65, is expected at electronics stores sometime this fall. ::::::::::::::::::::Information provided by Empty Promise::::::::::::::::::: ============================================================================ WANG & ITT CONSIDERED MERGER: TSR Wang Laboratories Inc. and ITT Corp. apparently held secret talks about a possible merger two years ago when ITT was under attack by corporate raiders. Nothing came of the talks, though, reportedly because Wang wanted to maintain control of the combined companies. That's story sources say will be reported in a new book called "Tumultuous Years: A Personal Account of the Rebuilding of ITT," by ITT Chairman Rand V. Araskog. To The Boston Globe, Wang spokesman Paul Henning has confirmed that company founder An Asshole Discussions with Araskog in 1985, calling the talks "general in nature and cordial" but adding they "resulted in no substantive agreements." The Glob e reports that Araskog's book, to be published by Henry Holt Inc. of New York, also discloses similar talks with other companies. :::::::::::::::::::::::Information Provided by Tirk 57:::::::::::::::::::::: ============================================================================ PACTEL PROPOSES DEFINITION FOR BELL INFORMATION SERVICES: TSR Pacific Telesis Group has proposed a definition that would allow Bell Regional holding companies to provide certain types of information services that do not substantially change the content of information sent and received by other parties. The California telecommunications company filed the definition change, which was ordered by the courts on September 10, to lift certain restrictions on information services imposed on the regional holding companies under the consent decree that broke up AT&T in 1984. At that time the court indicated that the regional holding companies may provide "transmission-type" information services but not "content-related" services. The Pacific Telesis proposal considers that transmission-type information services include "transforming, processing, guiding, storing or retrieving information in connection with the transmission of information, provided such activities do not substantially alter the content of the information as sent and received." According to Pacific Telesis, these services may also provide introductory information content services, billing and collection services for information service providers and providing for the electronic delivery of directory services which might include a list of general product and business categories, service or product providers under these categories and their names, telephone numbers and addresses. This definition, noted Pacific Telesis, allows for changes in the form of transmitted messages, but in keeping with the court's intent, doesn't allow for substantial changes to the content of messages. "By design, the scope of the proposed definition is quite broad. We feel it must be framed in these terms to accommodate rapid changes in industry technology and the marketplace and, above all, to allow for easy and efficient communication between information services providers and consumers," said Arthur C. Latno Jr., Pacific Telesis' executive vice president. "Our definition would allow the RHCs to offer consumers access to audiotex and videotex services and a variety of information databases." The proposed changes submitted to the court will be considered along with other comments@from interested parties. It's not known when the court will issuea decision. ============================================================================ TSR EDITOR GETS VISIT FROM LOCAL VMS OFFICIALS: TSR That's right, the TSR Editor in the title definately does symbolize me...The Sensei. It's not a very glamorous visit, but here's the story: It was Wednesday the 14th of this month in October. Just after school....I logged into my local VMS Boxes (8504/8503 etc) to check messages. After logging in, I was suprised to hear I had no new messages. I usually averaged 4 new messages during the day. Well, I hang up and set up the terminal prog to call a few systems. Just as I pick up the phone, my older brother yells to me that someone was here to visit me about my computer. Well, you can imagine what I thought. I went through the routine of hiding a few disks and files. I then walk upstairs to be greeted by an Official from The Connection (a local VMS/411 psuedo-service.), and an Agent. They were really nice to me at first. They came up to shake my hand and tell me politely I was on the edge of serving time for Edina Minnesota police. Up to 90 days, or 700.00$ fine could be brought down on my under Criminal Code Statue 609.89 of COMPUTER THEFT. They said they could have tooken all the phones in the house and my computer. I couldn't really understand at first why they had the right to take my computer. But I thought to myself, this is the government...they do as they usually wish to an extent. But I also remembered I used the Connection VMS to transfer my Syndicate Report and other files I made via computer. They had no warrant, but I wanted to be as well cooperated as possible, thus to not make the situation a big fuss. They asked to see the computer system I had...I showed them gladly since I knew there was no problem in that direction. They also told me right off the bat that if I was 18, I'd be in jail etc. I was glad for that law. But they also pointed out about some 9 kids (under aged) got busted very recently for carding a load of items and sending them to a house - the Judge sentenced them as adults. The Judge went on bases that if they kids knew how to do all that, then they will be tried as adults. Getting back, they then showed me Syndicate Report #14 to me. (Nice prinout may I add) This was the month for Report #15 Parts 1 and 2, but I hadn't gotten around to posting it on the VMS line. After a while of BSing on such topics as: Why do I Hack, write TSR, scan systems and commit other related deeds. I only agreed that yeah, I hacked systems...but only to explore them and learn how they work - Not to destroy. Well, they then prompted me that the Secret Service had some of my Reports and they didn't want to get involved to much. That's the story. Again like last time, they said they may inform me if anything was to come out of it. I'm not worried for now, till the 18th BDay rolls around. One last thing, I was caught by my own carelessness - A few of you may have an idea how, but I'm not going into that. Becareful out there. -The Sensei of The Syndicate Report Magazine. ================================\=========================================== TSR will accept additional sponsor/support Systems. If you have an interest in the Report and wish to provide support to TSR -- Leave your BBS number and any other information to TSR VMS Lines listed above. ================================\=========================================== Freeworld // 301-668-7657 : Brewery 314-394-8259 : Lunatic Labs 612-645-7132 Realm of Reality 612-420-6486 : Osuny* 914-725-4060 : Exec. Inn 915-581-5145 ============================================================================ This concludes this Transmittal No. 16 (Part 2) by The Sensei of The Syndicate Report Released October 21st, 1987 ============================================================================ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253 12yrs+