------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ***************-Another presentation from the News of Freedom-*************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 02/13/94 Volume 1 Number 2 ======== ================== -This is our 2nd release, Enjoy!- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following is taken from the New York Times, Business Section, February 11, 1994 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMPUTER SECURITY EXPERTS SEE PATTERN IN INTERNET BREAK-INS. Computer security experts say they now believe that a recent rash of break-ins on the global Internet web of computer networks was an organized effort to crack the security of the world's busiest computer systems. But they remain baffled by the motives of the unknown intruders, who stole tens of thousands of passwords... Mr. Gary, whose federally financed group sent a warning to all network administrators on the Internet a week ago, said the break-ins apparently began sporadically last summer on isolated computers. But recently, the assault intensified, turning to computers that were strategic gateways to the Internet. One such computer was operated by Panix of New York City, a major Internet service provider. Panix reported that some 300 other computers were compromised as a result of the security breach in the Panix computer... The warning came on Feb.3, after response team officals recognized a surge in break-in reports from companies known as Internet service providers. There are an estimated 500 service providers in the United States. Each acts as a gateway to the Internet for as few as a dozen or as many as 10,000 or more customers...Security experts said that all Internet users should immediatley change their passwords and make a habit of doing so frequently... "There are about 50 people who really have the capacity to defeat the system," Mr. Gary of the response team said. "At least, that's the number we get from our friends in law enforcement and investigative agencies. Those are the ones who have the skill, the desire, the energy and the persistence to go after the network until they get the job done." Perhaps more troubling is that there is NO apparent motive for the attacks. Officals of the response team said there had been no reports of intruders using stolen information for the malicious or criminal activities. "The analogy is someone going around the neighborhood collecting keys to all the houses," said James C, Settle, supervisory special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Computer Crime Squad in Wash. "They're probably not going to all that effort just to collect all those keys. We would expect they're going to do something." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well it appears that the Feds really don't have a clue whose doing these break-ins, so we're safe for now, but I warn all of you to be extra careful as they're expecting something...I just hope that people really don't change their passwords, because then we'll just have to do it all over again. That's all & remember you get your latest issue of NOF at your favorite H/P board. -News of Freedom for Phreakers around the Globe-