The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998/hackers_encyclopedia.iso/zines/a_m/lodhtj04.010

Text File | 2003-06-11 | 36.8 KB | 717 lines

The LOD/H Technical Journal, Issue #4: File 10 of 10.



                          NETWORK NEWS AND NOTES
                          ----------------------


The Network News and Notes file contains reprints of articles that are of
interest to the majority of our intended readers. In this installment we
borrowed heavily from the CFCA (Communications Fraud Control Association)
Communicator since the newsletter deals specifically with issues relevant to
our readers. The CFCA is "a nonprofit educational organization founded in
1985 to help the telecommunications industry combat fraud."

Overall, do not let the titles mislead you. Every article contains interesting
and we hope useful information. Be sure to take the time and read into them
before skipping. Some are a little old but better late than never. If anyone
comes across any articles of interest, we would like to know about them. One
more note, all comments within brackets [], are remarks made by one of
the TJ editors.

The first two articles, as was stated in the Introduction, relate the various
trouble some noted members of the community ran into.

______________________________________________________________________________


Source: The Wall Street Journal
Issue: Wednesday, February 7, 1990
Title: Computer Hackers Accused of Scheme Against BellSouth
Author: Thomas M. Burton


   CHICAGO--Federal grand juries in Chicago and Atlanta indicted four computer
hackers in an alleged fraud scheme that authorities said could potentially
disrupt emergency "911" telephone service throughout nine Southern States.

   The men, alleged to be part of a closely knit cadre of computer hackers
known as the Legion of Doom, gained access to the computer system, controlling
telephone emergency service of BellSouth Corp., the Atlanta-based
telecommunications giant.

   BellSouth, through two subsidiaries, oversees phone service in Alabama,
Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, and the
Carolinas.

   The Chicago indictment said members of the Legion of Doom are engaged in
disrupting telephone service by entering a telephone company's computers and
changing the routing of telephone calls. The hackers in the group also
fraudulently obtain money from companies by altering information in their
computers, the indictment said.


   The hackers transferred stolen telephone-computer information from
BellSouth to what prosecutors termed a "computer bulletin board system"
in Lockport, Ill. In turn, the men planned to publish the computer data in a
hackers' magazine, the grand jury charged.

-----EDITOR'S NOTES:
   As always, ignorance and falsehoods are abound in most articles of this
nature. For the record, NO TELEPHONE SERVICE WAS INTENTIONALLY DISRUPTED DUE
TO THE ACCUSED MEMBERS. Furthermore, NO MONEY FROM COMPANIES WAS EVER
FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINED BY ALTERING INFORMATION IN THEIR COMPUTERS. These are
the typical WILD accusations made by law enforcement and further distorted
by the media in such cases. As for the bbs is Lockport, Ill. well it was
simply a legitimate information storage and retrieval system used by many,
many people for legitimate purposes of information exchange. It would be very
time consuming for the operator of said system to check every file on the
system as it was a UNIX based system with a lot of disk space. The hacker
magazine stated above is simply Phrack, Inc. put out by Knight Lightning and
Taran King. More comments after next article.


_____________________________________________________________________________

Source: ComputerWorld
Issue:  1990
Title: Babes in high tech toyland nabbed
Author: Michael Alexander

   CHICAGO--- The U.S. Justice Department escalated its ware against computer
crime last week with two indictments against members of an alleged computer
hacker group, who are charged with stealing a copy of a 911 emergency computer
program from BellSouth Telephone Co., among several other crimes.

   In a seven-count indictment returned in Chicago, Robert X, 20 also known as
"The Prophet", is alleged to have used a computer to steal a copy of a
computer program owned and used by BellSouth that controls emergency calls to
the police, fire, ambulance and emergency services in cities throughout nine
Southern states. According to the indictment, after X stole the program --
valued at $79,449 -- he uploaded it to a computer bulletin board.

   The Chicago indictment further alleges that Craig Y, 19, also known as
"Knight Lightning" downloaded the 911 program to his computer at the
University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., and edited it for publication in
"Phrack", a newsletter for computer hackers.

   X and Y allegedly intended to disclose the stolen information to other
computer hackers so that they could unlawfully access and perhaps disrupt
other 911 services, the Chicago indictment charged.

   In a second indictment returned in Atlanta, X and two others were charged
with additional crimes related to BellSouth systems.

   All four hackers allegedly are members of the Legion of Doom, described in
the indictments "as a closely knit group of about 15 computer hackers", in
Georgia, Texas, Michigan and several other states.

   BellSouth spokesmen refused to say when or how the intrusion was detected
or how a computer hacker was able to lift the highly sensitive and proprietary
computer program.

   "Hopefully, the government's action underscores that we do not intend to
view this as the work of a mischievous prankster playing in a high-tech
toyland", one spokesman said.

   A source within BellSouth said that much of what the hacker took was
documentation and not source code. "They did not disrupt any emergency
telephone service, and we are not aware of any impact on our customers", the
source said.

   William Cook, an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago, declined to comment on
whether 911 service was actually disrupted. "It is a matter of evidence,", he
said.

   Cook also said that while the two hackers are charged with carrying out
their scheme between December 1988 and February 1989, the indictment came
after a year-long investigation. Though Cook refused to say how the hackers
were discovered or caught, it is believed that after the initial penetration
by one of the hackers, an intrusion task force was set up to monitor
subsequent security breaches and to gather evidence against the hackers.

   If convicted on all counts, X faces a prison sentence of up to 32 years and
a maximum fine of $222,000, and Y faces a prison sentence of 31 years and a
maximum fine of $122,000.

   The Atlanta indictment charged Robert X, Adam Z, 22 known as "The Urvile"
and also "Necron 99", and Frank XYZ, 23 known as "The Leftist", with eight
counts each of computer fraud, wire fraud, access code fraud and interstate
transportation of stolen property, among other crimes.

   If convicted, each defendant faces up to five years imprisonment and a
$250,000 fine on each count. The three illegally accessed Bellsouth computers
and obtained proprietary information that they distributed to other hackers,
the indictment alleged.

  ----EDITOR's NOTES: As is confirmed in this article, no telephone service
was disrupted. The extent of BellSouth's inadequacy regarding security matters
was not detailed in these articles. Here is a rundown of what may have
possibly happened: BellSouth's SBDN (Southern Bell Data Network) which is a
modified Telenet network that contains hundreds if not thousands of network
nodes (individual systems) may have been accessed during which time the system
that controls the entire network may have been possibly compromised. This
would allow someone to access just about any system on the network, since
Bellsouth consolidated most of their individual systems onto a large network
(economically not a bad idea, but a security nightmare indeed). This may allow
one to stumble onto systems dealing with 911. Since it may be interesting to
learn how such a system operates and how the 'automatic trace' is
accomplished, the documentation would be of some help. No need for any actual
programs however. Possibly, maybe, an article paraphrased the operation of 911
and was possibly to be distributed through the Phrack, Inc. newsletter.

The last names of those involved were omitted. Go look them up for yourself if
you think its that important.

Just for the record: KNIGHT LIGHTNING NEVER WAS A MEMBER OF LOD. Yet another
error in the reporting...LOD has half the 15 supposed number of members.

Another article followed the above one on the same page, by the same author:

Last week's disclosure of an alleged hacker theft of highly sensitive
BellSouth Telephone Co. documentation for a nine-state 911 emergency system
was the second serious security breach of a telephone company network to come
to light in as many months.

   In January, a trio of hackers was able to penetrate computer systems at
Pacific Bell Telephone Co. and eavesdrop on conversations and perpetrate other
criminal acts. [CW, Jan. 22].

   Just how vulnerable are the nation's telephone systems to hacker attacks?
Spokesmen for BellSouth and Pacific Bell insist that their systems are secure
and that they and other telephone companies routinely assess their
vulnerability to hackers.

   "Security is being constantly changed, every intrusion is studied,
passwords are changed," said Terry Johnson, manager of media relations for
BellSouth in Atlanta.

   Johnson however, declined to say how the hackers allegedly were able to
lift the documentation to a 911 emergency communication services program.

   "It is a rather serious computer security breach," said Richard Ichikawa, a
Honolulu based telecommunications consultant who specializes in designing and
installing 911 emergency systems. Stealing documentation, as the Legion of
Doom member is alleged to have done, many not be a particularly difficult task
for a savvy hacker, he said.

   Taking the actual program, while certainly possible, would be much more
challenging, however. The computer the controls enhanced 911 service is "quite
isolated" from the calling public, Ichikawa said.

   A recently published report to Congress by the Office of Technology
Assessment suggested that the security and survivability of the nation's
communication infrastructure is at greater risk to hacker attacks than ever
before. Business and government reliance on communications and information
based systems has increased, thus much more is at stake when those systems
fail, the report stated.

   The increased publicity of hacker attacks may help to curb attacks by
hackers, said Sanford Sherizen, a security consultant at Data Security
Systems, Inc., in Natick, Mass.

   Some law enforcement officials complain that the nation's telephone firms
do not cooperate as readily as they would expect when attacks of this sort
occur. "They [telecommunications providers] are the single biggest headache
law enforcers have right now," said Gail Thackery, Arizona stat assistant
district attorney.

   Regional Bell operating companies contacted last week disputed that
assertion.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Source: CFCA (Communications Fraud Control Association) Communicator
Issue: February-March 1989
Title: But are LD networks safe?

   Spread over vast distances and segmented by switches guarded by their own
passwords, long distance networks are generally safe from virus attacks.
According to Henry Kluepfel, Bellcore district manager of Security Planning
intruders can easily attain the same information that is available to vendors
and service providers. "If passwords are not changed regularly, intruders
can quickly wreak havoc".

   Scott Jarus, division director of Network Loss Prevention for Metromedia,
and a member of CFCA's Board of Directors, says that users of "outboard"
computer systems should not be assigned high level access to their company's
switches or networks. "Non-proprietary hardware and software that handle
such functions as billing collection and network database management are
targets for unauthorized access and viruses", he says.

   Mr. Kluepfel says that once hackers have the documentation they can send
details on how to crash the systems to hundreds of bulletin boards. "We
found that many system administrators didn't realize manufacturers install
rudimentary default passwords."

   Bellcore encourages using sophisticated codes and applying a variety of
defenses. "Don't simply rely on a dialback modem, or a good password", says
Mr. Kluepfel. "Above all, don't depend on a system to always perform as
expected. And remember that new employees don't know the administrative
measures the operator knows".

   Managers should advise clients on any needed internal analysis and
investigations, and keep abreast of technological advances when planning
their defenses.

_____________________________________________________________________________


Source: Same as above
Title: Secure those gray boxes

   After the FCC mandated that telcos provide test modes on the gray
[or green (ed. note)] connection boxes usually found outside structures,
there have been instances of persons surreptitiously clipping on handsets
or snapping in modular connections (RJ-11) to make long distance calls on the
residents' line. CFCA advises customers to padlock their boxes to deter such
thievery.

   John Venn, manger of Electronic Operations at PacBell's San Francisco
office, reports that the boxes they install have separate connections for
company and customer use, so that users have the option of securing access
to their portion. PacBell's side has a built-in lock, while customers have
padlock hasps.

_____________________________________________________________________________


Source: Same as above
Title: Product Description: Pen-Link analysis software
Author: Mike Murman

   Since 1986, Pen-Link, Ltd. of Lincoln Neb. has been producing software
that supports telecom investigations. Last July, the company introduced an
updated version of Pen-Link, a two-year-old program that accepts data from
most Dialed Number Recorders (DNRs) manufactured today, pools that information
into a common database structure, and allows the user to determine the calling
patterns and the codes that have been compromised.

   In today's ever-expanding telecommunications environment there is a need
for faster identification and documentation of abuser call patterns to assure
successful prosecutions. In applications of DNRs for investigative purposes,
Pen-Link programs have reduced the time normally needed to input, analyze and
report call data by as much as 90 percent. The result is improved productivity
and quicker response to customers' needs.

   The Pen-Link 2.0 program also provides several related features. First, it
is a communications program, meaning that if you are using a DNR with modem
capability or RS232 communication ports, the program can automatically load
your call records into a PC, eliminating the time needed to key-in call
record data.

   Second, Pen-Link has an autoload format section that takes call records
you have transferred and puts them into a standard record format. This is an
important feature, given that the program supports multiple types of DNR
hardware that all have unique call data formats.

   In short, you can use any combination of DNRs in your investigations with
Pen-Link and all data will be compatible. Furthermore, the program allows
you the flexibility of purchasing new DNRs of any type, and not worry about
duplicating your software expense or learning new software programs. [Notice
how he keeps saying "you" in this article? (ed.)]

   Finally, Pen-Link enables you to analyze and report on your call record
information. There are 15 different call analysis reports and 6 different
graphic reports. If these reports do not meet your needs, the program has a
report generator that allows you to customize your analysis and reports.

   Pen-Link is a dedicated program written in Turbo Pascal. The company
elected to start from scratch and develop its own software, rather than
simply adapting standard applications. There are two reasons for this
approach: dedicated software programs run more efficiently, so that if a
hacker is generating thousands of call records and you want to analyze and
report this information, the program can provide a report much faster than if
you were processing the data manually.

   The second reason behind this strategy is that users only need to learn
and understand the options for the pop-up menu format. Pen-Link also supports
color monitors.

   A manual editing feature allows you to enter your database and find
specific records by the criteria you have selected; then review and edit the
data. Manual editing also allows you to enter call data from old pen
registers that only produce paper strips containing call information.

   Another feature, the utilities section, provides several options to
manage call information stored in your computer. This allows you to archive
information to disk, then reload it later when it is needed. If your data
files become corrupted, you can reconstruct and reformat them by using the
utilities section. And if you wish to use your call data information in
another application program, Pen-Link's utilities allow  you to create an
ASCII text file of call information, which then can be read by these programs.
Furthermore, the program can accept ASCII text files from other DNR software
programs.

   The program calls for an IBM or compatible PC equipped with a hard drive,
operating under MS-DOS 2.1 or higher. Pen-Link currently supports the
following DNRs: JSI, Mitel, Racom, Voice ID, Hekimian, Bartec, Pamco, HDS,
and Positive Controls. If you are using a DNR that is not listed, Pen-Link,
LTD will program its software so it can automatically load call records from
your equipment.

   The use of DNRs that automatically transfer call record data saves your
security department considerable investigative time. Pen-Link's mission is
to provide telcom security departments with a sophisticated investigative
software tool that is easy to use, flexible and compatible.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Source: Same as above
Title: Extended Ky. case resolved

   A 21 year-old Kentucky man was successfully convicted October 27 on 14
counts of computer and toll fraud under a number of state statutes. The
defendant, John K. Detherage, pleaded guilty to using his personal computer to
identify authorization codes in order to place unauthorized long distance
calls valued at $27,000.

   Detherage had been indicted a year earlier by an Oldham County grand jury
on six felony counts related to the scam and two misdemeanor counts of
possessing stolen personal identification and calling card numbers. He was
later charged with two additional counts of possessing stolen PINs.

   Detherage originally was to have been tried in February 1988, but the case
was postponed when he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced at the Oldham County
Circuit Court at LaGrange to pay $12,000 in restitution, and relinquish all
computer equipment and software to the court.

   His charges included theft of services over $100; theft of services; four
counts of unlawful access to a computer, second degree; possession of stolen
credit or debit cards, and six counts of unlawful access to a computer. Four
other counts were dismissed.

   Kentucky has a number of statutes that can be applied to theft of telephone
services. Chapter 514.060 addresses theft of services, while 514.065 describes
the possession, use or transfer of a device for the theft of services. Theft
of services is defined to include telephone service, and the defendant was
charged with two counts under 514.060.

   Detherage was also charged with 10 counts (six felony and four misdemeanor)
under Chapter 434.580, which relates to the receipt of stolen credit cards.
Kentucky interprets computer crime as involving accessing of computer systems
to obtain money, property or services through false or fraudulent pretenses,
representations or promises.

_____________________________________________________________________________


Source: Same as above
Title: Industry Overview

   As major players in the telecom industry shore up the defenses on their
telephone and computer networks, criminals [who, us?] are turning to smaller,
less protected companies [its called survival of the fittest]. In 1988, the
use of stolen access codes to make free long distance calls continued to be
the favorite modus operandi among network intruders throughout the industry,
although code abuse leveled off or declined among large carriers with well
funded security organizations and substantial technical apparatus to defeat
most toll and network fraud.

   However, some resellers and PBX owners are being victimized by fraud of all
types, probably because most use access codes with only six or seven digits.
Such vulnerable systems will continue to be used by abusers to route long
distance calls overseas. Fraudulent calls placed on a compromised system
quickly accumulate charges the system owner must eventually pay.

   Many PBX's also lack effective systems able to detect irregular activities
and block fraudulent calls. Add to this the fact that several carriers may be
handling the inbound and outbound WATS lines, and investigator's jobs can
really become complex.

   The sharp increase in the abuse of voice store-and-forward systems, or
voice mail, that began alarming owners and manufacturers early last year will
continue through 1989. Last spring, traffickers began seizing private voice
mail systems to coordinate drug shipments. Messages can be quickly erased when
they are no longer needed. Dealers have been receiving mailbox numbers by
pager, then calling in recorded messages from public telephones.

   No matter how long a security code may be, if intruders obtain an 800
number to a voice mail system they can program a computer and take the time to
break it, because it won't cost them anything. Once accessed through a PBX,
intruders can exchange stolen lists of long distance access codes, usually
without the system owner's knowledge.

   The time it takes abusers to break into a voice mail system is
proportionate to the number of digits in a security code. A four-digit code
can, for example be beaten by a skilled computer operator in slightly over a
minute. [Clarification, this is probably through the use of default security
codes, not sequential or random scanning techniques. ed.] One problem is that
voice mail customers don't often know what features to select when buying a
system. And few manufactures take the initiative to advise customers of the
importance of security.

   Another problem that has been around for several years, subscription fraud,
will continue into 1989, although telcos have reduced it by making customer's
applications more detailed and comprehensive [like requiring customers to
supply their credit card numbers. This way if they skip town without paying
and the credit card is valid and not maxed out, the phone company can still
recover the money owned them. ed.], and by checking out potential customers
more thoroughly. Dishonest subscribers use false identification and credit
references to obtain calling cards and services, with no intention of paying.

   Intelligent software is available that aids switch and PBX owners in
identifying, screening and blocking fraudulent calls. Another precaution is
to add digits to access codes, because numbers of fewer than 10 digits cannot
withstand today's intruders. A number of carriers have already gone to 14
digits.

   Some larger carriers have been sending technical representative out to
reprogram PBX's, encourage customers to install better safeguards, and advise
them to shut down their systems at night and on weekends. Customers should
also expect to see billing inserts warning of the improved defenses against
fraud.

   As more companies break into the international market they will need solid
security safeguards to protect them against intrusions of their networks. A
small interexchange carrier (IC) in Alabama was hit hard recently by "phone
phreakers" soon after they opened overseas service.

   Other start-ups find themselves desperately trying to play catch up after
blithely operating several years without a hitch. An IC with 30,000 customers
in Southern California increased its seven-digit access codes to ten digits
and it aggressively pursuing five groups of hackers its investigators
uncovered after discovering that company-issued personal identification
numbers were posted on computer bulletin boards.

   In the final analysis, one fact emerges: widespread cooperation among
injured parties will ensure quicker results and conserve vital company
resources.

_____________________________________________________________________________


Source: PC Week   April 10,1989
Title: Keep an Ear Out for New Voice Technology
Author: Matt Kramer

   With the rise in digital transmission of voice and data, it's easy to
assume that voice and data have merged into a muddle of indiscriminate
material, with voice indistinguishable from data. After all, a bit's a bit,
right?

   But, those people in the white lab coats keep coming up with new ways to
use voice technology.

   The telephone companies are the ones poised to make the most of this
technology. U.S. Sprint recently announced that it was experimenting with the
use of "voice prints"--a recording of a verbal password that would be used to
help identify authorized subscribers using their U.S. Sprint telephone charge
cards, which would help cut down on hackers trying to steal telephone service.
Subscribers would record a voice print of a verbal password. Then, when they
were using their charge cards, they would repeat the passwords to verify their
identities.

   Northern Telecom has embarked on its own efforts to bring voice-recognition
technology to public telephone service. it is selling telephone companies a
new billing service that uses voice-recognition technology to automate collect
and third-number billing calls.

   Called the Automated Alternate Billing Service (AABS), the system calls the
party to be billed and "asks" if the charges will be accepted. The Northern
Telecom switch "listens" to the response and either completes the call or
informs the calling party that the charges have been refused.

   Northern Telecom also plans to use voice technology to offer other
features, such as allowing the system to announce the caller's name in the
party's own voice and stating the call's origin, such as the name of a city,
a university or an institution.

   The big draw for phone companies, of course, is reduction of personnel
costs, since no human operator assistance is needed. That's an option for lots
of corporate financial officers who have been attracted to automated-attendant
phone systems because they can replace a bevy of switchboard operators.

   What would be interesting about the Northern Telecom technology is to see
if it can be expanded to other gear, such as private branch exchanges, and if
if can beef up the automated-attendant feature. Rather than require callers
to punch a lot of buttons to get in touch with someone, perhaps voice
recognition could be used to "listen" for a name and then direct the call to
the appropriate party. That would be especially useful in situations where you
don't know the exact extension of whomever you are calling. Trying to maneuver
around an on-line telephone directory can be a real pain in the neck.

   At the same time, voice-recognition technology can be paired with voice
mail so that users can access their voice mailboxes without having to punch in
an identification number or password or to deal with a menu. It would be a lot
easier to just say, "Read messages".

   There's still a lot of potential to be developed in voice technology.

_____________________________________________________________________________


Source: PC WEEK   May 15, 1989
Title: MCI to Provide Transition to ISDN
Author: Matt Kramer

   MCI Communications Inc. hopes to give its customers a smoother transition
to ISDN with new services that offer many of the technology's features without
requiring costly upgrades to ISDN-compatible equipment.

   The communications company recently announced new Integrated Services
Digital Network and "ISDN-equivalent" services that will provide MCI customers
with network-configuration, control and management features, according to
company officials.

   The equivalent services, which will be available this fall, run over
existing in-band signaling channels. True ISDN services require a separate
out-of-band D channel for signalling.

   MCI's full ISDN services are scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of
next year.

   The equivalent services, while not providing the full ISDN feature set, are
designed to introduce customers to the benefits of ISDN before requiring them
to make the investment in ISDN-compatible telecommunications gear, officials
said.

   "While they may not want to make that expenditure now, they certainly want
to have ISDN-like services available", said Kevin Sharer, senior vice
president of sales and marketing at MCI, in Washington.

   The equivalent products include the MCI 800 Enhanced Services Package,
which allows customers with dedicated access lines to receive the number of
the calling party just prior to receiving the call. This Automatic Number
Identification (ANI) is then used to query a database to bring up a customer's
account or other information, according to officials.

   Northern Telecom Inc. and Rockwell International Corp. have developed new
software for their private branch exchanges that permits the switches to
handle in-band ANI transmission.

   Some observers expect the equivalent services will be useful in the
evolution from existing telecommunications to ISDN. "If all you need is ANI,
then the equivalent services might be just what you want", said Claude Stone,
vice president of product development at the First National Bank of Chicago
and vice chairman of the national ISDN Users Forum.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Source: A newspaper
Date: Sometime in June
Title: Sheriff's prisoners find handcuffs are a snap to get out of
Author: unknown

   Ten jail prisoners who discovered an ingenious way to escape from handcuffs
are sending alarms across the nation. Emergency bulletins will be sent to law
enforcement agencies via teletype machines nationwide. On Friday, deputies
were taking 10 prisoners from the jail downtown to another one in the city.
All were handcuffed.  "When the deputy opened the back of the van, all 10 guys
were smiling and said, 'See what we did,'" the Sheriff said. Each prisoner
held up his arms to show broken handcuffs.

   The culprit was a simple seat belt clip. The circular cuffs are connected
with a chain, held tightly to each cuff by a swivel-head link that moves
freely to ensure that the chain cannot be twisted when the wrists move. Seat
belt clips typically have one or two holes, or slots, that lock them into
place with the buckle. The prisoners learned that jamming the swivel-head on
the clip stops the swivel head from turning freely. "A quick twist of the
wrist, and the chain shears off at the cuff," the sheriff said.

   The sheriff ordered seat belts removed from jail vans. He also ordered
that the prisoners in cruisers be handcuffed with their hands behind their
back and the seat belts locked firmly across them. Deputies often handcuffed
prisoners' hands in front of their bodies. But even if prisoners were cuffed
behind their backs, it would not be difficult for them to manipulate the
swivel head into a seat belt buckle and twist themselves free -- if they
could reach the seat belt. "This is a danger to every law enforcement officer
in the country", the sheriff said.

   Handcuff manufacturers contacted Friday are studying the possibility of
redesigning the handcuffs by enlarging the swivel head or placing some type
of shroud over it. "People in jail have 24 hours a day to figure a way out"
said the sheriff.

   "Although only 10 people know the technique, I guarantee that the entire
jail population will know how to do it before the day is up,". "The only
people who won't know about it is law enforcement officers".  The sheriff
met Friday with representatives of several local and federal agencies. An
FBI spokesman said the escape technique will be described in the FBI's
nationally distributed LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN.

   Although the sheriff was grateful to learn about the technique from
prisoners who did not try to escape, he was not amused. He told deputies,
"Charge them with destruction of county property. We'll see how funny they
think that is."

_____________________________________________________________________________

Title: Federal grand jury probes Cincinnati Bell wiretapping flap
Source: Data Communications
Issue: November 1988
Author: John Bush

   A federal grand jury in Ohio is investigating illegal wiretapping
allegations involving two former employees of Cincinnati Bell who claim the
telephone company ordered them for more than a decade to eavesdrop on
customers.

   In addition, an attorney who filed a class-action lawsuit against
Cincinnati Bell on behalf of the people and companies who were allegedly
wiretapped, says he is trying to prove that the telephone company sold the
information gained from the electronic surveillance.

   A Cincinnati Bell spokesperson denied the charges, saying they were
trumped-up by the two former employees, who are seeking revenge after being
fired by the telephone company.

   The lawsuit has been filed against Cincinnati Bell Inc. on behalf of
Harold Mills, a former police lieutenant and former commander of the
Cincinnati Vice Squad, as well as a number of other individuals and companies.
Among the alleged victims mentioned in the complaint were Sen. Howard
Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) and Proctor and Gamble Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio).

   Gene Mesh, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, believes the Cincinnati Bell
case is not an isolated incident but a trend...an explosion of cancer that
"this kind of thing [wiretapping] has developed its own markets."

   When asked if Cincinnati Bell was selling the information gained from
tapping, Mesh said "we are proceeding along evidentiary lines to prove this."

   Thus far, the civil action hinges on the testimony of two former Cincinnati
Bell employees, Leonard Gates, a supervisor, and Robert Draise, an installer
who at one time worked for Gates. Their combined testimony states that, under
the auspices of Cincinnati Bell, they conducted over 1,200 illegal wiretaps
from 1972 to the present.

   According to Gates, as a result of the Proctor and Gamble wiretap, "we
were into all of P&G's databases." In addition, both Gates and Draise claim
to have been in on illegal wiretaps of General Electric Co.'s Aircraft Engines
Division near Cincinnati. Draise also claims that he was ordered to identify
all of GE's facsimile and modem lines for Cincinnati Bell.

   Neither Proctor and Gamble nor General Electric would comment. However
Sen. Howard Metzenbaum's Washington, D.D., office says that the Senator
"found the news shocking and is awaiting more information to see if it
[the wiretap] actually happened.

   Meanwhile Cincinnati Bell maintains that the suit and allegations are
merely Gates's and Draise's way of getting back at the phone company for
having fired them.

   Cyndy Cantoni, a spokesperson for Cincinnati Bell, said that "we have heard
the allegations that we wiretapped, but if Draise or Gates did any tapping, it
wasn't done at Cincinnati Bell's request."

   Cantoni also cited a letter from Cincinnati Bell President Ray Clark that
went out to all Cincinnati Bell employees in the wake of the publicity
surrounding the wiretapping accusations. The letter stated that Gates had been
warned in April 1985 against continuing an affair with an employee he had been
supervising and who had accused him [Gates] of sexual harassment, according to
Cantoni.

   The letter went on to say that Gates reacted to the warning with
insubordination and threats and "carried on a campaign against the company."
As a result, Gates was fired for insubordination, says Cantoni. Robert Draise
was fired after he was convicted of misdemeanor wiretapping charges for
tapping the phone line of a friend's girlfriend, Cantoni says.

   Cincinnati Bell is an independent telephone company that was allowed to
keep the "Bell" trademark after divestiture, since it is older than AT&T,
says Cantoni.

[ End of Document ]