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-
- Computer underground Digest Sun Jan 18, 1998 Volume 10 : Issue 04
- ISSN 1004-042X
-
- Editor: Jim Thomas (cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu)
- News Editor: Gordon Meyer (gmeyer@sun.soci.niu.edu)
- Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
- Shadow Master: Stanton McCandlish
- Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
- Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
- Ian Dickinson
- Field Agent Extraordinaire: David Smith
- Cu Digest Homepage: http://www.soci.niu.edu/~cudigest
-
- CONTENTS, #10.04 (Sun, Jan 18, 1998)
-
- File 1--IP: New Internet Regulations Codify PRC Internet Practice
- File 2--"Underground", Suelette Dreyfus
- File 3--"MS Sucks...."
- File 4--Re: More on "Microsoft Evil?"
- File 5--Contribution In response to "Is Microsoft Evil"
- File 6--Review - Privacy on the Line. The Politics of Wiretapping...
- File 7--Another UNICEF/Mitnick story
- File 8--Eff announces Barry Steinhardt to BoD
- File 9--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 7 May, 1997)
-
- CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN
- THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 15:47:06 -0800
- From: "(--Todd Lappin-->)" <telstar@wired.com>
- Subject: File 1--IP: New Internet Regulations Codify PRC Internet Practice
-
- Source - fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu
-
- Forwarded from Dave Farber... the full text of the new Chinese regulations
- are included. My favorites:
-
- (5) Making falsehoods or distorting the truth, spreading rumors, destroying
- the order of society;
-
- (6) Promoting feudal superstitions, sexually suggestive material, gambling,
- violence, murder,
-
- (8) Injuring the reputation of state organs;
-
- --Todd-->
-
-
- New Regulations Codify PRC Internet Practice
-
- On December 30, 1997, the Ministry of Public Security promulgated the
- Regulations on the Security and Management of Computer Information Networks
- and the Internet [Jisuanji Xinxi Wangluo Lianwang Anquan Baohu Guanli
- Banfa]. The State Council approved these new regulations on December 11,
- 1997. The new regulations appear to be much more a codification of existing
- practice than an important departure in the management of computer
- information networks in China. The new regulations are more detailed than
- the "PRC Temporary Regulations on Computer Information Network and Internet
- Management" and "Notice on Strengthening the Management of Computer
- Information Network and Internet Registration Information" both of February
- 1996 and the "Temporary Regulations on Electronic Publishing" of March 1996.
- .
-
- The new December 1997 regulations as well as earlier PRC regulations on the
- Internet and electronic puiblishing are to be found in GB-encoded Chinese
- text listed on the web page at <http://www.edu.cn/law>http://www.edu.cn/law
-
- The full Chinese text of the new regulations are to be found at
- <http://www.edu.cn/law/glbf.html>http://www.edu.cn/law/glbf.html The new
- regulations are translated in full
- below.
-
- --------------------------------------------------
-
- Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection and
- Management Regulations
-
- (Approved by the State Council on December 11 1997 and promulgated by the
- Ministry of Public Security on December 30, 1997)
-
- Chapter One Comprehensive Regulations
-
- Section One -- In order to strengthen the security and the protection of
- computer information networks and of the Internet, and to preserve the
- social order and social stability, these regulations have been established
- on the basis of the "PRC Computer Information Network Protection
- Regulations", the "PRC Temporary Regulations on Computer Information
- Networks and the Internet" and other laws and administrative regulations.
-
- Section Two -- The security, protection and management of all computer
- information networks within the borders of the PRC fall under these
- regulations.
-
- Section Three -- The computer management and supervision organization of the
- Ministry of Public Security is responsible for the security, protection and
- management of computer information networks and the Internet. The Computer
- Management and Supervision organization of the Ministry of Public Security
- should protect the public security of computer information networks and the
- Internet as well as protect the legal rights of Internet service providing
- units and individuals as well as the public interest.
-
- Section Four -- No unit or individual may use the Internet to harm national
- security, disclose state secrets, harm the interests of the State, of
- society or of a group, the legal rights of citizens, or to take part in
- criminal activities.
-
- Section Five -- No unit or individual may use the Internet to create,
- replicate, retrieve, or transmit the following kinds of information:
-
- (1) Inciting to resist or breaking the Constitution or laws or the
- implementation of administrative regulations;
-
- (2) Inciting to overthrow the government or the socialist system;
-
- (3) Inciting division of the country, harming national unification;
-
- (4) Inciting hatred or discrimination among nationalities or harming the
- unity of the nationalities;
-
- (5) Making falsehoods or distorting the truth, spreading rumors, destroying
- the order of society;
-
- (6) Promoting feudal superstitions, sexually suggestive material, gambling,
- violence, murder,
-
- (7) Terrorism or inciting others to criminal activity; openly insulting
- other people or distorting the truth to slander people;
-
- (8) Injuring the reputation of state organs;
-
- (9) Other activities against the Constitution, laws or administrative
- regulations.
-
- Section Six No unit or individual may engage in the following activities
- which harm the security of computer information networks:
-
- (1) No-one may use computer networks or network resources without getting
-
- proper prior approval
-
- (2) No-one may without prior permission may change network functions or
-
- to add or delete information
-
- (3) No-one may without prior permission add to, delete, or alter
-
- materials stored, processed or being transmitted through the network.
-
- (4) No-one may deliberately create or transmit viruses.
-
- (5) Other activities which harm the network are also prohibited.
-
- Section Seven The freedom and privacy of network users is protected by law.
- No unit or individual may, in violation of these regulations, use the
- Internet to violate the freedom and privacy of network users.
-
- Chapter 2 Responsibility for Security and Protection
-
- Section 8 Units and individuals engaged in Internet business must accept the
- security supervision, inspection, and guidance of the Public Security
- organization. This includes providing to the Public Security organization
- information, materials and digital document, and assisting the Public
- Security organization to discover and properly handle incidents involving
- law violations and criminal activities involving computer information
- networks.
-
- Section 9 The supervisory section or supervisory units of units which
- provide service through information network gateways through which
- information is imported and exported and connecting network units should,
- according to the law and relevant state regulations assume responsibility
- for the Internet network gateways as well as the security, protection, and
- management of the subordinate networks.
-
- Section 10 Connecting network units, entry point units and corporations that
- use computer information networks and the Internet and other organizations
- must assume the following responsibilities for network security and
- protection:
-
- (1) Assume responsibility for network security, protection and management
- and establish a thoroughly secure, protected and well managed network.
-
- (2) Carry out technical measures for network security and protection. Ensure
- network operational security and information security.
-
- (3) Assume responsibility for the security education and training of network
- users
-
- (4) Register units and individuals to whom information is provided. Provide
- information according to the stipulations of article five.
-
- (5) Establish a system for registering the users of electronic bulletin
- board systems on the computer information network as well as a system for
- managing bulletin board information.
-
- (6) If a violation of articles four, five, six or seven is discovered than
- an unaltered record of the violation should be kept and reported to the
- local Public Security organization.
-
- (7) According to the relevant State regulations, remove from the network and
- address, directory or server which has content in violation of article five.
-
- Section 11 The network user should fill out a user application form when
- applying for network services. The format of this application form is
- determined by Public Security.
-
- Section 12 Connecting network units, entry point units, and corporations
- that use computer information networks and the Internet and other
- organizations (including connecting network units that are inter-provincial,
- autonomous region, municipalities directly under the Central Government or
- the branch organization of these units) should, within 30 days of the
- opening of network connection, carry out the proper registration procedures
- with a unit designated by the Public Security organization of the
- provincial, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central
- Government peoples' government.
-
- The units mentioned above have the responsibility to report for the record
- to the local public security organization information on the units and
- individuals which have connections to the network. The units must also
- report in a timely manner to Public Security organization any changes in the
- information about units or individuals using the network.
-
- Section 13 People who register public accounts should strengthen their
- management of the account and establish an account registration system.
- Accounts may not be lent or transferred.
-
- Section 14 Whenever units involved in matters such as national affairs,
- economic construction, building the national defense, and advanced science
- and technology are registered, evidence of the approval of the chief
- administrative section should be shown.
-
- Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the security and protection
- of the computer information network and Internet network links of the units
- mentioned above.
-
- Chapter Three Security and Supervision
-
- Section 15 The provincial, autonomous region or municipal Public Security
- agency or bureau, as well as city and county Public Security organizations
- should have appropriate organizations to ensure the security, protection and
- management of the Internet.
-
- Section 16 The Public Security organization computer management and
- supervision organization should have information on the connecting network
- units, entry point unit, and users, establish a filing system for this
- information, maintain statistical information on these files and report to
- higher level units as appropriate.
-
- Section 17 The Public Security computer management and supervision
- organization should have establish a system for ensuring the security,
- protection and good management of the connecting network units, entry point
- unit, and users. The Public Security organization should supervise and
- inspect network security, protection and management and the implementation
- of security measures.
-
- Section 18 If the Public Security computer management and supervision
- organization discovers an address, directory or server with content in
- violation of section five, then the appropriate units should be notified to
- close or delete it.
-
- Section 19 The Public Security computer management and supervision
- organization is responsible for pursuing and dealing with illegal computer
- information network activities and criminal cases involving computer
- information networks. Criminal activities in violation of sections four or
- section seven should according to the relevant State regulations, be handed
- over to the relevant department or to the legal system for appropriate
- disposition.
-
- Chapter Four Legal Responsibility
-
- Section 20 For violations of law, administrative regulations or of section
- five or section six of these regulations, the Public Security organization
- gives a warning and if there income from illegal activities, confiscates the
- illegal earnings.
-
- For less serious offenses a fine not to exceed 5000 RMB to individuals and
- 15,000 RMB to work units may be assessed.
-
- For more serious offenses computer and network access can be closed down for
- six months, and if necessary Public Security can suggest that the business
- operating license of the concerned unit or the cancellation of its network
- registration. Management activities that constitute a threat to public order
- can be punished according to provisions of the public security management
- penalties articles. Where crimes have occurred, prosecutions for criminal
- responsibility should be made.
-
- Section 21 Where one of the activities listed below has occurred, the Public
- Security organization should order that remedial action should be taken with
- a specific period and give a warning; if there has been illegal income, the
- income should be confiscated; if remedial action is not taken within the
- specified period, then a fine of not more than 5000 RMB may be assessed
- against the head of the unit and persons directly under the unit head and a
- fine of not more than 15,000 RMB against the unit; in the case of more
- offenses, the network and equipment can be closed for up to six months. In
- serious cases Public Security may suggest that the business license of the
- organization be canceled and its network registration canceled.
-
- (1) Not setting up a secure system
-
- (2) Not implementing security techniques and protection measures
-
- (3) Not providing security education and training for network users
-
- (4) Not providing information, materials or electronic documentation needed
- for security, protection and management or providing false information
-
- (5) For not inspecting the content of information transmitted on behalf of
- someone else or not registering the unit or individual on whose behalf the
- information was transmitted
-
- (6) Not establishing a system for registering users and managing the
- information of electronic bulletin boards.
-
- (7) Not removing web addresses and directories or not closing servers
- according to the relevant state regulations.
-
- (8) Not establishing a system for registering users of public accounts
-
- (9) Lending or transferring accounts
-
- Section 22 Violation of section four or section seven of these regulations
- shall be punished according to the relevant laws and regulations.
-
- Section 23 Violations of section eleven or section twelve of these
- regulations or not fulfilling the responsibility or registering users shall
- be punished by a warning from Public Security or suspending network
- operations for six months.
-
- Chapter Five Additional Regulations
-
- Section 24 These regulations should be consulted with regards to the
- implementation of the security, protection and management of computer
- information networks connecting to networks in the Hong Kong Special
- Administrative Region as well as with networks in the Taiwan and Macao
- districts.
-
- Section 25 These regulations go into effect on the day of promulgation.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 10:17:06 -0800
- From: <Rob.Slade@sprint.ca>
- Subject: File 2--"Underground", Suelette Dreyfus
-
- BKNDRGND.RVW 970723
-
- "Underground", Suelette Dreyfus, 1997, 1-86330-595-5, A$19.95
- %A Suelette Dreyfus
- %C 35 Cotham Road, Kew 3101, Australia
- %D 1997
- %G 1-86330-595-5
- %I Reed Books/Mandarin/Random House Australia
- %O A$19.95 +61-2-9550-9207 fax: +61-2-9560-0334
- %O debbie@iaccess.com.au
- %P 475
- %T "Underground"
-
- This book is yet another gee-whiz look at teenage mutant wannabe-high-
- tech-bandits. The stories revolve around a number of individuals with
- loose links to one particular bulletin board in Melbourne, Australia,
- all engaged in system intrusions and phone phreaking.
-
- An immediate annoyance is the insistence of the author in referring to
- system breaking as "hacking." ("Cracking" seems to be reserved for
- breaking copy protection on games and other commercial software.) If
- any actual hacking takes place--creative, or otherwise sophisticated,
- use of the technology--it isn't apparent in the book. The
- descriptions of activities are vague, but generally appear to be
- simple "cookbook" uses of known security loopholes. This may not
- accurately reflect the events as they transpired, since the author
- also betrays no depth of technical knowledge, and seems to be willing
- to accept boasting as fact. The bibliography is impressively long
- until you realize that a number of the articles are never used or
- referenced. At which point, you wonder how much material has even
- been read.
-
- The structure and organization of the book is abrupt and sometimes
- difficult. Social or psychological observations are arbitrarily
- plunked into the middle of descriptions of system exploration, and,
- even though the paucity of dates makes it difficult to be sure, they
- don't appear to be in any chronological sequence, either. Those who
- have studied in the security field will recognize some names and even
- "handles," but the conceit of using only handles for members of the
- "underground" makes it difficult to know how much of the material to
- trust.
-
- Early chapters foreshadow dire events to overtake "Craig Bowen" and
- Stuart Gill: Bowen never gets mentioned again, and Gill is only
- mentioned twice, peripherally. (In combination with frequent
- allusions to ignorance on the part of law enforcement agencies, one
- might suspect that a kind of Australian version of "The Hacker
- Crackdown" [cf. BKHKCRCK.RVW] was planned, but, if so, it didn't come
- off.)
-
- The book's attitude is also oddly inconsistent. In places, the
- crackers and phreaks are lauded as brilliant, anti-establishment
- heroes; but, by and large, they are portrayed as unsocialized,
- paranoid, spineless non-entities, who have no life skills beyond a few
- pieces of pseudo-technical knowledge used for playing vicious pranks.
- So thorough is this characterization, that it comes as a total shock
- to find, in the afterword, that not only do these people survive their
- court convictions, but also become important contributing members of
- society.
-
- The author seems to feel quite free to point fingers in all
- directions. The absurdity of giving "look-see" intruders larger
- prison sentences than thieves or spies is pointed out, but not the
- difficulty of legally proving intent. After repeatedly hinting at
- police incompetence, brutality, and even corruption, the book ends
- with a rather weak statement implying that the situation is getting
- better. The common cracker assertion that if sysadmins don't want
- intruders, then they should secure their systems better, is followed
- up with no discussion of surveys showing only one full-time security
- person per five thousand employees, and only passing mention, by one
- of the ex-intruders, of the extreme difficulty in doing so. Poor
- family situations are used so frequently to justify illegal activities
- that one feels the need to point out that *most* products of "broken"
- homes do *not* become obsessive, paranoid loner criminals!
-
- It is interesting to see a book written about a non-US scene, and from
- a non-American perspective. Technically and journalistically,
- however, it has numerous problems.
-
- copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997 BKNDRGND.RVW 970723
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 08:16:02 -0600
- From: "Rosebrock, Lester" <ROSEBROCK@UTHSCSA.EDU>
- Subject: File 3--"MS Sucks...."
-
- I take great offense when you sing the "virtues" of Microsoft because
- they make a cheaper product.
-
- How can the Windows platform be cheaper when the Federal government is
- having to spend millions/billions of dollars to upgrade their computers
- to overcome the year 2000 thing?
-
- If cheaper is better, then why don't all of the restraunts close down so
- that only McDonald's, Wendy's and Buger King remain. After all, they
- sell a much cheaper product than a normal restraunt.
-
- And since we're at it, let's get rid of Mercedes, BWM, and all other
- luxury cars.
- Yugo and the Ford Escort are two cars that have a very attractive price.
-
- My point is, just because a product is cheaper it doesn't mean that it
- is better.
- Microsoft's products are medicore at best.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- From: Dave++ Ljung <dxl@HPESDXL.FC.HP.COM>
- Subject: File 4--Re: More on "Microsoft Evil?"
- Date: Mon, 12 Jan 98 11:59:52 MST
-
- |From--MRand33609 <MRand33609@aol.com>
- |Subject--File 8--US vs Microsoft
- |
- |Is Microsoft Evil?
- |
- |Bill Gates the most productive man in the United States, is actually
- |being persecuted for being productive
-
- That's one heck of an opinion that I think many would disagree with.
-
- | To me, this issue should not even be discussed between
- |rational people.
-
- I've never heard of such an issue. If both sides had points, I can't
- imagine how it shouldn't be discussed.
-
- Now, I can see some of your points, I myself am actually philosophically
- close to your ideas, being *somewhat* of a laissez-faire capitalist myself.
-
- However, I can see that you don't believe that there are such things as
- unfair business practices, and you seem to think that anyone at the top
- of a business *must* be providing the best products at the best prices.
-
- To some it's easy to see that it's not the case with Microsoft, since
- they are up to a *decade* behind in OS technology, yet a huge majority
- of computers use their OS. But I don't really care whether you believe
- this or not, I don't see a point in starting a religious war.
-
- But I would like to bring forward the point of 'unfair business practices.'
-
- The world of software and hardware has two features which are enormously
- different than any other business.
-
- 1) The rate of change is incredible - approximately 2x improvement on
- all fronts every 18 months (see Moore's law or history for that).
- 2) An incredible amount of inertia. It's much harder to change hardware
- or software platforms when you decide to upgrade because your equipment
- is obsolete (as compared to say, buying a Chevy after your Ford dies).
-
- These factors create a situation ripe for a monopoly takeover. Whoever gets
- in first can start acting in such a way to get a mojority of market share.
- Then the market is stuck - and the company can act with only as much
- competition as required to keep people from getting frustrated enough to
- overcome point #2 above. If you look at history, this is exactly what has
- happened - with Microsoft in the world of software and another company in
- terms of hardware - which I don't need to mention since it's too close the
- business I work in :)
-
- I won't go into a list of the things that Microsoft has done to abuse
- market share - just look into it's history and talk to some of the people
- who are opposed to it. Just look at it's original licensing for DOS and
- Windows. Is Bill Gates evil? I doubt that - he is; however, a very
- intelligent man who knows how to get a market and take it over, and I
- would argue that the possibility that Microsoft does NOT provide the best
- products at the best price.
-
- Don't take my word - look into the history - look into how Microsoft
- deals with competitors, and maybe you'll start to understand why
- anti-trust legislation exists. Unfortunately the monopoly is (imho)
- the one example of how the market can't take care of itself unattended.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Mon, 12 Jan 98 17:18:46 EST
- From: Jonathan Olkowski <olkowski@babson.edu>
- Subject: File 5--Contribution In response to "Is Microsoft Evil"
-
- This laughable essay (US vs Microsoft - MRand33609@aol.com - CUD #10.02
- Sun, Jan 11, 1998)
- begs an obvious question: Do the Ends justify the Means?
-
- Sure, Microsoft has definately made some major contributions to the
- computing industry, albiet it can be argued that those contributions are
- wholly self-serving in the end. But despite this, there are numerous
- documented incidents where Microsoft overstepped its bounds and gained a
- competitve advantage in an unethical and possibly illegal fashion. Yes,
- we're all fully aware that Microsoft didn't create the trend, but we're
- also not going to go jumping off bridges because everyone else is doing it
- too.
-
- I'll agree that Microsoft has been helpful in some ways to the computing
- community but that is no justification for its actions. For all we know,
- if Hitler had his way the world might have solved some of its problems -
- but at what price?
-
- Balancing methodology with results is a difficult ethical dilemna, but not
- when it comes down to self-serving individuals trying to make a buck at the
- expense of others. That is, unless the most important thing to you is
- money...
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 14:56:58 -0500 (EST)
- From: Bob Bruen <bruen@genome.wi.mit.edu>
- Subject: File 6--Review - Privacy on the Line. The Politics of Wiretapping...
-
- Privacy on the Line. The Politics of Wiretapping and Encryption
- by Whitfield Diffie and Susan Landau. MIT Press 1998. 342 pages.
- Bibliography, index and endnotes. $25.00 ISBN 0-262-04167-7.
- LoC KF9670.D54
-
- =============================================================
- Book Review. Copyright 1998 Robert Bruen.
- =============================================================
-
- The issue of encryption use by private citizens was pushed into
- the public eye after Phil Zimmerman was placed under threat of
- indictment resulting from the release of Pretty Good Privacy(PGP).
- The indictment threat was withdrawn and the public stopped paying
- much attention to it. It was replaced by the threat of the Computer
- Decency Act (CDA) as the focus of attention. Now that threat has been
- pushed back, so the focus seems to be somewhat diffused. The underlying
- problem has not received the attention it deserves. These two events
- (and a few others) are merely instances of the most serious threat
- to the American way of life since the Civil War. The threat is to
- our right to privacy in our communications with one another. The right
- to privacy is not mentioned explicitly in the Constitution, but it
- falls within the penumbra (shadow) of the rights that are explicit.
-
- There has been a constant and continuing effort by various agencies
- of the Federal Government, law enforcement and state governments to
- chip away at this right. These efforts have been resisted by a number
- of groups through legal challenges and media publicity. The battle is
- raging, but it does not appear that most of the citizens in America
- realize the extent of the consequences of this war. It is the difference
- between a police state such as George Orwell envisioned in his novel 1984
- (perhaps as demonstrated in East Germany and the former Soviet Union
- without quite the high tech capability) and a free society as envisioned
- by the framers of our Constitution.
-
- The very future of our society is at stake, but in order to understand
- just how serious the threat is, one must understand technical ideas
- such as encryption, computing and networks. There are many good books
- available on these topics, but they are not truly accessible to the
- average citizen because the technical information is difficult and there
- is not a connection to their everyday lives. Moreover the issues are
- clouded by struggles over pornography and free speech.
-
- The vacuum has been filled by Mr. Diffie and Professor Landau. He is
- known as the inventor of public-key cryptography and she was primary
- author of the 1994 Association of Computing Machinery report, "Codes,
- Keys, and Conflicts: Issues in US Crypto Policy.'" There is no question
- on their qualifications to speak on this issue.
-
- This book is well researched with an extensive bibliography that includes
- not only the expected books and articles, but also government reports, FBI
- memos and Congressional testimony. This is straight-forward presentation
- of just how much of a problem we all have. FBI director Louis Freeh will
- not like this book, nor will the NSA, but anyone who is concerned about
- their privacy and freedom will be grateful for the clear detailing of the
- threat. This loss of our ability to have encrypted communication will be
- an unrecoverable one. It would be the same as if the South had won the
- Civil War and slavery was legal today. The major difference would be that
- all of our citizens will be enslaved instead of just a particular group.
- There is no other issue today that will have as much of an impact on our
- future freedom as this one.
-
- Using FBI memos, documents and testimony, the authors bring out the
- fact that the FBI is willing to say just about anything to get a law
- passed that makes the use of encryption by private citizens illegal.
- The history of the NSA's dealings with other government agencies shows
- how they have tried to control the debate and the rules concerning
- encryption. These agencies have determined that encryption is of
- major importance and I believe they are correct. Diffie and Landau
- make this case in such a masterful manner, that you can not read the
- book and not walk away with this conclusion. I think this is one of
- the most important books published on privacy because it pulls together
- all the relevant information in one very readable place.
-
- The issues of cryptography, privacy, law enforcement, national security
- and wiretapping are all brought together in an orderly, coherent work,
- that is well written enough to be an enjoyable read that shows no signs
- over-dramatization. But when you are done, the overall effect is powerful.
- As an example, the value of wiretapping is often used a justification
- to control the use of encryption. The authors use government reports
- to demonstrate that the actual value is quite low, limited to a
- few well publicized cases. In many cases the real tool was the use
- of bugs, not wiretaps, which of course has little to do with encryption.
- Wiretaps, new technology and the legal approach to encryption use control
- are just the building blocks for the surveillance society of tomorrow.
-
- One of the most important features of the book is the step by step
- history of the attempts to pass laws by the NSA and the FBI. Quotes
- are given by people like National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft
- in 1991 where he refers to an attempt "...to seek a legislative fix
- to the digital telephony problem" and " Success with digital
- telephony will lock in one major objective; we will have established
- a beachhead we can exploit for the encryption fix..." This is
- a clear indication that there is plan to eliminate our rights to
- private communication.
-
- I suggest that this book should be considered urgent reading and should
- be widely circulated. It could be the one that wakes everybody up.
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------
-
- Dr. Robert Bruen is the Director of Systems and Operations
- at the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research.
- He writes book reviews for Cipher, the Newsletter of the
- IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Privacy and
- Security, www.itd.nrl.navy.mil/ITD/5540/ieee/cipher.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 17:22:07 -0500
- From: "Evian S. Sim" <evian@escape.com>
- Subject: File 7--Another UNICEF/Mitnick story
-
- Source - http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C17931%2C00.html?nd
-
- UNICEF site hacked
- By Courtney Macavinta
- January 8, 1998, 12:20 p.m. PT
-
- Unknown culprits invaded the home page of the United Nation's
- Children Fund (UNICEF) last night, threatening a "holocaust" if
- famed hacker Kevin Mitnick is not released from prison.
-
- The hack is reminiscent of a break-in suffered by Yahoo last
- month in which, for a few moments, hackers were able to post on
- the site a similar message calling for Mitnick's release. Mitnick
- is in a federal penitentiary for a series of high-tech crimes.
-
- Those who cracked UNICEF's site intertwined a jargon-filled
- message with the children's rights organization's information
- about the starvation and exploitation of children around the
- world. They also posted photographs of women in bathing suits.
- The page was titled "Starvin' for Kevin."
-
- "Drunkz Against Madd Mothers [DAMM] and UNICEF have formed a
- coalition to put an end to the mistreatment of Kevin Mitnick,"
- stated the translated note. "After all, Kevin is just a big kid,
- and that's what UNICEF is all about, helping the children."
-
- If Mitnick is not released by Groundhog Day (February 2), the
- hackers said, 100 children per day would be eaten by 20 "starving
- super-models." The threat is even more far-fetched than the
- warning posted on Yahoo.
-
- The culprits who broke into Yahoo said the site's recent visitors
- had been infected with "logic bomb/worm" that would detonate on
- Christmas Day, "wreaking havoc upon the entire planet's
- networks." The bomb never went off--which was no surprise to
- computer experts.
-
- But the UNICEF site's security was compromised much longer than
- that of Yahoo, as the nonprofit organization can't monitor its
- site around the clock. Some Net users told NEWS.COM they stumbled
- upon the hack last night. The organization said today that it
- discovered the altered home page around 4 a.m., and fully
- restored the site by 8:30 a.m. today.
-
- <snip>
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 12:37:39 -0800 (PST)
- From: Mike Godwin (mnemonic) Tue 13 Jan 98 10:40
- Subject: File 8--Eff announces Barry Steinhardt to BoD
-
- eff.43: The EFF in the News
-
- eff.43.115: Mike Godwin (mnemonic) Tue 13 Jan 98 10:40
-
- For Immediate Release
-
- EFF Announces Appointment of Barry Steinhardt as President and CEO, and
- Election of Lori Fena as Chairman
-
- SAN FRANCISCO, January 12, 1998 -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
- today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Barry Steinhardt
- to President and Chief Executive Officer. Steinhardt is currently the
- Associate Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. The appointment
- was made at an EFF Board meeting held today in San Francisco.
-
- He replaces Lori Fena, who has been elected Chairman of the Board of EFF.
- Resigning Chairman Esther Dyson remains an active, enthusiastic member of
- the Board.
-
- "We are very pleased to appoint Barry Steinhardt as our new President," said
- Esther Dyson, former Chairman of the EFF Board of Directors. "Steinhardt has
- a wealth of experience with both our issues and the operation of non-profit
- organizations."
-
- "Barry's background is exactly what we were looking for," Dyson continued.
- "We expect him to be able to help us continue to build EFF as a premier
- organization that can take on the daunting challenge of defending and
- defining civil liberties and structures to protect them in the electronic
- world."
-
- As Associate Director of the ACLU, Steinhardt formed and chaired its Cyber-
- liberties Task Force, which coordinates the ACLU's extensive program on
- information technology issues. He was a co-founder of the Global Internet
- Liberty Campaign (GILC), the world's first international coalition of on-
- line rights groups and one of the originators of the Internet Free
- Expression Alliance (IFEA), which was recently formed to monitor issues
- related to Internet content rating and filtering. Steinhardt has spoken and
- written widely on cyber-liberties issues.
-
- Most recently he was the co-author of "Fahrenheit 451.2 - Is Cyberspace
- Burning?", the ACLU White paper on Internet content rating and blocking. He
- is currently at work on the ACLU handbook on "The Rights of Persons
- On-line."
-
- In addition to his cyber-liberties work, Steinhardt has coordinated the ACLU
- policy development process and efforts to strengthen structure and
- management of the ACLU's 53 state affiliates. He has been with the ACLU for
- 17 years and previously served as Executive Director of its Pennsylvania and
- Vermont affiliates.
-
- "This is a tremendous opportunity for Barry, who has shown talent and
- imagination in the cyber-liberties arena," said ACLU Executive Director Ira
- Glasser. "It is also an opportunity for the ACLU to work even more closely
- than we have with EFF on many issues where we share common goals and
- values."
-
- Steinhardt succeeds outgoing EFF Executive Director Lori Fena, who will
- become Chairman of EFF's Board of Directors, and will resume her career in
- private industry as a venture investment advisor and consultant.
-
-
- "Lori Fena has done a superb job of building EFF over the past two years,"
- Dyson said. "She demonstrated great vision in her stewardship of TRUSTe and
- a host of other projects and is an excellent choice as incoming Chairman.
- The Board of Directors is very grateful for her leadership and looks forward
- to working with Lori in her new capacity," Dyson concluded.
-
-
- - - more -
-
- page 2
- EFF appointment
-
- Fena noted that EFF and ACLU have a long history of cooperative action that
- has ranged from the successful challenge to the Communications Decency Act
- in the 1997 Supreme Court decision in Reno v. ACLU, to ongoing efforts to
- promote the privacy of communications through the use of strong encryption.
-
- Most recently, the two organizations joined together to support
- legislation to remove the restrictions on the use of encryption. They also
- have cooperated in Bernstein v. Department of State, in which EFF is
- challenging the constitutionality of the US Government's restrictions on the
- export of encryption technology. Fena further noted that EFF and ACLU have
- been regular coalition partners, including common membership in the GILC and
- IFEA coalitions.
-
- "Hiring Barry is a natural step for EFF," Fena said. "It will strengthen the
- bond between two dedicated civil liberties organizations. We expect the two
- groups to work together even more closely to leverage our respective
- strengths to protect free speech and privacy in the information age."
-
- Steinhardt said he is "grateful for the opportunity to play a leadership
- role in the next phase of EFF's development."
-
- "EFF was the pioneer defender of the rights of on-line users," he continued.
- "With the explosive growth of the Internet and other information
- technologies, the need for a strong and vibrant EFF is greater
- than ever."
-
- Steinhardt said that he expected to concentrate his efforts on expanding
- EFF's membership and financial resources, maximizing EFF's already strong
- public presence, organizing grassroots support for cyber rights, enlarging
- EFF's role in the global movement for on-line rights and providing support
- for EFF's pioneering work to adapt traditional concepts of civil liberties
- for new mediums.
-
- Steinhardt will formally assume his new role on February 2.
-
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (http://www.eff.org/) is a non-profit
- civil liberties organization working in the public interest to promote
- privacy, free expression, and social responsibility in new media.
-
- For further information please contact:
-
- Barry Steinhardt
- barrys@aclu.org
- (212)549-2508
-
- Lori Fena
- lori@eff.org
- (415)436-9333
-
- Esther Dyson
- edyson@edventure.com
- (212)924-8800
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Thu, 7 May 1997 22:51:01 CST
- From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu>
- Subject: File 9--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 7 May, 1997)
-
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-
- ------------------------------
-
- End of Computer Underground Digest #10.04
- ************************************
-
-
-