The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998

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___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ THE SYNDICATE REPORT Information Transmittal No. 23 (Part 2 of 2) Released June 13, 1989 Featuring: Editor's Note "Hacker from England Letter" The CT2 Phone - Another Abuse Product Virus Outbreaks Spur Congree To Combat Threat How To Become A Syndicate Report Support BBS Credit Card Fraud: Old Techniques Still Work Brief Notes from the Report by The Sensei Editor Syndicate Report Magazine ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ EXPOSITION: TSR Once again, The Report accepts outside sources. Anybody can write/provide information to The Syndicate Report. Articles/Information may be provided through RADIO WAVES Bulletin Board System 612-471-0060. Any info such as Busts, Phreaking, Hacking, Data / Telecommunications, and new developments on any the previous mentioned specialties will be: accepted, labeled, and given full actual credit to 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). ** ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ EDITOR'S NOTE: TSR One day I went digging through some of my old letters in the file cabinet. A lot were from computer people -- this was all normal USPS Mail. One caught my eye. It was from a guy in England. I forgot I ever got it, and for good reason, it's post dated May 21, 1986. I found it interesting... _____________________________________________________________ My name John Doe and Address North Hull Estate HULL North Humerside ENGLAND Phone 0482 XXXXXX 21st May 86 Dear Sensei, Hello, as you can see, I live about 4200 miles away from you hence this letter, I'll try to keep it short. I know that you have, or had a C128 with a Volks 300-1200 modem, I have a Atmos 48k with D/D and a Voyager 11 modem, giving 1200/1200 and 300/300 baud. I am not 'on-line' at the moment, due to some technical problem with my cable, but when I am my password is 'xxxx'. Tell me now if you can, have you heard of a piece of equipment called a 'phreaker', there is a great lack of information 'over hear' regarding this machine, but apparently it aids you in your phone bills. With the limited knowledge available to me, I know your "Bell-Phone" system works on the 'two-phase' method, this would cause only slight problems in altering one or two of the part numbers. If you do know about this machine, I would be greatful to you if you could let me have details about its construction, part numbers each. Awair as I am that there will be some cost involved, I am quite prepared to respond with an agreed 'fee' for any and all information I can get. Should you be able to send this machine to me via air mail, or boat, this would prove expenceive from this end, and so I think a diagramm with part numbers, the best option. Anyway Sensei, I seem to be 'rabbiting' a bit, so I think I'll close now, iff youcan get some free time, would you simply 'drop me a line' to say that you have received my letter. Many thanks. Yours sincerely, John Doe _____________________________________________________________ Interesting, eh? When I first read this, I laughed. This guy thinks a 'phreaker' is a machine. I thought it was a person. Well, I tried to call the guy with the number, via MCI (love that service), and I got no answer. Back in '86 about this time, there was a lot of paranoia about busts. I thought this was some guy from England trying to find out about phreaking, thus do some busting or whatever. I never responded. Some of my readers are overseas, so if this person is reading this, write me again. I'm not sure how this person got all the information about me then. I did have a C128, with other computers. Maybe it was an overseas commie system. Who knows. These types of responses are rare -- via USPS. Usually it's all through networking/email etc. But I'm thinking about posting a READER'S RESPONSE COLLUMN in future TSRs. I do get many bits of information from the readers, so if I get a lot on a particular month -- I'll post more. Send those responses in! Via Radio Waves. ;The Sensei / TSR '89 ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ THE CT2 PHONE - ANOTHER ABUSE PRODUCT: TSR (p.f 5/5) British Telecom, has made a cordless phone that's really portable. It's called the CT2 and weighs only 2.7 ounces. You bring it with you wherever you go, and when you are within reach of one of the base units popularly called " PhonePoints ", you can make calls. These PhonePoints/base units are permanently installed at popular locations such as airports, bus/train stations, shopping malls, and grocery stores. The CT2 is expected to cost about as much as a regular phortress phone call ($0.25), which makes it much more affordable than a cellular phone. The CT2's base unit has a range of 200 meters from its antennae. The technology is based on ISDN ( Integrated Services Digital Network ) instead of the current analog technology. The CT2 works in this matter, 1) Once you are in range of any of the CT2's base units (200 meters) you turn the phone to the TALK position. 2) At this time the telephone scans the 40 channels designated for it's use. The channels are in the 864 Mhz to 868 Mhz range, which is a step above the current Cellular frequencies (810 Mhz to 830 Mhz). 3) The phone sends out its owners billing information and authorization code etc. 4) The PhonePoint checks the users billing info and ID code with a central computer, and if everything matches up, you get a dialtone. :::: THE ABUSE :::: The process of scanning and locking onto the first available frequency is called FDMA ( frequency division multiple access ), British Telecom claims this " avoids the cross-talk interference " common in most cellular phones currently. The PhonePoint/CT2 system is to be deployed sometime within the next 2 years, for an approximate price of $275 per phone & access fees. At this time, it makes me wonder if they will encrypt the data going back & forth. If not, they could have major abuse to the system, just think what a person with a portable scanner could do? All he'd have to do is scan the 860 Mhz range and listen to peoples billing info and/or conversations, the information gathering possibilities are unlimited. :::: Information by Professor Falken / Phortune 500 / 612 :::: ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ VIRUS OUTBREAKS SPUR TSR (i.w. 6\9) CONGRESS TO COMBAT THREAT: Concerned by press reports and stung by its own outbreak, The U.S. Congress has begun talking about ways to combat computer viruses. FBI Director William Sessions warned last week that no current statutes specifically address viruses, particularly those where damage is limited to lost time instead of data and where the virus maker's motive is unclear. "Viruses are easy to create and propagate, require little expertise, and may by nearly impossible to prevent or detect," Sessions told the Senate on Technology and the Law. Sessions said the FBI is developing behavior profiles of computer hackers in an effort to combat viruses but noted that the FBI has only conducted two criminal investigations of viruses so far. [ TS here -- Only two cases? Damn, I thought the FBI was a little more informed about viruses than that! One almost pulls down an entire network, yet, no one on their staff can understand one completely. So, all you virus spreadors better get hopping before the law strikes back. ] Bill introduced is called the Computer Virus Eradication Act of 1989. By Wally Herger of Calif. The reason, according to Herger's press secretary Mahan, is three different House offices were infected by a virus through a computer bulletin board network shortly before an earlier version of Herger's bill was introduced in May 1988. If viruses persist, "out networks could be consumed by mutual suspicion," testified Clifford Stoll, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. "Networks could become so bureaucratic no one could use them anymore," he said. "Cleaning up after viruses may be cheaper than preventing them." Stoll helped track down a West German hacker who broke into various unclassified military computer in this country. "Catching this spy took over a year of full-time effort," he said. "While he was reaching into out computer, I lost a year of astronomy research. Much worse, a thief was stealing information from out nation's computers." [ What, was he required to track this guy down for an entire year? I really feel sorry for him. He could have just asked some local BBS kids -- he would have gotten further, quicker. -TS ] ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ HOW TO BECOME A SYNDICATE REPORT TSR (tsr 6\13) SUPPORT BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM: At the end of each TSR Information Transmittal, you'll see a message something like... "TSR will accept additional sponsor/support Systems. If you have a certain interest in the Report, and wish to provide support to TSR -- Leave your BBS number -- and any other information on RADIO WAVES Bulletin Board Systems." Many users/sysops, after reading TSRs, ask, "How can I (or whomever) become a TSR Support BBS"? Well, knowing that not everyone reads every bit of data in a magazine, I'll write about in now. This article has a heading at the beginning of TSR and some substantial space, so people should understand now. Number one, if you like The Syndicate Report, you're already half way to having a TSR support system. When I look over possible TSR support BBSs, I look for what interests me in the BBS. It should favor certain hobbyists such as: hackers, phreaks, pirates, thrashers, etc. If you don't you might as well forget it -- since I probably won't call the system anyway to upload it regularly, nor anyone else. But, if you have those qualities with a good piece of software/hardware, then just leave your phone number and BBS name, and any login/new user info to me in feedback/mail on Radio Waves 612-471-0060. I'll reply back to you within a few days, no longer than a week. In that time, I'll probably be checking out your system. Most of the systems that do support TSR are ones that I've been calling for a while, and I've picked. What I usually require a BBS to have, is a transfer area dedicated to The Syndicate Report for easy up/downloading. Also, if there is an intense demand, a sub-board may erect. Usually sub-boards only appear on highly active hack orientated systems. So, if you wish to become a TSR support BBS, get a hold on me and leave any BBS information. Thank you for your support. ;The Sensei / TSR ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ CREDIT CARD FRAUD; OLD TECHNIQUES STILL WORK: TSR (strs 6\13) Credit card fraud is doing very nicely, thank you. And, in some degree, that is a result of poor retail procedures and policies, says Limited Credit Services, Inc. and U.S. Secret Service agent Perry. One of the most serious internal fraud problems retailers are facing has not abated over the last several years. Or, as the SS puts it: "The Nigerians are still alive an well. I hate to keep beating up on them, but they're responsible, probably, for about 50% of everybody's fraud." The Assoc. of Credit Card Investigators' latest bulletin states: 'There are now an estimated 30k to 50k Nigerians in the U.S. and an estimated 75% to 90% of this group participates in fraudulent activity.' " The security asserts: "It is amazing they have changed their techniques very little and are still able to get away with it." They're getting away with it to a large extent by going into establishments as employees. Especially in the personnel departments -- that's where they want to work. They can get access to the information and they're off to the races. Employers assume they put these people into entry level jobs and they're not going to do anything. But they want entry level, low profile jobs, like a factory environment, almost. And a lot of credit card operations are like factory environments. One they're in, keying in payments, for example, they have the customer's back account number, where the checks are drawn. Most of the time there's a statement header that says what the person's credit line is, what the balance is. [ More Credit Card Technique Information in TSR #24. ] :::: Information by Credit Card Carny / 407 :::: ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ::::::::::::::::::::::: SYNDICATE REPORT BRIEF NOTES ::::::::::::::::::::::: // Pizza Hut Uses Central Number // Telecommunications advances are helping Pizza Hut deliver pizzas faster. National Telecom's Automatic Call Distributor allows several shops in an area use a single number. Incoming calls are automatically routed to the shop nearest the caller's location. The system also features management information capability, helping store managers monitor service. If you have more information on this technology, dial Radio Waves now. _____________________________________________________________ // One in 10 to use fiber by 2001 // Telecommunications industry experts estimate that 10 percent of all American homes will be connected by fiber optics in the year 2001. A University of Southern California survey reported in Communications Week's current issue predicted 10 million Americans work from their homes in 2001 and would need the communications capability offered by fiber optics. :::: Information Provided by Celtic Phrost / 713 :::: _____________________________________________________________ // UK Law fails to snare Hackers // United Kingdom companies have no laws to protect them from unauthorized access to computer files. Existing laws refer to fraudulent tampering with programs. Proposals for new legislation from the Scottish and English Law Commissions are not expected to change the situation in the next two years. Two communications tappers who broke into the Duke of Edinburgh's mailbox on British Telecom's Prestel service have been fined 1,350 pounds sterling for electronic forgery. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ TSR will accept additional sponsor/support Systems. If you have a certain interest in the Report, and wish to provide support to TSR -- Leave your BBS number -- and any other information on RADIO WAVES Bulletin Board Systems. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ The Black Market :: 408-741-5443 ----------- Lanatic Labs :: 415-278-7421 Login: Zeppelin New User: Bong P/H System Tiamat's Temple :: 612-731-0296 ----------- Hysteria Prl :: 612-557-2811 P/H-Files Unix!Proline System RADIO WAVES System :: 612-471-0060 - Syndicate Report Support BBS - ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ This concludes this Transmittal No. 23 (Part 2 of 2) Released June 13th, 1989 by The Sensei Editor of The Syndicate Report ___________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________