Info-ParaNet Letters Volume 1 Issue 40 Subjects - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f1.n304.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Joe.Holland Subject: Computer penetration Date: 13 Sep 89 11:08:07 GMT In a recent program on public Television about US Government intelligence, a device was described that the intelligence agencies are presumed to have, which enables them to sit at a keyboard and tap any phone in the US. This was mentioned while describing the degree of cooperation that had been attained between Government intelligence and the communications cable companies. Such a possibility was also revealed in an article in the National Examiner Mar 28 89, page 27, about a love-crazed fan of Christy McNichol named Kevin Mitnick, a hacker who is now in jail for computer crimes. He was able to penetrate the system and cut off her phone conversations, as a means of getting even with her for paying no attention to him. Included was a quote from Pacific Bell spokesman Phil Torres: "Our security is so sophisticated it matches the one used by the military. I'm amazed that Mitnick was able to break through and cut off Kristy McNichol's line without being detected. But the fact is, he sailed through our system quite brilliantly". With such technology, all you would have to do to penetrate Nexus would be to tap the line and record everything going in and out. This would automatically include the password of all users who called in. This would enable reading private messages. However, without further sophistication, your messages would be now be marked received, before you had received them, if an interloper read them before you did, by using your password. If he read them after you did, there would be nothing you would notice. I have not yet come accross this condition in the private message area. But I have found messages marked received before I had read them, in the public area. I attribute this to a minor malfuction, since there is no problem reading the public messages, that is, no need for tricks. This has not happened in recent weeks, it was before that. But when I saw that happening a few times, I was alerted to this possibility. If the tap were continuous, there would be no need to use someones password, because everything in the message areas would be on record already. But the use of passwords could be more convenient than a continuous tap. Now you know why I tend to delete my private messages when they have been received. That is why I said ordinary low-grade paranoia, nothing serious. P.S. I thought that BBS in Phoenix was something like UAZ, but its not important enough to stop and check now. -- Joe Holland - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!304!1!Joe.Holland INTERNET: Joe.Holland@f1.n304.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f1.n304.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Joe.Holland Subject: Darkside BBS Date: 13 Sep 89 20:35:39 GMT Oh here it is, in Tucson: Welcome to UA Today Node #1: The University of Arizona Alumni Association's Electronic Magazine. Data: (602) 621-5669 300-9600 baud 24 hrs I came accross it while tracing the Darkside BBS, which I did not find. Supposedly Darkside has autopsy information, and supposedly it is in St. Louis. It is not on the 8/15/89 Fido list for St.Louis. Does anyone have the number of 300/4 in Tucson? That is where the Darkside info came from. My Fido list is not up to date for Tucson. -- Joe Holland - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!304!1!Joe.Holland INTERNET: Joe.Holland@f1.n304.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f1.n304.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Linda.Murphy Subject: Darkside BBS Date: 14 Sep 89 01:45:56 GMT > is in St. Louis. It is not on the 8/15/89 Fido list for St.Louis. > Does anyone have the number of 300/4 in Tucson? That is where the > Darkside info came from. My Fido list is not up to date for Tucson. Ellen's BBS # is 1-602-622-7441. She has somehow taken charge of the Rosicrucian echo.... (this BBS) or access the NEXUS I board and leave her a message in the Regional Chat. I don't think, however, that the DarkSide info is any different then the Autopsy reports that Mr. Ken Willoughby has been posting. Looking over the Seen By's originating off of Ellen's board, they do not look like Fidonet -- As far as UA -- he's in my sysop echo, so I am sure the others will thank you for taking the time to post the info. -- Linda -- Linda Murphy - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!304!1!Linda.Murphy INTERNET: Linda.Murphy@f1.n304.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f110.n108.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Doug.Rogers Subject: Re: I left a hello Date: 12 Sep 89 06:07:27 GMT Dale, I'm sorry you were offended by the lack of hello's here. I'd like to think that rather than a lack of friendliness, this indicates the desire of most users to help us contain loing distance costs by not entering superfulous messages. As to the idea, based on the lack of hellos, that we are a bunch of blind believers, I fail to see the jump of logic. I hope you'll hang around and comment on what you see here, rather than being offended and just going away. We need all the rational minds we can muster if we are going to make anything of this field of study. Good to have you on board. -- Doug Rogers - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!108!110!Doug.Rogers INTERNET: Doug.Rogers@f110.n108.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: taos!uucp Subject: Re: Info-Paranet Newsletter Date: 14 Sep 89 18:28:24 GMT >From: koreth@panarthea.EBay.Sun.COM (Steven Grimm) >and there >is evidence that for every device created to protect something, anticipated >"breaking and entering" method is then thought out, and instilled as part of >the "security" feature. As someone who's done some computer security software, I can toss this one right out the door. Every time you discover a hole in your system, you plug it up. Anyone who intentionally left holes in their security systems would be out of business in short order, and probably in prison if they were doing military systems. Yes, you do spend time trying to break into your own systems, but only so you'll know where they need to be fixed. Of course, this doesn't mean there aren't zillions of undiscovered (or at least undocumented) holes in most computer programs, but in almost all cases they're not intentional. --- This message is a figment of your imagination. Any opinions are yours. Steven Grimm Moderator, comp.{sources,binaries}.atari.st sgrimm@sun.com ...!sun!sgrimm (or koreth%panarthea.ebay@sun.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Marc.Dantonio Subject: Hi Date: 15 Sep 89 16:43:00 GMT Luigi Are you sure your last name isnt MartinO with a first name like that?? (its my middle name!). Anyway, Hi back to you. With your degree in physics you might wish to examine how alien craft appear to movew3 with respect to observers. You may also be interested in hunting down a paper I have not applied myself in finding and that is the one that deals with a PHYSICS explanation of how UFOs can do the strange aerial maneuvers that are reported. It is a paper I heard about that basically expounds on "new" theoretical research. My degrees are in astronomy and computer science with minors in physics so we are close on background. Talk to you again. Marc -- Marc Dantonio - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!Marc.Dantonio INTERNET: Marc.Dantonio@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Marc.Dantonio Subject: Re: Info-paranet Newsletter Date: 15 Sep 89 16:53:00 GMT Sorry to disagree Steve, but as far as the holes being plugged, Im afraid I have many examples of holes NEVER plugged. consider the Internet Worm for instance, which made use of an unplugged hole in the Unix system. (bIt WAS a hole). That particular "back door" was well known right? You are on Unix now it appears. My job title besides a developer for a regression test tool that is fairly popular ri{ght now, is Virus Counter-terrorist for a leading insurance company. I only say that to point out a little background so that it is clear I have SOME knowledge. The only thing actually that you said that I take issue with is that all holes are plugged or else a company is out of business in short order. My company has so many back doors and ho{les that it is unsettling at the potential threat, since in the real world, emphasis is placed on getting software ON-LINE first and TESTED later and debugged later. True right? So, it turns out in the real world to me anyway that once a system is on-line, the best laid plans are drawn up for completing the work, but alas it never seems to get done. This happens a lot in the normal day to day industry we find here and elsewhere. If it did not, then viruses and infections would never have stood a chance of infecting operating systems. -- Marc Dantonio - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!Marc.Dantonio INTERNET: Marc.Dantonio@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Chris.Lightner Subject: 1947 UFO Crash Date: 15 Sep 89 18:25:00 GMT Program listing - Unsolved Mysteries, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 8:00pm, NBC - "Did a UFO crash in New Mexico in 1947? A report on the alleged coverup of a UFO crash-landing opens the series second season." -- Chris Lightner - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: ...!scicom!Chris.Lightner INTERNET: Chris.Lightner@paranet.FIDONET.ORG ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INFO-PARANET NEWSLETTER ADMIN paranet-request@scicom.alphacdc.com ARTICLE SUBMISSION infopara@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM