Terminal Compromise by Winn Schwartau (my reading book .txt) 📖

While there was somewhat of a language barrier

when they spoke, the computer language was a common denominator,

and they all spoke that fluently. It broke down communications

errors. Either it was in the code, or it wasn’t.

Miles knew this designer only as Claude. Claude’s virus was

small, less than 2K, or 2000 characters, but quite deadly. Miles

went over it and saw what it was designed to do. Ooh, clever,

thought Miles. As many viruses do, this one attached itself to

the Command.Com file of the DOS Operating System. Rather than

wait for a specific future date, the next time the computer was

booted, or turned on, Claude’s virus in the O/S would play havoc

with the chips that permit a printer to be connected to the

computer. In a matter of seconds, with no pre-warning, the user

would hear a small fizzle, and smell the recognizable odor of

electronic burn. During the time the user poked his nose around

the computer, to see if the smell was real or imaginary, the

virus would destroy the contents of the hard disk.

According to Claude, whose English was better than most French-

men, there was a psychological advantage to this type of double-

duty virus. The victim would realize that his computer needed

repair and take it be fixed at his local computer shop. But,

alas! Upon its return, the owner would find his hard disk trashed

and attempt to blame the repairman. Deviously clever. Of course

this type of virus would be discovered before too long. After a

few thousand computers had their printer port blown up, word

would get around and the virus would be identified. But, mean-

while, oh what fun.

As Miles prepared to send Claude’s latest and greatest to another

of his staff for analysis and debugging, the computer dedicated

to speaking to Homosoto beeped at him. He glanced over at Nip-

Com. He labeled all his computers with abbreviations. In this

case, Nippon Communications seemed appropriate.

<<<<<>>>>>

MR. FOSTER

Miles scooted his chair over to NipCom and entered his PRG re-

sponse..

Here Boss-san. What’s up

YOU TELL ME.

Huh?

I READ THE PAPERS. AGAIN YOU MOVE PRECIPITOUSLY.

What are you talking about?

FIRST STATE BANK. YOUR INFECTORS ARE WITHOUT DISCIPLINE

I still don’t know what you mean

THE PAPERS HAVE SAID THAT FIRST STATE BANK WAS INVADED BY HACKERS

AND THEIR STOCK DROPPED VERY MUCH. IT IS STILL NOT TIME.

Oh, that. Good bit of work.

NO SO MR FOSTER. I AM NOT PLEASED WITH YOU

Me, why? I didn’t have anything to do with it

EXPLAIN

Nothing to explain. My group doesn’t do that, and even if they

did, so what.

WHAT ABOUT THE VIRUSES? I READ EVERY DAY OF NEW COMPUTER VIRUS.

THEY MUST BE STOPPED.

Why? It’s all in good fun. Let ‘em release them all they want.

THEY WILL HURT OUR PLANS

Bull. If anything, they help us.

HOW IS THAT?

Getting folks good and nervous. They’re beginning to wonder who

they can trust. It sure as hell won’t be the government.

BUT IT IS IN THE PAPERS.

So?

THE BANKS WILL PROTECT THEMSELVES. THEY WILL SEEN WHAT THE

HACKERS DO AND MAKE OUR JOB MORE DIFFICULT.

Not a chance. Listen, there are hundreds, maybe thousands or

more of small time hackers who poke around computers all the

time. Sometimes they do some damage, but most of the time they

are in it for the thrill. The challenge. They are loosely

organized at best. Maybe a few students at a university, or high

school who fancy themselves computer criminals. Most of them

wouldn’t know what to do with the information if they took it.

The only reason this one hit the papers is because First is under

investigation anyway, some fraud stuff. Literally thousands of

computers are attacked every day, yet those don’t appear in the

paper or TV. It’s kind of like rape. Companies don’t want to

admit they’ve been violated. And since damage has been limited,

at least as far as the scale upon which we function, it’s a non-

issue. I DO NOT SEE IT THAT WAY.

Well, that’s the way it is. There are maybe a half dozen well

coordinated hacking groups who care to cause damage. The rest of

them, ignore them. They’re harmless.

I WISH I BELIEVED THAT

There’s not much we can do about it.

WHY NOT STOP THEM

We can’t. Look at our plans. We have hundreds of people who

have a single purpose. We operate as a single entity. The hack-

ers are only a small thorn. Industry can’t do much about them,

so they ignore them. It is better that we ignore them, too.

FIND THEM

Who?

THE FIRST BANK ATTACKERS

Why?

I WANT THEM STOPPED

I told you, you can’t do that. It’s impossible. Call the Arab.

LOOK AT US, MR FOSTER. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

What do you want me to do with them?

TELL ME WHO THEY ARE. I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.

I’ll see what I can do.

DO IT.

<<<<<>>>>>

Fuck, thought Miles. Sometimes Homosoto can be such an asshole.

He doesn’t really understand this business. I wonder how he got

into it in the first place.

He remembered that he had to get Claude’s virus properly analyzed

and tested, so he sent it off to an American programmer who would

perform a sanity-check on it. If all went well he would then

send it out for distribution into America’s computers through his

BBS system set up just for that purpose.

With Diet Coke and Benson and Hedges Ultra Lights in hand he

figured he might as well have someone look into Homosoto’s para-

noia. With some luck they could get a lead on this anonymous

hacker and maybe Homosoto would leave him alone for a few hours.

The constant interruptions and micro-management was a perpetual

pain in the ass.

Miles moved over to his BBS computer and told ProCom to dial 1-

602-555-3490. That was the phone number of the Freedom BBS,

established by Miles and several recruits that Alex had so ably

located. It was mid morning Arizona time. Revere should be

there.

<<<<<>>>>> Welcome to the Freedom BBS Owned and Operated by the Information Freedom League (Non-profit) Are You a Member of the IFL? Y ID: XXXXXXXXX PASSWORD: XXXXXXXX Pause . . . WELCOME TO THE FREEDOM BBS, MF. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FREEDOM FLASH!!!!!!!!! Another hacker has been convicted of a computer crime and has been sentenced to 1 Year in jail, a fine of $25,000 and 2000 hours of community service! His crime? Larry Johnson, a respected hacker from Milwau- kee, WI, was a founding member of the 401 Group over 10 years ago. Since then he has been hacking systems success- fully and was caught after he added $10,000 to his bank account. GOOD FOR THE SECRET SERVICE! Congratulations Guys! The IFL believes in a free exchange of information for all those who wish to be willing participants. We whole-heart- edly condemn all computer activities that violate the law and code of computer ethics. All members of IFL are expect- ed to heed all current computer legislation and use comput- ers exclusively for the betterment of mankind. Any IFL member found to be using computers in any illegal fashion or for any illegal purpose will be reported to the Computer Crime Division of the Secret Service in Washington, D.C. Remember, hacking is a crime!

A little thick, thought Miles, but effective. And a stroke of

genius. He patted himself ion the back every time he saw how

effective Freedom, his computer warfare distribution system was.

DO YOU WANT THE MAIN MENU? No DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO REVERE? Y LET ME SEE IF HE IS HERE, OR IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE A MESSAGE. ONE MOMENT PLEASE. . . THE SYSOP IS WAITING. PLEASE ENTER YOUR PIN: XXXX-XXXX Pause . . .

MF? IS THAT YOU?

Betch’ure ass. Revere? How’s trix?

SAME OL’ SAME OL’. YOU?

Trying to make a profit. Hey, we gotta talk.

OUT LOUD?

No whisper.

OK. LET ME SET IT.

<> Pause . . . <> Pause . . . <>

MF?

Still here.

GOOD. SURPRISES THE SHIT OUT OF ME EVERY TIME THIS WORKS.

Me too.

WHAT CAN I DO?