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File: IS THERE COMPUTER CRIME?
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IS THERE COMPUTER CRIME, AND WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
{complete with obligatory Donn B. Parker quotes}
Have you ever received one of those computer generated letters with your name
and address in various parts? Well, in these times you should know that
computers are starting to mold our thinking to computers. It used to be "I
forgot to turn the TV off" , but instead now it's "I forgot to turn the
computer off". Homes are now being literally invaded by computers. But what
happens when people realize that you can use computers for things that are
illegal? The results are sometimes very unpredictable. The name is Computer
Crime.
Just what is meant by Computer Crime? Donn B. Parker of SRI in Menlo Park,
CA., as a Computer Security Expert,says that Computer Crime is a very broad
subject. When you think about it, there are many facets that people do not
think about. As a computer security expert his job is to make sure that
information does not go to people that don't deserve it, who are known as phone
or computer phreaks. This is something that he enjoys, and he tries to thwart
the efforts of the phreaks. Sometimes he thinks it's getting out of hand. In
conclusion Mr. Parker states that you can define a computer Criminal as any
person owning the equipment to be able to commit a computer crime, and the
crime being anything not due or normal to you gained by computer. Thomas
Whiteside, another authority on Computer Crime,comments that people tend to
generalize computer crime. Visions of "Master Control" programs written to
take over the world, or put millions into Swiss bank accounts, run through
their head. This is very wrong. It's mainly kids from 12 to 24 years old that
commit these "Crimes". Of course that is just a general group. There are some
that are as young as 10 and some as old as 80! Most of them aren't out to hurt
anyone. They just want to have some fun. Mr. Whiteside also says that a very
simple definition of computer crime is when you use a computer for either
personal or other gains while you are breaking the law. The public, when asked
generally, defines it as just using a computer to steal money or plans to
H-Bombs, or something like that. This is what the media generally leads them
to believe. Computer Crime is something that provides an intellectual
challenge. It is a form of breaking and entering where you don't even have to
leave your chair, and the penalties are very high. The legal definition is a
long one, but the main point of it is using a computer to get into information
that is not supposed to be seen by you. They also have some names that they
give certain offenses. Conversion is when you use someone elses password or
code.
In interviews with four well known computer criminals, you can see their
thoughts and their side to the story. Susan Thunder (Not her real name) is a
native Californian, and the first person I spoke to. She is 24, and talks just
like a regular "Valley Girl". Susan got into phreaking when she was dating a
guy who had a computer and was into it too. She learned so much that she
eventually passed the guy in the amount of knowledge. She met with 2 others
that had the same dream as all other phreaks. They were going to fool the
computers at Southern Pacific Telephone to stop working for 24 hours on a
specific date. The job was interrupted by the police. Susan said that, "What
I do is an art. Some people paint, I 'phreak'. It's fun and I like it. I
would never stop, even when I get caught...Again." As it seems, just as any age
group can do it, so can any IQ. "I have the same IQ as you, Tuc , Upper 2%.
Most of the phreaks are. We have the ability to join Mensa, but stuffed shirts
don't suit us. Right?", she stated. And it's true, alot of the good ones are
in the upper 2%, but then again, alot aren't. She, too, realizes that the
press always is harsh on us. "Tuc , you read that article on me, right? The
media blows us way out of proportion. They said I was a call girl and that I
'loved' the information out of people. You know that that isn't true." And I
know it isn't. Susan had one last thing to say and it was about the
government. "The government is so stupid. They make it so easy. A little
work and any computer is under your control. It's just totally awesome how
stupid they are".
The next person that I interviewed was Milo Phonbil (My Low Phone Bill. Of
course it's not a real name.) Milo is a New Yorker and is known to be going to
Pace University. He is a senior there. Milo states that he got into it for a
few reasons. The most important one is the fact that he is in college and that
the money situation is tight. Doing what he does allows him to save alot of
money. His parents like it too. Since he is popular and must talk to people
all over the country, like to Susan, a 45 minute call to her at night in
California is free! He just goes in and changes the computer to tell it that
the call never happened. And the phone company doesn't even figure it out.
They should know better than that! How can someone constantly be on the
telephone and only pay $25 a month! Milo argues that what he does is very
respectable. They are not really outlaws, and they do a service by pointing
out the weakness in computers to the owners. Milo concludes that the comradery
is fantastic. The 'ol saying, "Ask and you shall receive", is very true. Just
ask for information, and you get it!
Tom Tone is another New Yorker that I talked to. Tom is a little more
cautious about his cover, and therefore there is not that much information on
him. In fact, I was to call at a phone booth. Tom is out for revenge on the
phone company it seems. He especially hates "Ma Bell" because of the prices of
phone calls. "We try to do it so it becomes a little cheaper. I see nothing
wrong with that." Tom says that all the stuff with computers keeps him home.
He could be out stealing cars or smoking dope, but he stays home and uses the
computer. Tom is one of the few that is into all aspects of computers. I
later learned that he was talking to me through a voice mixer. It sounded like
a normal voice.
The last person I talked to was a fellow that goes by the name of J.D.
Jenero. When asked about his age , he replied "I'm older than 1, and younger
than G-d. (Not that much though)". J.D. said he didn't really start out to
do any of the computer phreaking. "I really didn't mean to get into it. It
was really forced on me. I owned a legal SPRINT account, but the bill was
still too high. Fortunately some of the bigger phreaks pushed me into it, and
I haven't stopped since!" J.D., too, admits that phreaks must stick together.
"There is a close bond between phreaks. The amazing thing is that there are
alot of female phreaks. The guys don't mind, and the girls usually have alot
of people wanting to talk to them. Some have even gotten married to other
phreaks". Lastly J.D. admits that everyone sooner or later comes down with
the "I'm God, and the best" theory. "It's amazing. Everyone has an ego, and
once it's shattered you might as well hang it up. Everyone thinks that they
are the best, but you've got to admit that to survive you gotta be good. Thats
why I survive." During my interviews I, too, learned alot about the people.
They are sometimes a wierd group, but they are smart. They really don't want
to hurt anyone, just have fun and be able to say ;"I can get into places others
can't."
The equipment used in Computer Crime is generally quite inexpensive. The
cheapest price that you can get started with is about $270 for a VIC-20 by
Commodore and a VICMODEM. The ATARI 800 can be bought for a little over
$500.00. Now they even make hand-held portable units for $450.00. That means
that no matter where you are you can use it and do what you need to. And how
available is this equipment? Well, as you can probably tell by the names of
the companies making it, almost anywhere! Child World or Toys 'R' Us is a good
place, and they do have the best prices. And the ease of learning is
incredible. Once a person calls a place that has the information, they usually
can learn to use it very quickly. One person I know bought his computer on a
Friday, and 2 weeks later he was into a NASA computer! The resources to get
the information are also varied. There are people that set up their computer
to let people call them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I tested one of these
systems and was able to get 35 Sprint codes, 10 MCI codes, eight 800 numbers
that let me dial anywhere TOTALLY free, and 2 computers that I could access.
All this information was seen in a 15 minute phone call! There are even
published books on phone numbers and places to call. One of the most famous is
TAP. It originates out of New York, and is published whenever someone is out
of jail and not hunted. There are even large clubs that show its members how
to use the computers illegally. They even hold forums to show anyone that
comes how to break into the latest computer, etc. The methods that are mainly
used are easy once a person thinks about them. One of the easiest methods to
use is the slicing method. This is where you take the odd cents off interest
accounts, and have it put into the last account. (Zywana was a sample given.)
Then you can take it out a little at a time by just writing checks, or getting
the computer to send checks. The internal method is a tricky one. The object
here is to be part of the company that has the information that you want. Then
you can get it easily. There are some people that all they do is try to get
jobs in those companies, find the information, and quit. The "Friendly" method
is so named where you get friendly with someone that has all the information
and get it from them. (Some of the females have been known to do this).
Lastly, the results of various computer crimes are varied. In a study made by
Donn B. Parker, our computer security expert at SRI, he states that the
average "take" was $430,000. Not bad for 1 day, huh? If one report is to be
believed, even a relentlessly optimistic an orginization as the Girl Scouts
aren't immune to resentment in the computer room. A disgruntled employee at
the Girl Scout Headquarters in NY expressed her feelings by erasing the
information on 7 reels of tape in the room. Betcha she felt good about it!
TRW is also one of the most tampered with services. Every day hundreds of
people break into the system. Some later start phony accounts and increase
their credit ratings. This can entitle them to things that regularly wouldn't
have been. In the department of getting caught, it is usually done in the
middle of the night. A knock on the front door by the FBI (Yes, alot of the
offenses can be considered federal crimes), is enough to scare anyone. Of the
people I interviewed, only Susan had such an experience. You always know there
is the risk, but it becomes ever so sharp when it happens to you. And when you
are caught, you don't just spend a night in jail. Most of the time it is quite
a few years in a State Penitentiary. Some friends of Susan's are doing 15-20
years and Milo knows a guy doing 5. The stakes are high when you get caught to
say the least.
So, as you can see, there are alot of good and bad points to computer Crime.
You have heard testimonies from both sides of the fence. I feel that computers
are not taking over the world. I think that they are making it a better place
to live. If it wasn't for some computers there wouldn't be alot of things we
take for granted. Even things we don't think are computers are. Pacemakers
can be considered computers. They must calculate heart beats and control them.
As for computer security, nothing is ever secure. If the government has
something to hide, then the entire population has something to fear. Now the
world will truly think that there is a problem with the new movie WAR GAMES,
where a student gets into a government computer and thinks he's playing a game.
But, unbeknown to him, he is in the actual defense computer. The results,
disasterous!
[Courtesy of Sherwood Forest ][ -- (914) 359-1517]
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