The Hacker Crackdown

[Astromarine]

This is NOT a technical book. This is a book that describes the history of the great beginnings of the cracker/phreaker movement, and what happened when the government tried to shut it down. It describes LoD, the early BBS scene, the FBI crackdowns, and spends equal time describing all protagonists of that event. Both the crackers themselves and the police officers that busted them.

PLEASE read this if you are interested in hacking, even if it is just out of curiosity. This will give you a good insight on the technical skills of real hackers, and prevent you from making a fool of yourself when discussing the subject in game forums. God knows you do NOT want to come here and "reveal" that The Mentor is actually Kevin Mitnick (just to give a totally hipothetic dumbass thing anyone less informed could say)

Link:   http://www.lysator.liu.se/etexts/hacker/

the book is freeware, so please just go read it.

Astro

[Code Black]

I've never understood that.

What is the big thing around computer crime that makes it OK?

Maybe its just the criminal mindset...

[Astromarine]

Absolutely nothing. It is a crime, as in illegal, so should not be done. But before the events described in this book, it was not a crime. These kids did not start out breaking *laws*, only company policies.
Plus the book is impartial, not biased. It is written by a journalist, after interviews conducted with hackers and cops and FBI agents. Read it, if only to answer some of your questions

[Death]

Or you could just read Phrack and save yourself a few bucks.

Or you could really save some time and energy and just not care.

It's not like you need to know this shit.

[RoystonD12]

Well, there was a certain stigma surround the old-skool hackers (neuromancers, natch) whereby if a hacker set out to hack and gain access for the sole purpose to get past security and find holes etc, then it is OK.

Basically, when hacking wasn't specifically illegal (80's) there was a large society of hackers, not unlike today, the most well known being guys like pengo, and later, mitnik.

Anyhoo, the whole point of this post (if there is one) is that there are still hakka peeps out there who do it solely to test their skills, with no malicious intent. These people often get jobs at corperates to help security

The whole hacking issue really came into light when a group of 4 hackers broke into Prince Charle's mailbox in the mid to late eighties, in which Steve Gold was caught. Without saying too much, I know one of the uncaught hackers from that little stint (which was done purely to see if it was done) and HE is (well, was) a true hacker.

Anyway, peace out...

[xamm]

I ve been reading i recently but its kinda boring. This is better
http://www.liamh.supanet.com/Texts/approaching_zero.txt

[Astromarine]

the book is free

phrack is the perspective from one of the sides (hackers) NOT impartial, I'm afraid. Hell, it's editor was one of the arrested people

you don't NEED to know anything to live. Just work at a gas station and eat at McDs. I posted it here because I thought it would be *interesting*.

Astro

[RoystonD12]

Bloody hell, I just realised how lame that post reads. I apologise.

[Death]

Heh, I didn't read that part.  Oh well.

I had some more to say, but I'm not going to.

[Code Black]

Mitnick was put away for stealing money and doing CC fraud.

He should be shot. End of story.

[ender]

people hack because they can...
if u wanna stop it then either blow up the earth or destroy all computer systems on it