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===================================
Computer Civil Liberties Conference
===================================
First Announcement of
THE SECOND CONFERENCE ON COMPUTERS, FREEDOM, AND PRIVACY
L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington DC March 18-20, 1992
(A longer, complete, electronic version of this announcement is available
by sending a request with any title and any message to cfp2-info@eff.org.)
(The printed announcement (brochure) is available -- see end of this notice.)
The rush of computers into our workplaces, homes, and institutions is
drastically altering how we work and live, how we buy and sell, and with whom
we communicate. Computers are obliterating traditional political and
organizational boundaries, making time zones irrelevant, and bridging diverse
cultures. They are fundamentally changing our culture, values, laws,
traditions, and identities.
The turmoil of the changes calls into question many old assumptions about
privacy, freedom of speech, search and seizure, access to personal and
governmental information, professional responsibilities, ethics,
criminality, law enforcement, and more. The only way to sort out these
issues and arrive at a consensus for action is to acknowledge that we don't
know the answers -- and then, with reason and good will, to find the
answers through discussion and education. That's why the Conference on
Computers, Freedom, and Privacy was founded in 1991.
The Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference is unique. It has no
"agenda for change". It seeks only to bring together people from all the
major communities and interest groups that have a stake in the new world being
shaped by information technology, so that they may share their ideas, ideals,
concerns and experiences.
At the first conference, hundreds of people from the fields of law,
computer science, law enforcement, business, public policy, government,
education, research, marketing, information providing, advocacy and a host of
others met for several days. It was the first time such a diverse group had
ever assembled, and the exchange of ideas and points of view was electric.
The conference is "single-track" -- all participants attend all the
sessions. A morning of tutorials at the beginning of the conference will help
participants get up to speed in specific "hot" areas. The conference sessions
themselves take up timely and, at times, thorny issues. Each session aims for
a balance of perspectives in order to assist diverse groups appreciate the
views of others. A brief examination of the long list of sponsoring and
supporting organizations will reveal that this respect for diverse outlooks is
built into the conference from the ground up.
The question is no longer whether information technologies will change
our world. They are, now. The real question is how we, as citizens and
professionals, will respond to and manage that change. Those at the Second
Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy will lead the way.
Sponsors: Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Groups on
Computers and Society, Communications, Security, Audit, and Control
Host: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The George Washington University
Patrons: Bell Atlantic Computer Security Institute
Department of Energy* Dunn & Bradstreet
Equifax Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
John Gilmore Mitchell Kapor
National Institutes of Health* National Science Foundation*
*applied for
Co-sponsors and cooperating organizations:
American Civil Liberties Union
Association for Computing Machinery
Special Interest Group on Software Engineering
Association of Research Libraries
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Federal Library and Information Center Committee
First Amendment Congress
Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA
Committee on Communications and Information Policy
Library and Information Technology Association
Privacy International
U. S. Privacy Council
The WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link)
STEERING COMMITTEE
Lance J. Hoffman (General Chair), The George Washington University
Michael F. Brewer, Dun and Bradstreet
Paul Clark (chair, Operations Committee), Trusted Information Systems
Dorothy Denning (chair, Tutorials Committee), Georgetown University
Peter Denning (chair, Program Committee), George Mason University
David Farber, University of Pennsylvania
Craig Feied, The George Washington University Medical Center
Mike Gibbons, FBI
Mitchell Kapor, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Jane Kirtley, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Lu Kleppinger (chair, Finance Committee), The George Washington University
C. Dianne Martin, The George Washington University
John McMullen (chair, Scholarship Committee), McMullen & McMullen, Inc.
Lynn McNulty, NIST
Ronald Plesser, Piper and Marbury
Molly Raphael, D.C. Public Library
Mark Rotenberg, CPSR Washington Office
James Sylvester, Bell Atlantic
Jim Warren, Autodesk and MicroTimes
Fred Weingarten, Computing Research Association
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1992
PRE-CONFERENCE TUTORIALS
Group A: 9:00 a.m.
Making Information Law and Policy
Jane Bortnick, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
Information policy is made (or not made) by a bewildering array of
government officials and agencies. This tutorial gives a road map through
this maze of laws, regulations, practices, etc.
Getting on the Net
Mitchell Kapor, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Practical issues of access to the Internet for the nontechnical end-user,
including basic services (email, USENET, ftp), PC and Mac-based network
applications, and net-speak.
Communications and Network Evolution
Sergio Heker, JVNCNet
The underlying technical infrastructure for the Internet, for persons not
deeply immersed in the technology. Possible future technologies and
projects, and what privacy and freedom problems they may bring.
Private Sector Privacy
Jeff Smith, Georgetown University
An introduction to laws, rules, and practices regarding personal
information gathered and stored by private organizations such as direct
marketers, hospitals, etc.
Group B: 10:30 a.m.
Constitutional Law for Nonlawyers
Harvey Silverglate, Silverglate & Good
An overview of Constitutional law with special emphasis on the First,
Fourth, and Fifth Amendments and the application of their principles in the
information age.
Computer Crime
Don G. Ingraham, Alameda County District Attorney's Office
Investigation, search, seizure, and evidence requirements for pursuing
computer crime. For computer users, owners, sysops, and investigators and
attorneys unfamiliar with computer crime practices.
Modern Telecommunications: Life after Humpty Dumpty
Richard S. Wolff, Bellcore
Roles and relationships of the key players in telecommunications,
developments in communications technology, and new services. Signaling
System 7, ISDN, and advanced intelligent network features.
International Privacy Developments
David Flaherty, University of Western Ontario
Privacy-related developments within the European community, OECD, and the
United Nations, and how they affect the United States. Comparison of
privacy regulations here and abroad.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
1:00-2:00 p.m. KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
Al Neuharth, Chairman, The Freedom Forum and Founder, USA Today
"Freedom in Cyberspace: New Wine in Old Flasks?"
The differing legal and regulatory constraints on publishers of
newspapers, owners of television stations, and the telephone service
providers imply that some dogfights will occur and some tough decisions
will have to be made to balance privacy and freedom in the coming decade,
since the old wine of 1970's-era regulation will not fit into the new
flasks of 21st Century. Mr. Neuharth, a self-proclaimed S.O.B., will give
us a peek at his vision of what the future holds.
2:30 pm - 4 pm Who logs on?
* Chair: Robert Lucky, AT&T Bell Laboratories
* Panel: Linda Garcia, Office of Technology Assessment
* Alfred Koeppe, New Jersey Bell
* Brian Kahin, Harvard University
4:30 pm - 6 pm Ethics, Morality, and Criminality
* Chair: J. Michael Gibbons, Federal Bureau of Investigation
* Panel: Scott Charney, U. S. Dept. of Justice
* James Settle, Federal Bureau of Investigation
* Mike Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation
* Emory Hackman, Esq. (former president, Capital Area Sysops
Association)
* Don Delaney, New York State Police
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm RECEPTION
9:00 pm BIRDS OF A FEATHER SESSIONS
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1992
9:00 am - 10:30 am For Sale: Government Information
* Chair: George Trubow, John Marshall Law School
* Panel: Dwight Morris, Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau
* Ken Allen, Information Industry Association
* Patricia Glass Schuman, American Library Association
* Evan Hendricks, Privacy Times
* Fred Weingarten, Computing Research Association
* Franklin S. Reeder, Office of Management and Budget
* Costas Torreagas, Public Technology, Inc.
* Robert R. Belair, Kirkpatrick and Lockhart
10:45 am - 12:15 pm Free Speech and the Public Telephone Network
* Chair: Jerry Berman, ACLU Information Technology Project
* Panel: Henry Geller, The Markle Foundation
* Eli Noam, Columbia University
* John Podesta, Podesta Associates
12:15 pm - 1:45 pm Luncheon with Address: Bruce Sterling
"Speaking for the Unspeakable"
Mr. Sterling will gamely attempt to publicly present the points of view
of certain elements of the "computer community" who are not represented at
CFP-2. He will speak up for those who, in his words, are too "venal,
violent, treacherous, power-mad, suspicious or meanspirited to receive (or
accept) an invitation to attend.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Who's in Your Genes?
* Chair: Phil Reilly, Shriver Center for Mental Retardation
* Panel: John Hicks, FBI Laboratory
* Tom Marr, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
* Paul Mendelsohn, Neurofibromatosis, Inc.
* Peter Neufeld, Esq.
* Madison Powers, Kennedy Center for Ethics,
Georgetown University
3:45 pm - 5:15 pm Private Collection of Personal Information
* Chair: Ron Plesser, Piper and Marbury
* Panel: Janlori Goldman, Privacy and Technology Project, ACLU
* John Baker, Equifax
* James D. McQuaid, Metromail
* James Rule, SUNY-Stony Brook
* Mary Culnan, Georgetown University
* P. Michael Neugent, Citicorp
5:15 pm - 6:45 pm EFF Awards Reception
9:00 pm Birds of a Feather Sessions
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1992
9:00 am - 10:30 am Privacy and intellectual freedom in the digital library
* Chair: Marc Rotenberg, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
* Panel: Robert A. Walton, CLSI, Inc.
* Gordon M. Conable, Monroe (MI) County Library System
* Jean Armour Polly, Liverpool (NY) Public Library
10:45 am - 12:15 pm Computers in the Workplace: Elysium or Panopticon?
* Chair: Alan F. Westin, Columbia University
* Panel: Gary Marx, MIT
* Mark DiBernardo, National Association of Manufacturers
* Kristina Zahorik, Subcommittee on Employment and
Productivity, U. S. Senate Labor Committee
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Who Holds the Keys?
* Chair: Dorothy Denning
* Panel: Jim Bidzos, RSA Data Security
* David Bellin, Pratt Institute
* John Gilmore, Cygnus Support
* Whitfield Diffie, SunSoft, Inc.
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Public Policy for the 21st Century
Co-chairs: Peter J. Denning, George Mason University
Lance J. Hoffman, George Washington University
GENERAL INFORMATION
Registration
Please register for the conference by returning the Conference
Registration Form (below) along with the appropriate payment -- check,
Visa, or Mastercard. Registration fee includes conference materials,
Thursday luncheon, and receptions. The registration is $295 for ACM
members and $350 for nonmembers, $65 for full-time students. Tutorials,
$95 ($35 students).
Premium for Early Registration
While they last, a limited number of premiums are available to early
registrants on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registrants will
receive by mail a voucher which they can exchange at the conference for one
of a number of premiums. These include:
Videotapes of CFP-1 sessions
Audiotapes of CFP-1 sessions
Proceedings of CFP-1
Computers Under Attack: Intruders, Worms, and Viruses
by Peter Denning, editor
Rogue Programs: Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses
by Lance Hoffman, editor
"Citizen Rights and Access to Electronic Information"
by Dennis Reynolds, editor
The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll
The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson
Confessions of an S.O.B. by Al Neuharth
Cyberpunk by Katie Hafner and John Markoff
CONSIDER REGISTERING BY FAXING THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW OR TELEPHONING
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ONE OF THESE PREMIUMS. THEY WON'T LAST LONG!
Registration Scholarships
Full-time students and others wishing to apply for one of a limited
number of registration scholarships should send a request to the address
listed in the complete announcement, copies of which are available as
described elsewhere in this shorter electronic notice.
Hotel Accomodations
The 1992 Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference will be held at the
Loew's L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, DC. One of the finest hotels in
the city, it is just ten minutes from Washington National Airport, five
minutes from Capitol Hill. The world-renowned Smithsonian Institution
Museums are located within a few blocks.
To qualify for the conference rate of $105 single or $110 double, call
the hotel reservation line (below) and identify yourself as a CFP-2
participant. To ensure a room at the L'Enfant Plaza, reservations should
be made by February 10, 1992. After this date, rooms will be released to
the public. Hotel reservations: (800) 243-1166; (202) 484-1000 (local).
Transportation
As a participant in CFP-2, you are eligible for discounted rates as
follows: 40% off unrestricted coach fares and 5% off the lowest available
fares on specified carriers (all rules and restrictions apply). To receive
the best rate available call GW Travel (below) and make your reservations
early. Seats may be limited. Please mention that you are attending the
CFP-2 Conference. (Code C-6) GW Travel: (800) 222-1223; (301) 897-8001
(local).
Accreditation
The Second Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy has been
approved by The George Washington University Medical Center for Category One
Continuing Medical Education Units.
Refund Policy
Refund requests received in writing by February 28, 1992 will be honored.
A $50 cancellation fee will apply. No refunds will be made after this
date; however, you may send a substitute in your place.
REGISTRATION FORM
YOU CAN NOT REGISTER BY ELECTRONIC MAIL. YOU MAY REGISTER BY MAIL, BY FAX,
OR BY PHONE. YOU CAN PRINT THIS REGISTRATION FORM OUT, FILL IT IN, AND
MAIL OR FAX IT. OR YOU CAN REQUEST A PRINTED BROCHURE FROM THE "BY MAIL"
ADDRESS BELOW, WHICH WILL HAVE A PRINTED ONE-PAGE REGISTRATION FORM IN IT.
YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN THIS PRINTED BROCHURE BY ELECTRONICALLY MAILING A SHORT
REQUEST WITH YOUR NAME AND (POSTAL) MAIL ADDRESS TO cfp2@seas.gwu.edu.
* * * * * REGISTRATION FORM * * * * *
By mail: Conferences & Institutes, The George Washington University,
2003 G St. N.W., Washington, D. C. 20052
By fax (24 hrs., with credit card): Send registration form to (202)
994-7048
By phone (with credit card): (202) 994-7238 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST)
Name:______________________________________________________
Title:_____________________________________________________
Affiliation: ______________________________________________
Mailing address: __________________________________________
City ____________________________ State _____ Zip _________
Country (if not USA): _____________________________________
Telephone: ________________________________________________
FAX number: _______________________________________________
E-Mail address: ___________________________________________
PRIVACY NOTE: This information will not be sold, rented, loaned, exchanged,
or used for any purpose other than official CFP-2 activities. A roster
will be distributed to attendees. Please indicate your preference:
____ Print all information above ______ Print name only
____ Print only name, affiliation, ______ Omit all above information
city, state, zip
REGISTRATION FEES:
Conference fee (check one) ___ ACM member ($295) ___ Non-member ($350)
[includes conference materials, Thursday luncheon, and receptions]
____ Student (full-time/valid ID):___ $65 (no lunch) ___ $30 (lunch)
Tutorial fee _____ Tutorial (half-day, 1 or 2 sessions, $95)
(Pick 2, 75 min. each) _____ Student (half-day, 1 or 2 sessions, $35)
Group A 9:00 a.m.
____ T(1) Making Information Law and Policy
____ T(2) Getting on the Net
____ T(3) Communications and Network Evolution
____ T(4) Private Sector Privacy
Group B 10:30 a.m.
____ T(5) Constitutional Law for Non-lawyers
____ T(6) Computer Crime
____ T(7) Modern Telecommunications
____ T(8) International Privacy Developments
Please check method of payment: Amount enclosed: $________
____ Visa _____ MasterCard ____ Check (payable to
The George Washington University)
Credit card number: ______________________________________
Expiration date: _________________________________________
Name on card: ____________________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________________
For Continuing Medical Education accreditation, give state and medical #:
* * * * END OF FORM * * * * *
The complete announcement will be mailed to you in printed form via the
postal service if you request one by telephone, fax, electronic mail, or
regular mail from
CFP - 2
Office of Conferences and Institutes
The George Washington University
2003 G St. NW
Washington DC 20052
phone (202) 994-7238
fax (202) 994-7048
email cfp2@seas.gwu.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=====================
Voice of God Silenced
=====================
Popular Communications, Oct 1991
New York City Police detectives with the assistance of FCC agents,
arrested two New York City residents who had allegedly been interfering with
police radio communications.
Based on complaints filed by the NYPD, Engineers from the FCC's New York
City office, using mobile radio direction finding equipment, traced the source
of the interference to the residence of Noel Wo, New York, NY. Mr. Wo who
called himself the "Voice of God," challenged anyone to locate him, and
threatened to "blow away" anyone who tried to catch him.
Radio transmitting equipment allegedly used to transmit taunts, music,
and idle chatter over police emergency radio frequencies, were seized during
a search of his apartment and that of a second suspect, David Yung, New York,
NY. Both defendants were arrested and charged with obstructing governmental
administration. Other state and federal charges are pending.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
================================
Fraudulent Fax Gets Forger Freed
================================
San Francisco Chronicle, Dec 18, 1991
Jean Paul Barrett, a convict serving 33 years for forgery and fraud in
the Pima County jail in Tuscon, Arizona, was released on 13Dec91 after receipt
of a forged fax ordering his release. It appears that a copy of a legitimate
release order was altered to bear HIS name. Apparently no one noticed that
the faxed document lacked an originating phone number or that there was no
"formal" cover sheet. The "error" was discovered when Barrett failed to show
up for a court hearing.
The jail releases about 60 people each day, and faxes have become
standard procedure. Sheriff's Sergeant Rick Kastigar said "procedures are
being changed so the error will not occur again."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================================
Data Looted from SSA and FBI Systems
====================================
Associated Press, Dec 18, 1991
Associated Press writer Joseph Neff reports from Newark, NJ that eighteen
private investigators and Social Security Administration employees in nine
states were charged Wednesday with buying and selling confidential data
>from SSA and FBI computers. The information included earnings histories and
criminal records. The private investigators, many advertising in legal
journals, sold the information to companies. If convicted on all counts, the
defendants face maximum sentences of 20 to 150 years and multimillion dollar
fines.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================================
Taurus Poised to Clear Final Hurdles
====================================
Financial Times, Dec 19, 1991
The UK government appeared yesterday to have overcome legal obstacles to
the introduction of Taurus, the London Stock exchange's much delayed computer
settlement system. After more of a year of effort by the Department of Trade
and Industry lawyers, formal regulations were laid before parliament which
would create the legal framework necessary for Taurus. At the same time a
safeguard for personal shareholders, which had been built into the Taurus
system at the request of ministers has been dropped.
Investors would have had to quote confidential 13-digit personal
authorization codes before being able to deal in their shares. This
requirement has now been judged too cumbersome for the small amount of extra
security it would have bought. Instead shareholders will be able to tell the
registrars who maintain their shareholders only to transfer their shares after
they receive written instructions. This extra level of security will be
available only to investors who specifically request it.
The legal changes tabled yesterday are needed because share certificates
and transfer forms, currently required by law to give evidence of title and
enable a change of title to take place, will cease to be produced under the
new, paperless system of share ownership and dealing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==========================================================
Computer Database of Former E. German State Police (Stasi)
==========================================================
Source unknown, Winter 1991
An unverified report indicates that a German private detective agency that was
thought to be operated by former Stasi members bought a computer database
containing the names and salaries of 97,058 members of the Stasi in 1989. The
detective agency then pressed charges against the computer specialist who sold
them the information. The charges are not indicated, although they may be
under the strict (West) German privacy laws. If so, Stasi support for privacy
is new. In addition to their prying into the lives of (East) German citizens,
the Stasi had agents actively hacking into West German systems, including
Berlin's drivers license agency.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================
Recent Novell Software Contains a Hidden Virus
==============================================
John Markoff, New York Times, Dec 20, 1991
The nation's largest supplier of office-network software for personal
computers has sent a letter to approximately 3,800 customers warning that it
inadvertently allowed a software virus to invade copies of a disk shipped
earlier this month.
The letter, sent on Wednesday to customers of Novell Inc., a Provo, Utah,
software publisher, said the diskette, which was mailed on Dec. 11, had been
accidentally infected with a virus known by computer experts as "Stoned 111."
A company official said yesterday that Novell had received a number of
reports from customers that the virus had invaded their systems, although
there had been no reports of damage.
But a California-based computer virus expert said that the potential for
damage was significant and that the virus on the Novell diskette frequently
disabled computers that it infected.
'Massive Potential Liabilities'
"If this was to get into an organization and spread to 1,500 to 2,000
machines, you are looking at millions of dollars of cleanup costs," said
John McAfee, president of McAfee & Associates, a Santa Clara, Calif. antivirus
consulting firm. "It doesn't matter that only a few are infected," he said.
"You can't tell. You have to take the network down and there are massive
potential liabilities." Mr. McAfee said he had received several dozen calls
>from Novell users, some of whom were outraged.
The Novell incident is the second such case this month. On Dec. 6, Konami
Inc., a software game manufacturer based in Buffalo Grove, 111. wrote
customers that disks of its Spacewrecked game had also become infected with an
earlier version of the Stoned virus. The company said in the letter that it
had identified the virus before a large volume of disks had been shipped to
dealers.
Source of Virus Unknown
Novell officials said that after the company began getting calls earlier
this week, they traced the source of the infection to a particular part of
their manufacturing process. But the officials said they had not been able to
determine how the virus had infected their software initially.
Novell's customers include some of nation's largest corporations. The
software, called Netware, controls office networks ranging from just two or
three machines to a thousand systems.
"Viruses are a challenge for the marketplace," said John Edwards,
director of marketing for Netware systems at Novell. "But we'll keep up our
vigilance. He said the virus had attacked a disk that contained a help
encyclopedia that the company had distributed to its customers.
Servers Said to Be Unaffected
Computer viruses are small programs that are passed from computer to
computer by secretly attaching themselves to data files that are then copied
either by diskette or via a computer network. The programs can be written to
perform malicious tasks after infecting a new computer, or do no more than
copy themselves from machine to machine.
In its letter to customers the company said that the Stoned 111 virus
would not spread over computer networks to infect the file servers that are
the foundation of networks. File servers are special computers with large
disks that store and distribute data to a network of desktop computers.
The Stoned 111 virus works by attaching itself to a special area on a
floppy diskette and then copying itself into the computer's memory to infect
other diskettes.
But Mr. McAfee said the program also copied itself to the hard disk of a
computer where it could occasionally disable a system. In this case it is
possible to lose data if the virus writes information over the area where a
special directory is stored.
Mr. McAfee said that the Stoned 111 virus had first been reported in
Europe just three months ago. The new virus is representative of a
class of programs known as "stealth" viruses, because they mask their
location and are difficult to identify. Mr. McAfee speculated that
this was why the program had escaped detection by the company.
Steps Toward Detection
Novell has been moving toward adding new technology to its software to
make it more difficult for viruses to invade it, Mr. Edwards said. Recently,
the company licensed special digital-signature software that makes it
difficult for viruses to spread undetected. Novell plans to add this new
technology to the next major release of its software, due out at the end of
1992.
In the past, courts have generally not held companies liable for damages
in cases where a third party is responsible, said Susan Nycum, a Palo Alto,
Calif., lawyer who is an expert on computer issues. "If they have been
prudent it wouldn't be fair to hold them liable," she said. "But ultimately it
may be a question for a jury."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
======================
GTE Sells Sprint Stake
======================
USA Today, Jan 3, 1992
GTE said it is selling its 19% stake in long-distance phone company US Sprint
to majority owner United Telecommunications for $530 million. The sale ends a
partnership in which GTE and United Telecom combined their long distance
subsidiaries to create US Sprint in 1986. United Telecom said it will adopt
the Sprint name after completion of the deal, expected by the end of this
month. United Telecom Chairman WIlliam Esrey said the deal achieves a
long-time goal of total ownership of Sprint.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
====================
Caller ID in Chicago
====================
USA Today, Jan 3, 1992
Caller ID -- a service that reveals caller's number before the phone is
answered -- became available to most Chicago area Illinois Bell customers.
About 5,000 of 1.8 million eligible bought service, which costs an extra $6.50
monthly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================
When the Phone Rings, You'll See Who's Calling
==============================================
Craig Crossman, Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Dec 26, 1991
Q. I have the new Caller ID service that displays the phone number of an
incoming call before I answer the phone. The problem is that it only displays
the number. I want to know if there is any way I can have my computer look up
the name of the person who's calling?
A. The problem with Caller ID is that it gives only the number, date and
time of an incoming call. You still don't know who the caller is.
A new product called Caller ID+Plus does just what you described and more.
It incorporates Rochelle Communications' ANI-32 Caller ID Computer Adaptor and
a special data base program that can run at the same time you are running other
programs. The 21/2-inch adapter plugs into your computer's serial port.
The provided telephone cable plugs into a standard modular phone jack. A
"T" adapter is also included, which gives you another jack to hook your
telephone into.
When an incoming call is detected, the program instantly compares the
detected phone number to your data base of up to 65,000 contacts. When a match
is detected, you are presented with all of the person's data that you have on
file, such as name, title, business and address, in a window.
The program has many capabilities. For example, you can store notes about
the call as well as notes from previous telephone conversations. You can also
display a log of all of the previous calls received from or made to the caller
including date, time and duration. All of this data is instantly displayed on
your screen before you pick up the phone.
Currently, you must manually enter names, addresses and telephone numbers
into your computer. Rochelle is planning a product that will take advantage of
commercially available telephone directories on CD-ROM. A single CD-ROM can
encompass every name, telephone number and address in the United States.
Caller ID+Plus requires an IBM PC or compatible with one available RS-232
serial port. It sells for $295. [Rochelle Communications Inc., (800) 542-8808
or (512) 794-0088]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================
Seized Computer Reveals Sophisticated Operation
===============================================
Mark Magnier, Journal of Commerce Nov 26, 1991
SINGAPORE -- Three U.S. software companies seized two personal computers
and various financial records in late October and early November, as part of
the raids against alleged software pirates Ong Seow Pheng and Tan Pui Fun in
Singapore.
Jeffrey Siebach, regional counsel of Lotus Development Corp., one of the
companies pursuing the case, says he received a call a few days after the raid
>from Ong's attorney.
"His lawyer called us and said, 'We need all his books back because his
business has ground to a halt." After I picked my jaw up, I said, "You've got
to be kidding," Siebach said. "These guys don't see it as a moral issue at
all."
Only when the three U.S. software companies -- Lotus, Digital Research Inc.
and Novell Inc. -- turned on one of the personal computers did they realize how
sophisticated the operation was.
"We were amazed, to tell you the truth," said Siebach, who is also regional
vice president for the Business Software Alliance, an industry trade group that
initiates raids and lawsuits against pirates worldwide.
The first thing they were greeted with was a computer display that said,
"Welcome to the Ong Family of Businesses." A further search found over 450
computerized financial spread sheets with detailed sales and accounting
figures. These are being analyzed by Coopers & Lybrand, international
accountants.
Ong also had a detailed knowledge of and worked around BSA activities. For
instance, he knew the software alliance was concerned with business software
but not video game software, so its business software manuals were printed
offshore in Indonesia while its game manuals were printed in Singapore, Siebach
said. The group is investigating whether Ong had an interest in the printing
operations as well.
Ong would also write to retailers and suppliers telling them to be careful
because the alliance was active in their area, or telling suppliers to ship
only when he gave the green light.
He also had worked into his financial plan a contingency for getting
caught, Siebach said. He figured that the maximum fine in Singapore was the
equivalent of $59,172 (S$100,000) and calculated that the alliance normally
settled for damages and attorneys fees, so he had worked out a figure.
"He was ready for this," Siebach said. "It was a cost of doing business."
Ong is said to have been operating since at least 1988. As outlined, he
would acquire legitimate copies of a full range of software programs and video
games from U.S. mail-order outlets.
The original manuals were then sent to Indonesia, where they were illegally
copied and air-freighted back to Singapore as "technical manuals" for local and
regional distribution.
He sold the manuals along with a master copy to his retail customers, which
allowed them to copy off the master. One theory is that this saved him import
duties. Technical manuals face no Singapore import duties. Computer disks do.
Sources say he was able to maintain control by threatening to cut retailers
out of the lucrative trade and his access to the latest releases if they
crossed him.
The attorney adds that the operation appeared to enjoy strong loyalty from
its customers in part because of the low prices, but also because he could get
the product to market in some cases even before the legitimate dealers.
Siebach said he talked to one game distributor who had exclusive rights for
a new game that he planned to launch. Ong reportedly launched it before the
authorized dealer at a lower price, subsequently killing the authorized
dealer's market.
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==============================================
Computer Viruses Carry Threat to U.S.
Security, Military Admits its Systems Infected
==============================================
Bill Husted, The Atlanta Constitution, Nov 23, 1991
Military computers, including some used during the Persian Gulf War, were
infected by computer viruses that had the potential to destroy information or
bring a computer to a halt. Although the viruses proved to be more of a
nuisance than a disaster, they could have destroyed information used by
military commanders to make life-or-death battlefield decisions, Jim Christy,
director of computer crime investigation for the Air Force Office of Special
Investigation, said Friday.
Computer viruses - secretive programs designed to be electronic vandals
that damage data - are a continuing and increasing problem for the military,
Mr. Christy said. And, he added, there is the real fear that an enemy could
attack America using computer viruses capable of crippling communications and
computer systems.
There are unsubstantiated rumors that during the Gulf War viruses may have
spread to weapons that rely on computers to guide them. A virus attack on
these specialized computer systems would be very difficult. But some computer
experts, including Dr. David Stang, president of the National Computer Security
Association, said they heard rumors that the patriot missile - the high-tech
hero of the Gulf War - was infected by viruses.
The military acknowledged Friday that some of its computers - machines
identical to personal computers that are the workhorses of American business
- were infected. But Mr. Christy declined comment on whether any computer-
controlled weapon systems were affected. Mr. Christy would not say how many
military computers were infected during the war. But specialized defense and
computer publications say viruses were detected on thousands of computers.
Viruses are an increasing problem for all branches of the military, Mr.
Christy said. He said viruses discovered during the Gulf War probably weren't
planted by enemy agents. Instead, they may have come from something as
innocent as a computer game.
UNCONTROLLED SOFTWARE
"You have to remember that during Desert Shield, people were bringing
their own software from home, plus a lot of people went out and bought it," he
said. "It was a unique war. You could go out on the street and buy your own
software. And, to help morale, commanders were allowing their people to play
[computer] games."
Computer viruses are small programs that hide in another computer program
until they have a chance to duplicate themselves and move to a new computer.
While no apparent harm was done by viruses detected during the Gulf War, the
potential for disaster was great, Mr. Christy said.
"During Desert Storm, commanders made life-or-death decisions based on
information in a computer," he said. "I think it [the problems with military
computers] heightened the awareness of the viruses among Air Force commanders.
People didn't realize how necessary computers were to fight a war." And the
risk remains that viruses could be used as a weapon against military
computers, Mr. Christy said.
"I'm not sure it hasn't happened," he said. "It is awful hard to prove
intent. . . . We have so many viruses in the Air Force and some of them may be
intentional."
HOW AN ATTACK WOULD WORK
He said viruses, used by a terrorist or a foreign power, could sit and
wait for a remote signal before they do their work. "If you wanted to cripple
all the computer systems at one time, you'd wait for a certain time, and do
things like kill all of the Air Force traffic control computers," he said.
"People's lives would be at stake. Obviously an orchestrated attack would be
devastating."
Mr. Christy said computer viruses are a growing problem for the military.
"If you had asked me about it two or three years ago, I would have said that
the risk from virus was insignificant," he said. "We had two or three cases
of virus in the Air Force. But last year [they were so numerous] we had to
make an arbitrary decision that we would no longer investigate viruses [as a
crime]. We had found that in 100 percent of the cases, it was someone who had
unwittingly introduced the virus into the system."
He said, however, that while virus infections are not routinely prosecuted,
they are not ignored. A lot of the effort goes into finding ways to protect
military systems against a virus attack.
HACKERS CAN BE CULPRITS
Viruses are sometimes placed in military computers by hackers - computer
hobbyists who use their skills to break into computer systems. Hackers - who
use home computers and telephone lines to communicate with the Air Force
computer system - "routinely try to break in," Mr. Christy said. "I see
reports weekly about attempts to break into multiple systems."
The hackers have broken into computers containing unclassified
information, he said. It isn't all that difficult to do. Mr. Christy said
that he and his staff had broken into hundreds of Air Force computer systems
during exercises to test security.
Mr. Christy said that if a hacker placed a virus in any Air Force
computer, however, it might find its way into computers containing classified
information. Because of the potential that viruses have to cripple
computer-based weapons systems and disrupt civilian and military
communications, the Army has hired at least two private firms to develop ways
to defend against the viruses and to find out how to use computer viruses as
offensive weapons.
[ Editor's note: *SIGH* Isn't this the kind of sensationalistic journalism that
makes you want to toss your cookies? Some bored servicemen
discover that their IBM XT clone is infected with the "Stoner"
virus, causing them to lose their only copy of "Tetris" and
suddenly the press decides it must be a plot by 'mad hackers'
to shut down the Patriot Missile's targeting computer. ]
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=============================
Convicted Spy Granted Hearing
=============================
Associated Press, Jan 7, 1992
WASHINGTON (AP) A post-trial hearing will be held for an Air Force sergeant
who may not have understood the espionage charge to which he pleaded guilty,
the Air Force disclosed Tuesday. The proceeding Friday relates to the court
martial of Sgt. Jeffrey M. Carney, who admitted helping East German agents spy
on U.S. diplomats and military commanders in Berlin. He was sentenced Dec. 3 to
38 years in prison. Chief Trial Judge James Heupel ordered the court session.
The inquiry in a military courtroom at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland
is
to ensure that Carney understood the espionage charge and his guilty plea to
it, the Air Force said in a statement. Carney also admitted copying classified
documents and passing them to the East Germans. He pleaded guilty to desertion
and conspiracy to commit espionage in addition to espionage.
Carney was a linguist and communications specialist at Tempelhof Central
Airport in Berlin, assigned to an electronics security group. In April 1984, he
was transferred to Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas, a base for training
intelligence and communications specialists.
He deserted in 1985, defecting to East Germany. There, he intercepted,
translated and transcribed telephone calls of U.S. military commanders and
embassy officials stationed in Berlin, the Air Force said. Carney was arrested
last April 22 at his residence in what used to be the Soviet sector of Berlin.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==================
PC Virus Blackmail
==================
Information Week, Dec 16, 1991
A bizarre British court case involving computer viruses has pointed up
the vulnerability of users with careless policies on PC software. Hearing the
case of a U.S. scientist accused of computer blackmail late last month, the
court granted a stay after lawyers successfully argued that the defendant,
Joseph Popp, 41, was mentally ill. Popp was facing 11 charges of damaging
computer systems and attempting to obtain a total of 6 million pounds ($10.7
million) through blackmailing numerous medical institutes worldwide around
Christmas 1989.
Popp is alleged to have mailed more than 20,000 floppy disks to the
research institutes. He promoted the disks as containing valuable information
about AIDS. But the disks themselves contained a software virus, which has
since also been dubbed AIDS. When users tried to access the disk, they got
messages demanding 200 pounds (about $350) to eradicate the virus that had just
infected their systems.
Popp was extradited to the United Kingdom, where a chorus of scientists
>from universities and research institutes claimed that their software had been
damaged when the disks were loaded onto their systems.
One organization that fell foul of the virus was the Imperial Cancer
Research Fund in London. Dr. Ron Catterall, director of the fund's computer
research unit, was called as a witness for the prosecution. Catterall was
smart: He loaded the disk onto his stand alone PC rather than the network, and
warned other users as he discovered the virus. 'It took a long time to find
out what was going on, and to clean up my machine,' he said. 'It eventually
started overwriting the hard disk.'
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