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Digital Phreak P1mps Issue 03
PRE-RELEASE
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_|_ P H R E A K P 1 M P S _|_
: (___________________________) :
ASCII by Dezibel\Arcade
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o d.i.g.i.t.a.l o
o p.h.r.e.a.k o
o p.i.m.p.s o
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o a.p.r.i.l.9.8 o
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table of contents
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| hacking winshield..neptuniumOverkill | |
| wtf, where is everything....sphinx |
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P1mp Telecom News
Compiled by Hatredonalog
hatredonalog@hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------
School can't suspend pupil for criticizing teacher on Web
Thursday, March 19, 1998
By MARK ROLLENHAGEN
PLAIN DEALER REPORTER
---------------------------------------------------------
Westlake High School junior Sean O'Brien (Spanish Prince) says he didn't
set out to be a pioneer in cyberspace.
He says he was merely looking for material to put on a Web site he
was building last month when it struck him that the Internet might
be a good place to air his grievances against his high school band
teacher, Raymond Walczuk.
School officials took one look at the page - titled "raymondsucks.org" -
and disagreed. They suspended Sean for 10 days and threatened to expel
him.
But yesterday a federal judge ordered the district to immediately
reinstate Sean and barred school officials from restricting what he
says on the Internet through his home computer.
The temporary order issued by Senior U.S. District Judge John M. Manos
will be in effect until at least April 3 when a full hearing will be
held on Sean's claim that the school district violated his First
Amendment rights.
The case could be the first nationally to explore how much, if any,
control a school can exert over what its students say on the Internet
when they are using their home computers, according to the American Civil
Liberties Union.
The Web site featured a photograph of Walczuk and described him as "an
overweight middle aged man who doesn't like to get haircuts."
"He likes to involve himself in everything you do, demands that band be
your No. 1 priority, and favors people," the text says. "He often thinks
that problems are caused by a certain student and/or group of students
and no one else."
Other pages on the site describe various run-ins Sean had with Walczuk,
including an incident in which Sean was accused of putting stickers on a
clock in a school hallway.
One page also lists Walczuk's home address and telephone number. Walczuk
declined to comment yesterday.
School officials contend they were entitled to discipline Sean under a
school rule that says students shall not "demonstrate physical, written,
or verbal disrespect/threat" against school employees.
Westlake schools Superintendent Beverly Reep said that on Monday she
upheld high school administrators' decision to suspend Sean for 10 days
but decided not to expel him.
"I didn't feel it was necessary for any further consequence [beyond the
suspension-," she said.
Sean took the Web site off the Internet after his March 6 suspension, but
the judge's order allows him to put it back up.
He said he didn't know yet if he would put the site back on the Internet.
"I'm not sure my dad will let me," Sean said yesterday.
He said he also would consult with his lawyers, Avery S. Friedman and
Kenneth D. Myers.
Dr. Vincent O'Brien, an oncologist, said he learned about his son's
Web site from school officials who called him at work and said his son
was being suspended.
"There were one or two minor words that you wouldn't use in front of
5-year-olds," he said. "But it wasn't anything really bad."
He said school officials suggested that Sean, who has a grade-point
average above 3.0, drop his band class and receive an F.
Chris Link, executive director of the ACLU of Ohio, said she was unaware
of any previous court decisions regarding a student's free speech rights
on the Internet.
Generally, she said, courts have decided schools do not have authority
over what their students do outside of school.
"The school cannot control the communication off the school grounds,"
she said.
Sean's lawsuit seeks a court order declaring that the school district
violated Sean's First Amendment rights and asks for $550,000 in damages
from various school administrators and the district.
Sean said he would be back in school today and plans to return to band
class.
"I'm going to sit there and do what I'm expected to do," he said.
©1998 PLAIN DEALER PUBLISHING
[Note: This is a story about spanish prince. He has written
for the PLA, and System Failure. He goes on IRC as spee most
of the time. you can take a look at the site at:
www.raymondsucks.org if he did decide to put it back up.
Note to spee: You are going to buy me a car right? ]
---------------------------------------------------------
AT&T proposes bold new initiatives to eradicate slamming
FOR RELEASE TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1998
AT&T Press Release
---------------------------------------------------------
Recommends tough, uniform anti-slamming measures be implemented
nationwide
NEW YORK -- AT&T today announced it has undertaken bold new
initiatives to eradicate "slamming," the fraudulent practice of
switching consumers from their preferred communications company
without their consent.
"We want to eliminate slamming from our industry and are taking
the steps today to do so," said C. Michael Armstrong, AT&T's
chairman and CEO. "We will work to preserve choice by doing what
is right for consumers."
"As the industry leader, we have zero tolerance for slamming,"
said Armstrong. "That is why we are also announcing today three
tough new measures to ensure that our own house is in order."
o AT&T will voluntarily and unilaterally suspend the use of
outside sales agents for consumer marketing efforts at local
community events. AT&T has discovered that these vendors generate
an unacceptable level of complaints. The company will not resume
use of these vendors until we are comfortable that they can meet
AT&T's zero tolerance policy toward slamming.
o AT&T has established a slamming resolution center 1-800-538-5345
to provide dedicated service representatives 24-hours a day, seven
days a week to resolve any consumer slamming complaints involving AT&T.
The center is committed to resolve most consumer slamming inquiries
on the first call and any that require further investigation within
three business days. The center's capabilities will be expanded to
handle business customer slamming inquiries on April 1.
o AT&T will charge companies that resell our network facilities for
the cost of handling each valid customer slamming complaint they
cause. AT&T will also step up its monitoring of those companies'
marketing practices to ensure that they are not misrepresenting
themselves as AT&T.
"These extra steps, which go above and beyond current industry
practices, will give consumers an added level of protection. We
believe our entire industry should take this approach as well,"
Armstrong said.
Public policy makers in Congress and in the states have been
increasingly concerned about slamming. AT&T hopes its actions
today will be constructive as Congress continues to address this
issue. That's why AT&T is calling on the FCC to use the authority
Congress gave it in the 1996 Telecommunications Act to put in
place the following industry-wide safeguards:
o The requirement that all changes in local, local toll, and
long-distance service for residential customers be verified
by an independent third party before they can be processed.
This verification now occurs only when communications companies
call customers to solicit their business. AT&T is proposing
that verification also take place when customers themselves
initiate the call, submit a signed form requesting a change in
service, or agree to have their service switched while attending
a local event in their community. AT&T will begin to develop
the systems and training necessary to implement third-party
verification on all residential carrier changes, following FCC
adoption of nationwide rules.
o The implementation of stricter anti-slamming rules for the
communications industry, including rules involving compensation
to companies whose customers have been slammed. We propose a
stiff carrier-to-carrier penalty of $1,000 per valid slamming
incident.
o The tightening of FCC rules on third party verification to prevent
unscrupulous carriers from using scripts that mislead customers as
to the identity of the carrier actually soliciting their business.
o The elimination of local telephone company control over the
processing of changes to local, local toll, and long-distance
communications services. This could be accomplished by setting up
an independent company to handle such changes. This measure will
take service change activities out of the hands of the local
telephone companies, which have a vested interest in maintaining
their monopoly position.
Since the early 1990s, AT&T has been in the forefront in condemning
slamming and finding ways to eliminate this industry problem. Based
on the most recent FCC studies, the company's performance is the best
in the industry. AT&T has also coordinated several consumer education
campaigns on slamming over the last decade that has reached consumers
in eight languages.
--------------------------------------------
WORLDCOM AND MCI SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE MERGER
MCI Press Release
--------------------------------------------
Jackson, MS and South Sioux City, NE -- March 11, 1998 --
Both WorldCom and MCI shareholders overwhelmingly approved the pending
merger between the companies during meetings held today respectively
in Jackson, MS and South Sioux City, NE.
Of the WorldCom shareholder votes cast, over 99 percent were in favor
of the merger; representing over 78 percent of votes entitled to be
cast. Of the MCI shareholder votes cast, over 99 percent were in favor
of the merger; representing over 80 percent of the votes entitled to
be cast. The positive vote represents an important milestone in
completing the merger approval process. The merger, first announced
on November 10, 1997, is still subject to approvals from the U.S.
Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission, and the
European Commission, among others. The companies expect to secure the
remaining approvals for a mid-year closing.
"Our shareholders recognize the significant value of this merger to our
future growth and earnings," said Bernard J. Ebbers, WorldCom president
and CEO. "This vote is an important step forward in the completion of
the MCI WorldCom merger and we are confident that we will gain other
necessary approvals to complete the merger in mid-1998."
"As we move closer to the completion of the merger with WorldCom, the
synergies and growth opportunities become increasingly clear," said
Bert C. Roberts, Jr., MCI chairman. "We will have an unmatched local-
to-global network as well as the marketing and service capabilities to
meet our customers' growing data, voice and Internet service needs."
On November 10, 1997, MCI and WorldCom announced a definitive merger
agreement to form a new company called MCI WorldCom. MCI WorldCom will
be a leading provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local,
long distance, data and global communications services. On completion
of the merger, the company will have revenue of more than $30 billion,
approximately 22 million customers and operations in more than 65
countries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
MCI CHAIRMAN ROBERTS TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE
Washington, DC, March 4, 1998
MCI Press Release
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Bell monopolies have reneged on their commitment to Congress"
and have pushed hard to bring down the landmark Telecommunications
Act, MCI Chairman Bert Roberts charged today in prepared comments
before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Business Rights
and Competition.
The Subcommittee held a hearing examining the status of telephone
competition and the Bell monopolies' efforts to enter the in-region
long distance market. Currently the Regional Bell Operating Companies
(RBOCs) may not provide long distance service to local customers until
they have met the requirements of section 271 of the Telecom Act.
Increasingly, the RBOCs are trying to discredit section 271 as the FCC
has rejected all their premature long distance applications to date.
In his testimony, Roberts highlighted the need for strong governmental
action to combat efforts by the phone companies to block local
competition. Roberts drew on his experience as a pioneer in the
telecommunications industry and stressed that section 271 can best
work to open up local markets if three lessons are considered:
o "Section 271 calls for rigorous oversight by both the Department
of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. Given the
long track record of the Department in administering the Modified
Final Judgment, this allocation of responsibility helps to maintain
a tough, consistent and sustained approach.
o "The focus needs to be on economic as well as legal incentives. Section
271's public interest provision will only be served when consumers really
have choice and the correct economic incentives are in place. Today
resale discounts are too low, one-time charges imposed solely on new
entrants are too high, and new entrants face discrimination whenever
they attempt to use the essential local facilities to which they are
lawfully entitled.
o "Section 271 rightly focuses on whether local markets are open in
practice, not just in theory. The FCC has correctly applied the 271
"checklist" to reject each application that has come before it.
That's because the details of competition were not in place in Michigan,
South Carolina, Oklahoma or Louisiana."
---------------------------------
Race is on to Provide Net Calling
by Randolph Court
5:02am 12.Mar.98.PST
Wired Online (www.wired.com)
---------------------------------
You may not have heard it, but there was just a loud bang. It
was the sound of a starter's gun, signaling the beginning of a
mad dash for the Internet telephony market.
ICG Communications announced a voice-over-net service Wednesday
that it said will eventually allow customers in 166 US cities to
make domestic long distance calls for as little as 5.9 cents per
minute. That's about the same as the Sunday best of 5 cents offered
by traditional telcos like MCI - and 2 cents per minute less than
Internet protocol telephony services offered by Qwest Communications
International. But, ICG's great deal is nearly a penny more than
a service offered by IDT Corp.
"Let the games begin," said Rebecca Wetzel, director of Internet
consulting for the research firm Telechoice.
Twelve months ago, the folks at ICG Communications thought their core
business was simply competing with the Baby Bells, providing the dial
tone to customers for local telephone service. But in October 1997,
ICG acquired Netcom, and everything changed.
Overnight, the company had to change its industry-identifying acronym.
It had been a competitive local exchange carrier, or CLEC. Now it's an
ICP - an integrated communications provider.
"Now we see our core as telecommunications services - whatever customers
want," said ICG president and CEO J. Shelby Bryan.
Such thinking results in changes almost daily in the telco world. Earlier
this week Qwest, which is building a 16,000-mile fiber network in the
United States, agreed to acquire LCI Communications, which offers long
distance in 40 US markets and commercial local access in 30. The $4.4
billion stock swap will create the fourth largest telco in the country.
"LCI had what Qwest was looking to grow into, similarly Qwest had what
LCI wanted, an enormous fiber network," said Qwest spokeswoman Diane
Reberger.
Qwest rolled out IP telephony service in nine cities in February and is
expected to push ahead rapidly now.
"Because of the enormous bandwidth of the Qwest ... fiber network, we
are the only provider who is not forced to compress the voice, ensuring
quality with each call placed," said Steve Jacobsen, senior vice
president of consumer markets at Qwest.
He also boasted of his firm's straightforward pricing. "Consumers are
tired of confusing long-distance calling plans that offer a low price
at one time or for one type of call, but offer a higher price if the
call takes place during peak hours or terminates at a different
location," he said. "Qwest's ... offer is 7.5 cents per minute, 24
hours a day, seven days a week for all interstate calls no matter where
the call terminates."
Also on the IP telephony playing field is AT&T, which offers voice-over-
net service of its own. A host of Internet backbone providers, including
UUNET and GTE, offer similar services for sending faxes via the Net
protocols. And waiting to get into the game are a slew of others,
including Level 3 Communications. Level 3 was started up by founders of
another hot-shot telco, MFS Communications, after it was bought out by
WorldCom.
The competition is fierce, and telephony is only one piece of the IP
services puzzle. ICG offers a service called NetWorks, which allows a
small business to use a single T1 line for local and long distance
calling and data transmission, allotting as much bandwidth to each packet
stream as it needs. And next week the company will announce plans to roll
out digital subscriber line services targeted toward businesses wanting
high-speed Internet access.
ICG said its telephony service would begin rolling out in the second
quarter - April, May, and June - of this year.
"What we're seeing with ICG's telephony service, and the competition with
Qwest and the others, is only the first step toward a new generation of
telecom services, some of which we haven't imagined yet," said Wetzel, of
Telechoice.
"It's almost like when they introduced new building materials in the
Industrial Revolution," Wetzel said. "In the beginning, they used the
new materials in the old ways, then they realized that with steel you
could build buildings 100 stories tall. Similarly, with [IP networking
tools], the first implementations we're seeing are the familiar services
made cheaper. But down the road, we're going to be seeing new telecom
services that are analogous to the 100-story building."
Those services could be anything from universal messaging services, which
would allow a single company to offer customers mailboxes for voice, fax,
and email, to multimedia conferencing.
Strictly speaking, the service ICG announced Wednesday should not be
referred to as Internet telephony.
"Under no circumstances do calls go over the Internet," said Bryan.
The service is really Internet protocol telephony because data is sent
using the same protocols as on the Internet, but it is sent over private
networks owned or leased by Internet service providers and telcos, in
this case ICG.
But the important point, for now, is that it's cheap. Customers calling
from one of ICG's 166 cities to another will pay the 5.9 cent-per-minute
rate. If they call outside of that area, it will cost them 7.2 cents per
minute. They'll see the difference on their bills, Bryan said.
Qwest and IDT both offer a single rate for domestic long-distance calls,
regardless of whether the point of termination for the call is on or off
the network.
The wonders of Internet protocol networking may soon bring us a host of
data services other than voice, but it is the cheap long distance calls
that promise to make it all take off, especially when the services become
widely available for international calls.
"That's where the real bang for the buck is," said Chris Mines, an
industry analyst with Forrester Research. There is a huge pent-up demand
for low-cost international calls, Mines said, and that's the next step -
US providers will be making deals with gateway companies in other
countries.
Odds are, customers have only seen the very beginnings of the price
competition.
"My strong belief is that someone is going to come along this year and get
rid of price-per-minute, and put in a flat monthly rate for unlimited calls"
Mines said. "And that's going to blow the lid off the market. We're going
to get there very rapidly."
Forrester projects Internet protocol telephony will be a $2 billion market
in 2004, with customers saving $1 billion they would have spent for regular
service.
-----------------------------------
Spam Jams Pac Bell's Email Services
by Chris Oakes and James Glave
12:05pm 13.Mar.98.PST
Wired Online (www.wired.com)
---------------------------------
Pacific Bell Internet Services grappled with an unprecedented load
of spam for four days this week, leading to sporadic disruptions of
email service to thousands of customers across California. The attack
cost the regional telephone company roughly $500,000, an executive said.
When asked if the company had ever seen an attack of this magnitude
before, Pacific Bell Internet Vice President Ruben Cota said "never to
this degree."
But even as the Internet service provider (ISP) sifts through its
logs of the incident today, anti-spam activists saw in the brownout a
silver lining, in that it may offer momentum to an anti-spam bill
recently introduced in the state.
The deluge began late Monday afternoon, when Pacific Bell received a
large volume of incoming spam email from multiple sources, said Cota.
The spam soon overwhelmed a system capacity that, as of Monday, could
only handle 50,000 more users above and beyond the company's existing
170,000 customers.
Some customers checking their email during the resulting brownout
received "message refused" alerts from their mail software, Cota said.
Meanwhile, other customers saw no interruption in service, and those
that did were sometimes able to receive mail after successive attempts.
He said he couldn't estimate the percentage of customers affected by the
load.
"What happens is the machine runs out of processing space because
you're flooding it with sometimes huge volumes of incoming mail," Cota
said, explaining the effects of spamming.
"It runs out of processing space and can't keep up," Cota said. "Then
you get another spam that slows it more and more - until at one point,
it can collapse." In this case, the system never actually collapsed,
Cota said, though he noted it has happened to ISPs in the past.
The ISP responded by moving to double its capacity to 440,000 users,
which it did by Thursday evening, Cota said, installing four more mail
gateways. The move cost the service close to $500,000, Cota estimated.
The spam messages were "varying messages [not all the same spam message]
and did come from multiple sources externally," Cota said.
Pacific Bell Internet has dedicated four full-time employees to stay on
top of spam problems. That team is spending today analyzing this week's
onslaught to see if any special conditions or points of origin can be
determined for the email.
Cota couldn't say whether it was simply a case of bad timing - converging
multiple large spams arriving at once - or whether addresses at Pacific
Bell Internet were specifically targeted by the spam. Cota said he knew
of no other ISP experiencing a similarly massive mail overload at the
same time.
The company will try to determine where the spams originated and then
contact the originating ISPs to ask that they take action against the
offending spammers. Cota said legal action against such spammers would
be a possibility.
No email messages were actually lost in the incident, according to Cota,
as gateways were able to deliver mail once normal capacity was resumed.
The incident shows that even those companies vigilant about fighting
spam can fall victim. Anti-spam activists said that Pac Bell is a vocal
participant in the anti-spam movement.
"They are one of the better [ISPs], generally speaking," said Scott
Mueller, chairman of Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email.
"[Pac Bell] participates in the anti-spam community; they are not one
of the companies that sticks their head in the sand," Mueller said.
Mueller was suprised to hear of the email brownout, though, noting that
Nick Nicholas, a Pac-Bell employee dedicated to dealing with bulk email,
had been silent on the issue on a CAUCE mailing list.
Mueller and another CAUCE member were disturbed to learn of the attack,
but also saw a potential silver lining: It could add political momentum
to an anti-spam bill recently introducted in the California Assembly.
"I can't say I'm happy to hear that it happened, but then again, I can't
complain about the timing," said John Mozena, vice-president of CAUCE.
On Wednesday, CAUCE endorsed the Internet Consumer Protection Act,
Assembly Bill 1629. The bill would allow California companies affected
by spam, such as Pac Bell, to sue spammers for $50 per message, up to a
maximum of $15,000 per day in which the spamming takes place.
"I am sure that Pac Bell is going to lose customers to AOL or Compuserve
because they are not able to provide their services," said John Cusey, a
legislative aid to Assemblyman Gary Miller, the bill's author.
If AB 1629 becomes law, Cusey said, Pac Bell will have the opportunity to
recoup some of the damages and, more importantly, send a message to
spammers that their business is no longer as profitable as it might have
been.
"Part of the reason [spammers] use such huge spam lists, and don't target
them, is because if they can get a 2 percent return they are making
money," said Cusey. "If they are going to get nailed with a $30,000
lawsuit, they will think twice," he said.
The bill will be heard by the state's Consumer Protection Committee on
31 March. Mozena said that the bill was the best legislative effort to
date to address the spam problem.
"This is anti-spam legislation that could well bring on board some of
the constituencies that have been vehemently opposed to anti-spam
legislation in the past, and could negate the rabid anti-free speech
activist [camp]."
-------------------------------------------------------
EMS, INC. AND MCI SIGN AGREEMENT TO MARKET WATCH PATROL
MCI Press Release
-------------------------------------------------------
Unique Monitoring And Tracking Technology Introduced In Corrections Market
Laguna Hills, CA, March 12, 1998 -- Electronic Monitoring Systems, Inc.
(EMS) and MCI Telecommunications Corporation today announced that they
have entered an exclusive agreement to market WATCH PATROL and WATCH
PATROL RF to U.S. government corrections agencies, including federal,
state and local municipalities. WATCH PATROL and WATCH PATROL RF are
electronic monitoring and tracking technologies developed by EMS that
allow random or programmed monitoring of participants. The agreement
also names EMS as MCI's exclusive developer of future electronic
monitoring and tracking technologies.
WATCH PATROL is a patented, tamper-proof electronic monitoring device
that is worn by a participant like a wristwatch. WATCH PATROL signals
the participant, with an electronic alarm, to call a central monitoring
station from any nearby telephone using a 1-800 number. Each call
automatically identifies the participant and determines if the location
of the participant matches one of the approved locations provided by the
officer at enrollment. WATCH PATROL RFF is an enhanced version of WATCH
PATROL that uses radio frequency to monitor the location of a participant
within a designated location, such as the participant's home.
"WATCH PATROL RF is the most flexible and comprehensive technology
available for electronic monitoring of participants with continuous
signaling while at home and random tracking and scheduled contacts while
away," said Michael O'Donnell, EMS President and CEO. "We are confident
that our agreement with MCI will provide immediate recognition for WATCH
PATROL RF and set a new standard for monitoring technology in community
corrections programs."
The combination of WATCH PATROL and WATCH PATROL RF provide the ability
to monitor and track a participant inside the home as well as outside.
The officer can easily program the number of random alarms per day and
an optional quiet period. Furthermore, WATCH PATROL can be used to
automate scheduled contacts in addition to or as an alternate to random
tracking. With WATCH PATROL, the officer can also require a participant
to initiate additional check-in calls by activating the WATCH PATROL unit
at specified times from specified locations. This combination of options
enables program staff to establish standards for participant-initiated
reporting based on agreed upon times, movements, and attendance at
required locations.
"WATCH PATROL RF's unique ability to monitor offenders at home and
randomly track them while they are away from home is a key to MCI
selecting EMS as a strategic partner, "said Richard McGuire Director,
MCI Government Markets. "Moreover WATCH PATROL and WATCH PATROL RF
compliment MCI's existing menu of technologies and services in community
corrections."
HOW IT WORKS
WATCH PATROL
An electronic alarm from the WATCH PATROL device signals the participant
to call a central monitoring station from any nearby telephone using a
1-800 number. The participant's location is automatically established
using Caller ID. The participant's identity is verified by pressing the
WATCH PATROL face and holding it to the phone. When the face of the WATCH
PATROL device is pressed, it generates an electronic code which is
transmitted over the phone line to the central monitoring station.
WATCH PATROL RF
WATCH PATROL RF integrates a radio frequency transmitter into the WATCH
PATROL wrist device and has an optional companion Home Monitoring Unit
(HMU), which incorporates a radio frequency receiver. WATCH PATROL RF
can be used in random tracking, scheduled contacts, or continuous
signaling modes - or any combinations the officer may choose.
The HMU actively listens for the transmitter's signal and reports
information to the central monitoring station on movements of the
transmitter and tampering with the system. The central monitoring
station automatically compares these events against the participant's
curfew schedule and initiates notifications as required by the officer.
The HMU utilizes stored voice technology, providing verbal instructions
to the office and participant during installation and monitoring. This
simplifies installation so participants can self-install the HMU,
reducing officer field time and increasing officer safety.
MCI is the leading provider of telecommunications to the corrections
market, including MCI Time Clerk, an advanced telecommunications system
for monitoring time and attendance. EMS develops and manufactures
electronic monitoring and tracking equipment and provides monitoring
services for the community corrections market. MCI Government Markets
is the sales and marketing division of MCI that serves the U.S.
government and its agencies, state governments, and universities.
Offering managed network services, systems integration, and campusMCI
products, MCI government markets is a leader in providing
telecommunication solutions to the nation's government(s) and education
markets.
---------------------------------
Another Phone Merger: Alltel, 360
Reuters
---------------------------------
NEW YORK - Alltel Corp. (AT) has agreed to acquire 360 Communications Co.
360 share will be exchanged for 0.74 Alltel share. Alltel will also
assume about $1.8 billion in debt, the company said.
The equity value of the deal was less than the $4.8 billion price tag
cited in news reports on Friday. Shares of 360 surged about 18 percent
to $35.375 on Friday and Alltel's stock dropped $2.125 to $45.81 after
a news report said a deal was imminent.
The deal will be accounted for as a pooling of interests. The companies
did not immediately comment on how the deal will affect earnings going
forward.
Both companies primarily serve mid-size cities and smaller communities.
The complementary strategies, geographic fit and administrative
synergies will allow the combined company to reduce costs by more than
$100 million by the year 2000, the companies said.
"Alltel and 360 share a strategic objective to offer bundled
communications services throughout tightly focused geographic markets,"
Dennis Foster, 360 president and chief executive officer, said.
Foster will become vice chairman of the combined company, while Joe Ford,
Alltel's current chairman and chief executive officer, will continue to
hold those titles.
The combined company will have $4.5 billion in annual revenues, $8.6
billion in assets and more than 20,000 employees.
The deal, which is expected to close by midsummer, is subject to
shareholder and regulatory approval. Following a transition period, the
merged company will operate from Alltel's headquarters in Little Rock,
Ark., and will market its products under the Alltel brand.
Alltel provides wireless, wireline, long-distance and Internet services
to 3 million customers in 14 states, and information services to
financial and communications companies in 47 countries.
360 provides wireless communications to 2.6 million customers in more
than 100 markets in 15 states. 360 also offers residential long-distance
and paging services.
---------------------------------------------------
Lucent Managed Firewall receives ICSA Certification
FOR RELEASE: MONDAY MARCH 16, 1998
Lucent Press release
---------------------------------------------------
MURRAY HILL, N.J. - Lucent Technologies announced today that its Lucent
Managed Firewall has been certified by the International Computer
Security Association (ICSA).
"Although the Lucent Managed Firewall is already being recognized as
an industry leader, ICSA certification represents a formal acknowledgment
that our firewall meets the highest standards of this global industry,"
said Howie Gittleson, director, Lucent Internet Security Products Group.
"This certification gives our customers the level of assurance they
demand in firewalls."
The growth in overseas firewall markets is reflected by the fact that
the International Computer Security Association was known as the National
Computer Security Association until December 1997. The name change was
designed to reflect the organization's increased international presence.
Nearly one-third of ICSA's consortia members, professional members and
partners are in Europe and Asia. About 95 percent of all deployed
firewalls are currently ICSA certified, according to the association.
Providing a scalable approach to firewalls, the Lucent Managed Firewall
is among the industry's most secure, expandable and easy-to-use hardware
and software platforms for protecting data networks. The Lucent Managed
Firewall can replace or complement any Internet firewall now in use, and
it can support a variety of applications without requiring any network
reconfiguration.
For more information on the Lucent Managed Firewall, visit the company's
"Security Zone" web site at http://www.lucent.com/security. Additional
information on the ICSA can be found on the association's web site at
http://www.icsa.net.
----------------------------------------------------
GTE launches TV advertising campaign, "People Moving
Ideas," in prime time.
March 11, 1998
GTE Press Release
----------------------------------------------------
STAMFORD, Conn. -- GTE Corp. today launches a major television
advertising campaign that signals a new GTE, and positions the
company, for the first time, as a national and international
telecommunications provider.
Called "People Moving Ideas," the corporate brand campaign is part
of GTE's $100 million-plus annual advertising budget. It was created
for GTE by Ogilvy & Mather, New York.
The TV campaign kicks off March 11 with prime time ads on "The Drew C
arey Show," and "Law & Order" and follows with spots on such shows
as "Seinfeld," "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Dateline." Ads also are
slated for cable channels A&E, CNBC, CNN, Discovery, ESPN and Headline
News.
GTE also will have considerable involvement in high-profile
professional tennis and golf broadcasts such as Wimbledon and the
GTE Bryon Nelson Classic, as well as a meaningful presence on Sunday
morning news shows.
"With telecommunications providers competing fiercely on all fronts,
consumers can't distinguish one telecom company from another," said
Glen Gilbert, vice president - advertising and social responsibility.
"People Moving Ideas carves out a distinctive and compelling positioning
for our brand - a positioning that singles out GTE and lifts us above
the rest of the pack.
"At the same time, it dispels some old notions of GTE left over from
the days when we were the local telephone company -- perceptions that
are simply out of line with what we've become and where we're headed,"
Gilbert said.
The ads open with shots of planes, trucks and trains -- representing
companies that move cargo and freight -- followed by a close-up of a
large, compelling eye that dissolves into a telephone handset. The ads
then cut to fast-moving images of GTE employees, interspersed with
telecommunications services, and end with the written tagline, "People
Moving Ideas."
"There's a company out there in the business of moving things. It's
not a trucking company. It's not a shipping company. And it doesn't
carry packages overnight," says the voiceover. "It's a company in
the business of moving ideas. Via long distance, wireless, video,
Internet, Airfone, directories and local telephone lines."
** GTE Employees Are the Ads' Stars
Gilbert said GTE's decision to showcase employees rather than use a
celebrity endorser reflects both the campaign's theme and employees'
role in the company's overall success.
"We could think of no more appropriate, more compelling, more
believable ambassadors for the GTE brand than GTE employees themselves.
After all, it is our employees who move ideas for the benefit of our
customers, and no one can tell our story more genuinely than they can,"
Gilbert said.
In addition to the television campaign, GTE will continue its print
advertising, begun in January, in publications such as The Wall Street
Journal, Barron's BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, Fortune and The
Economist.
With 1997 revenues of more than $23 billion, GTE is one of the world's
largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated
telecommunications services. In the United States, GTE provides local
service in 28 states and wireless service in 17 states; nationwide long-
distance and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet
access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based
applications for Fortune 500 companies; as well as video service in
selected markets.
--------------------------------------------
Bell Atlantic, Nortel Sign $240 Million Deal
Wednesday March 18 10:11 AM EST
Routers
--------------------------------------------
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bell Atlantic said that it and Northern Telecom
have signed a $240 million deal to modernize Bell Atlantic's advanced
telecommunications network.
Bell Atlantic will use Nortel's advanced DMS switching equipment and
software to better meet customer needs for new products and advanced
services, it said.
The agreement also provides Bell Atlantic with the flexibility to license
software features to its customers more rapidly and cost effectively, the
statement said.
"We're building a public telecommunications network that is dramatically
more reliable and flexible, and offers more features than ever before,"
Bell Atlantic vice president of technology and engineering Paul Lacouture
said.
----------------------------------------
FCC Wins Ruling on Long-Distance Service
5:47pm 20.Mar.98.PST
Wired Online (www.wired.com)
----------------------------------------
WASHINGTON - A federal court today upheld the government's rejection of a
plan by SBC Communications Inc. to offer long-distance service in Oklahoma,
dealing a setback to regional Bell companies trying to expand into long
distance.
The Federal Communications Commission last June rejected SBC's Oklahoma
application, finding that the company had not met its obligation under
the 1996 Telecommunications Act to open its local network to competitors.
The US District Court for the District of Columbia, which issued today's
ruling, is also reviewing a broader appeal from BellSouth Corp. over the
FCC's rejection of a long-distance application for South Carolina.
So far, the FCC has rejected all four regional Bell company attempts
to enter the long-distance business. In addition to the Oklahoma and
South Carolina cases, the FCC rejected Ameritech Corp. in Michigan and
BellSouth in Louisiana.
In recent months, however, the FCC has initiated a more collaborative
process to help the Bell companies understand its interpretation of the
Telecom Act's requirements.
Since the FCC rejections, SBC has continued applying for permission to
offer long distance by working with regulators in Texas, Arkansas, and
Kansas and renewing its Oklahoma application. Bell Atlantic Corp. is
working with regulators in New York on a long-distance application in
that state.
SBC said in a statement its Oklahoma applications should have been approved
under the FCC's prior system, but praised the new FCC approach.
"The FCC has changed dramatically and demonstrated a more collaborative
approach," the company said. "We remain hopeful that we will provide our
customers with the full benefits of competition in local and long-distance
service this year."
FCC Chairman William Kennard said he was pleased with the decision.
"When the Bell companies open their local markets to competitors and can
in turn provide long-distance service, consumers will benefit from
increased competition and choice in both the local and long-distance
marketplace," he said in a statement.
Long-distance companies that have criticized the Bells for not opening
their local markets also praised the decision.
"Now that the Bells know that the law cannot be evaded, it's time that
they implement it as Congress intended," said Jonathan Sallet, chief
policy counsel at MCI Communications Corp.
--------------------------------------------------
IBM successfully hacks a client's computer network
Copyright © 1998 Nando.net
Copyright © 1998 Reuters News Service
--------------------------------------------------
TUCSON, Ariz. (March 23, 1998 8:30 p.m. EST http://www.nando.net) -
International Business Machines Corp.'s team of "ethical hackers"
successfully broke into an unnamed company's computer network in a
demonstration of a live attack at a computer industry conference.
IBM's team of ethical hackers, who work at its research division in
Yorktown Heights, N.Y., are paid security professionals called IBM's
Global Security Analysis Lab, who are hired by corporate customers to
detect security flaws.
A "large transportation" company, who would not be identified for security
reasons, agreed to let IBM try to penetrate its network in a demonstration
and discussion of hacking at the PC Forum conference.
The IBM researchers, who were working in New York, reported by telephone
that they successfully penetrated one of the company's file transfer
protocol (FTP) servers through the root directory and had access to
employee telephone numbers, social security numbers, payroll data and
other sensitive information. They broke into three different UNIX machines
on the network.
"Most people think hacks are random attacks," said Charles Palmer, head
of IBM Research's Global Security Analysis Lab. "They are very organized
probes." The IBM team started working on this company's network Sunday
evening, he said.
Palmer said IBM charges between $15,000 to $45,000 to perform a hack of
a company's system, with its permission, to test its security. Palmer said
because hacking is a felony, its clients sign a contract that he calls a
"get out of jail free card" specifying what IBM is allowed to do.
The IBM team, which has an 80 percent success rate in electronic break-
ins, is not a team of reformed hackers and Palmer warned the audience
that hiring former hackers can be very dangerous, and not worth the risk.
He said IBM has also had a 90 percent success rate with a physical break-
in, where IBM researchers have literally walked out of a company's offices
carrying computers, while the security guard held the doors open for them.
He said that there are currently about 100,000 hackers worldwide, but
that about 9.99 percent of those hackers are potential professional
hired hackers, who may be involved in corporate espionage, and .01 percent
are world class cyber criminals. Ninety percent are amateurs who "cyber"
joyride."
"There are about 100 people in the world I would not want touching my
computer," Palmer said, adding that hack attacks are on the rise, with
the attack on the Pentagon computers by five teenagers being a very
recent example.
IBM then offers a series of services to help a company solve its security
problems, through IBM's services business, or other companies.
"The first thing that I hope to accomplish is to raise awareness (about
security problems)," Palmer said.
------------------------------------
FCC Asked to Resolve Wiretap Dispute
Wired News Report
3:01pm 27.Mar.98.PST
------------------------------------
The US Justice Department and the FBI today sought the FCC's help in
resolving a dispute with the telecom industry over preserving their
ability to tap telephone lines in the digital age.
A 1994 law requires telcos to make digital wiretapping technology
available to law enforcement. But three years of negotiations later,
the industry and the government are at a stand-off.
One of the points of contention is the technical changes telcos must make
to ensure that phones and other communications can be tapped legally as
digital technology replaces analog lines. Another concern is money -
how much will it cost, and how much would the government and industry pay?
The Justice Department and the FBI argued in petitions to the FCC that the
industry's offer "is not adequate to ensure that law enforcement will
receive all of the communications content and call-identifying information"
and asked that the regulatory agency find a solution by 28 September.
The cellular phone industry welcomed the petition. "It will be helpful
to the industry, which had been trapped," said Cellular Telecommunications
Industry Association spokesman Jeff Nelson.
------------------------------------------
Hacking Posse (Mostly) Leaves Web in Peace
by James Glave
7:00pm ounted among their members two of
the three teens implicated in recent attacks on US military Web servers
have stated that their days of defacing Web sites are over - sort of.
"We, the Enforcers, have decided that it would be in the best interests
of the hacking community and the security community at large to cease and
desist all Web site hacking of external businesses," an Enforcers statement
read. But an Enforcers member who goes by the name "paralyse" told Wired
News that the declaration came with a catch.
The truce applies only to "external" sites, which paralyse defined as
"sites external to the goals of the group." Their self-professed mission
has been the elimination of online child pornography and racism, but
critics have suggested that claim is a false front.
Enforcers also stopped short of calling an end to denial of service
attacks. Those attacks, which clog up servers, denying network access to
legitimate users, are far more destructive than what otherwise has amounted
to graffiti scrawled on random Web sites.
When asked if the declaration also extended to denial-of-service attacks,
paralyse said, "I can't comment on that."
The Enforcers are a close-knit hacking group of about 25 to 30 people,
of varying ages, from around the world. Group members have claimed that
some of their ranks have defaced numerous Web sites, and also have
allegedly launched denial-of-service attacks against Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels.
"Most warez people [software pirates] tend to say they are against child
porn also, but warez doesn't help or justify anything, nor does it prevent
child porn," said an IRC operator who goes by the name "play."
"Same goes for hacking, what relevance does it have?" asked play. IRC
operators are the overlords of the global text-based chat network called
the Undernet, the meeting place for Enforcers and many other hacking
groups.
Another IRC operator named "danie," agreed that the Enforcers declaration
was meaningless.
"I don't think they'll stop harassing the small powerless individuals,"
danie said. "Perhaps commercial sites will have some reprieve ... but it's
their [enforcers'] drug. They have to do something, their threats are a
dead end and they perhaps realize it but I don't think they will hold to
it ... no," he said.
Another IRC operator said that Analyzer, the youth arrested in Israel for
allegedly breaking into more than 400 US government Web servers, had
attacked ISPs with denial-of-service attacks.
"The ISP I work for has been attacked by Analyzer at least once," said the
operator, who goes by the name "OmniDynmc."
On Friday, Infowar, an online resource dedicated to fighting threats to
network infrastructure, put out a news release stating that Ian A. Murphy,
CEO of IAM/Secure Data Systems, had been negotiating with the Enforcers
and come to an agreement.
But Enforcers recently had a falling out with Murphy, and paralyse said
Murphy's press release, which went out over PR Newswire, is not an entirely
accurate account of their position.
"I want two things from [the Enforcers declaration]," paralyse told Wired
News. "1) less government and corporation scrutiny and 2) less press hype
- so that should hopefully have an effect," he said.
Neither representatives for Infowar, nor Ian A. Murphy, could be reached
for comment.
------------------------------
Shootout on the Phone Frontier
by Randolph Court
1:13pm 30.Mar.98.PST
wired online (www.wired.com)
------------------------------
Last week, two phone companies that are distinctly not household names
announced a deal that they hope will allow them to compete with the
likes of AT&T, Sprint, WorldCom-MCI, and a host of overseas telecoms
that have wedged their way into public consciousness.
Delta Three, a company that claims to operate the largest Internet
telephony network in the world, with 18 points of presence, joined
with ITXC Corp., an aspiring broker of Internet telephony services, to
form what they heralded as a network of networks in their business.
The deal, announced as the industry prepares to meet at this week's Voice
on the Net '98 conference, highlights the rapid growth in Internet
telephony. But it also suggests at least two pitfalls for small players
seizing on the opportunity to grab part of the global voice-telephony
market from the well-heeled companies that have come to own the sector:
First, the giants are awakening. Exhibit A might be Deutsche Telekom's
announcement earlier this month that it is committed to spending 10
billion marks (nearly US$5 billion) in establishing itself in the Internet
protocol telephony business.
Second: While small players still can steal a march on the big firms, they
face a lack of standardization in the way IP telephony is deployed that
makes it tough to build new voice empires.
Internet telephony service providers already allow customers to call
anywhere. Using a standard telephone or a computer with a microphone and
speakers, you can dial into a gateway server, and ultimately have a call
terminated anywhere on the public switched network.
That arrangement falls short of the promise of IP telephony. To achieve
the full cost savings of sending voice in packets, just like any Internet
data, both the point of call origin and the point of termination should be
on IP networks (though not necessarily on the Net).
To further compound the problem, no standards exist in the emerging
industry, so IP telephony gateways made by different manufacturers can't
talk to each other.
ITXC's mission is to help strengthen individual Internet telephony
providers by offering a central clearinghouse, dubbed WWeXchange, for
crucial services. The company aims to supply IP phone firms with network
development and oversight services, call routing, customer authorization,
bill settlement, and call record processing.
IP phone firms are like islands, Mary Evslin, vice president of marketing
at ITXC, says. And to build a viable industry, she adds, "there has to be
someone who connects all of these islands together."
ITXC's target for launching WWeXchange is to have banded together Delta
Three's 18 points of presence with about another 25.
Because competition in the US telecom market has already reduced prices,
Evslin, her husband Tom (formerly AT&T vice president in charge of the
firm's WorldNet service), and their colleagues at ITXC have been trotting
the globe to sign up partners for WWeXchange.
The company is looking for overseas entrepreneurs and existing Internet
service providers willing to make the relatively modest investment -
gateways can be had for around $30,000 - to set themselves up as an IP
phone firm.
"If you're an ITSP in Honduras," said Evslin, "chances are, you have
customers wanting to make cheap long-distance calls ... to where there
are a lot of Honduran expats. Say Taiwan," she hypothesized.
In such a case, she said, ITXC would encourage someone to set up IP phone
services in both places. Once that's accomplished, ITXC would target other
potential markets for both Honduran and Taiwanese customers.
Probe Research, a telecommunications and data networking market research
firm, forecasts that demand for those savings will make IP services add
up to a $6.3 billion market in 2002. At that point, according to Probe
Research, IP telephone and fax traffic will account for something
approaching 10 percent of total long-distance traffic.
The competition to get a piece of that pie is heating up. The deal
announced this week between ITXC and Delta Three is just one of many to
hit the pressxpand the
service rapidly.
There are a slew of other upstart players offering a variety of services
and gateway products in the IP space, including IDT (a newly minted partner
of Yahoo), Biztranz, Inter-Tel, VIP Calling, and VocalTec (one of Deutsche
Telekom's IP phone partners).
One specter for ITXC's plan to be an IP services broker is the possibility
that industry heavies will get serious about the sector sooner rather than
later, said Chris Mines, an analyst with Forrester Research.
Kim Malone, an executive vice president for Delta Three, acknowledges that
AT&T, MCI-Worldcom, Sprint, and other established long-distance carriers
will get into the game. But she said she believes the big players will
resist cannibalizing their existing business with low IP phone prices.
That reluctance ought to give smaller, foxier companies the chance to
undersell big rivals and still make a healthy profit, she said.
Said ITXC's Evslin: "I don't care how many competitors there are. There's
going to be enough business for everyone."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Lucent Technologies intelligent networking
features to bring GSM network operators enhanced capabilities
FOR RELEASE: MONDAY MARCH 30, 1998
-------------------------------------------------------------
MURRAY HILL, NJ -- Lucent Technologies today unveiled a new suite of
intelligent networking (IN) software thomers simply buy
PrePaid cards which contain a fixed number of call minutes/units.
Customers receive real-time call setup, charging and administration,
such as account replenishment and mid-call warning announcements.
o Virtual Private Networks (VPN): This service incorporates phone, mobile
or PBX into a closed 'private network.' Mobile network facilities are
configured to maximize the use of the network operator's existing
infrastructure investment. VPN saves customers money on calls, provides
consolidated and itemized bills, and minimizes the potential for phone
misuse.
o Personal Number: Allows subscribers to be reached with just one number.
Customers can receive calls wherever they are, or have calls routed to a
single voicemail system for later retrieval. With this service, call
completion rates rise, as does customer satisfaction.
o Usage Limitation: Helps prevent misuse and fraud by setting call usage
limitations based on daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Once an account
reaches a pre-set limit, a report is generated, allowing network operators
to take appropriate action, such as contacting the subscriber.
o Advanced Routing Services: Allows customers to decide how their calls
will be routed. Services include Advanced Freephone, which allows
customers to call a service subscriber for free, Split Charging, which
divides the cost of the call between the calling and called parties,
among others.
"Lucent has more than 25 years of experience in intelligent networks and
over 250 systems with multiple services deployed worldwide," said Curtis
Holmes, intelligent network vice president for Lucent's Communications
Software Group. "Bringing this knowledge and experience to the GSM market
enables us to help GSM network operators differentiate themselves from the
competition and attract new customers."
Lucent provides a full range of IN offerings with a platform that has all
the tools needed to design, administer and deploy value-added services
with speed and efficiency. IN software will play a key role in helping
network operators evolve to third generation wireless systems. It also
helps protect GSM network operators' investments through an architecture
that is evolvable as new technologies are developed and market requirements
change. The company's system has an open, programmable platform, with
active third-party solution providers. The software introduced today is
available immediately.
In addition to its rich IN solutions, Lucent is also a major supplier of
GSM infrastructure. For example, the company has won major contracts to
supply GSM infrastructure equipment to network operators around the world.
Its growing list of customers includes KG Telecom and Tuntex Telecom of
Taiwan, T-Mobil of Germany, Pacific Link of Hong Kong, Escotel of India
and Celcom of Malaysia. Lucent has also successfully completed the first
GSM 1800 network trial in the Philippines.
-------------\\the goddamned end of it all or something\\---------------
-anchorman
ooooooooooooooooooooo
o o
o p.l.e.a.s.e o
o s.u.b.m.i.t o
o o
ooooooooooooooooooooo :)
+----------------------------+
| Hacking |
| WinShield |
+----------------------------+
by Neptunium Overkill
INTRODUCTION: This is just a brief follow-up to my article last month on
getting the school's internet password. This is only for people whos schools
use a retarted little program called WinShield.
Okay, the following is a bug i discovered in the WinShield. Here's how ya do it:
Open Internet Explorer. If your school uses Netscape you can still access it
from Start/Programs/Accessories/Internet Tools/Internet Explorer. In the box
where you type web addresses type "C:\" and VIOLA! you have complete access to
the C: drive! Now have phun! If you are thinking "What the hell does
this have to do with last month's article?" Well, now you can type "A:\" in the
web site box thingy and run the keystroke logger discussed last month! Not
a great "Shield" is it?
Where is everything?
Why is this so short you might ask? Well, it's the pre-realease.
Unfortunately, due to a hardware error, my linux box crashed and that's where
most of the articles are. If you could please re-send them to me, I will
continue trying to pry them off of my box at the same time. Look for the
final release in the next week. --Sphinx
