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The Syndicate Report Issue 18 (part 1)
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THE SYNDICATE REPORT
Information Transmittal No. 18
(Part 1 of 2)
Released November 30, 1988
Featuring:
Cracking Government Security Codes
LD Computing & International PSTN
PacTel Proposes Definition For Bell Information Services
Of Unix, Worms, and Viruses - Science Fiction Becomes Real
Syndicate Report Brief Notes
by The Sensei
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Exposition: TSR
Once again, TSReport now excepts outside sources. Anyone can write/provide
information to The Syndicate Report. Articles/Information may be provided
through RADIO WAVES Bulletin Board System 612-471-0060. Any info such as
Busts, Phreaking, Hacking, Data / TeleCommunications, and new developments
on any the previous mentioned specialities will be: accepted, labeled, and
given full actual credit by the article/info provider(s), or writer(s). --
** All articles have been presented by me unless shown at the end of the
article as the information provider(s), or writer(s).
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Author's Note: TSR
Happy Holidays! Syndicate Report is back for another Telecommunications
Transmittal. It's been about 1 year or so since the Report was last published
(Dec. 30 '87). I stopped writing it for a few reasons: The Interstate Police
, Minneapolis Cops, and CIA kept interupting my computer activities. Info.
about the visits are in previous TS Reports.
Not a lot went on over the past year. I stopped dialing BBSs for a
while to get out of sights of any authorities. And after 2 months or so, I
lost interest in BBSing all together. Well, right now I'm in college, and I'm
just taking General Ed. courses. It's just as easy as High School so I have a
little extra time.
I don't call LD very much, but I am active on a few good local systems;
one of which I CoSysop is Radio Waves BBS. System Operator is MetalHead, or
Station Manager (on his system.) He ran a very huge system in Arizona called
ASU Underground, with 2 lines and other nice features. The numbers include:
602-967-0498 and 602-968-5284. Metalhead handed the system over to a local
friend, and then moved to the Minnesota 612 area. Dial in on both systems...
but you most likely will only see me on Radio Waves / Rockin' Alliance 612.
*Update on Radio Waves* The sysop Metal Head is going into the Marines
Dec. 5th, '88...so his brother Unknown Soldier will take the System on
that time.
-Enjoy the latest edition of La Sundikos Reportare, and please leave your
personal feedback about The Report. All comments are accepted; good or bad.
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HACKING GOVERNMENT SECURITY CODES: TSR (s&t 11\02)
Governments transfer secret messages and banks transfer funds
electronically by encoding the information in large-digit numbers that require
the receiver to know its prime factors in order to decipher the information.
Governments and banks, use large-digit numbers in security systems on
the a they provide a code too difficult to break. The number, which begins
9,412,343,607 ... and stretches on for 90 more digits, defies all previous
efforts to find its prime factors.
The factors of a number are two numbers that, when multiplied, yield a
larger number. A prime number is one that is evenly divisible only by 1 or
itself. The prime factors of 21, for example, are 3 and 7. By comparison,
the prime numbers that solved the 100-digit number are, respectively, 41 digits
and 60 digits long. Finding the prime factors of such large numbers was
to be so difficult, in fact, that many security systems assume such computa-
tions to be beyond the range of even the most powerful computers being applied
for long periods of time.
Ten years ago, everybody suggested that 80 digits were safe. Nowadays,
that's trivial. In this day and age, I think 150 would be reasonable...but as
technology doubles and triples, the number should go beyond 200 digits.
Computer Scientists have theorized that a single computer doing a million calculations per second would have needed 25 years to solve the problem. Even a state-of-the-art supercomputer such as the Cray would need about 10 months of constant computing - that as a cost of thousands of dollars per hour. HOWEVER,
the number has been factored by scientists in Chicago in 26 days.
They began their attack by breaking the problem into smaller tasks, then
framed them out to about 400 computers in the United States, Europe and
Australia through an existing Email network. All computers used in the project
worked on the factoring problem only when they were not being used for anything
else. Each time a problem was solved, it was relayed by Email to a Lab in
Chicago. The last sequence of number required to solve the entire problem
flashed across a computer screen in 26 days. Evertime the number goes up by
three digits, the time needed to compute the prime factors doubles.
(Government attempts to establish standard encryption algorithms have
always been stymied by technology - which invents code-breaking devices fater
than algorithms can be invented - and apathy among users to whom computer
security us as much fun as recharging fire extinguishers.)
If you break and bank, and make a million...remember TSR."
:::::::::::::::::::::Information Provided by The Sensei:::::::::::::::::::::
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LD COMPUTING & INTERNATIONAL PSTN: TSR (i.w 10\23)
PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network. PSTN, the international network
is the unseen entity that makes reliable voice communications possible. In the
United States, the FCC licenses private companies to provide PSTN services.
The PSTN also is in the backbone for most wide-area computer networking.
A subset of the PSTN is packet-switched data networks (PSDN), which excel
at transferring information in short messages or packets over long distances.
U.S. customers are most familiar with Tymnet, GEISCO, and Telenet. Public
PSDN link thousands of PCs with services like CompuServe and the Source. They
also provide the link to electronic mail systems like MCI Mail.
Most PSDNs have entry points in major US Cities. Links to these points
are at low speed: 300, 1200, 2400 bps. A few PSDNs are experimenting with 9600
bps general access. PSDNs require the conversion of computer data into packets
for transmission. Each packet contains a header to provide routing
information. Packet Assembly takes place before data can go through the
network. Packets disassemble when they leave the PSDN, an proceed to the
destination computer. How much does it cost to use a PSDN? In addition to
the local connection, PSDNs charge a fee based on serveral factors, including
time of day, duration of call, and volume of data.
For example, Telenet's Network User Identification (NUI) accounts cost 20$
per month, 4$ for a password, plus hourly connection fees. Connnection fees
range between 8$ to 12$ an hour for international calls; US calls are less.
Telenet also participates in an international system to link data calls to
hosts in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, The Far East, and the Pacific Basin.
Suppose you work with a company in Japan that requires periodic sessions
with its host. The Japanese host would first need to set up a direct access
facility link with Venus-P, the local PSDN. To log onto this host from the
United States, you would dial the local Telenet access number, enter the
Japanese host's ID, and your NUI and Telenet password. Finally, you would
complete the Japanese host's normal log-on process. Telenet offeres a free
directory of international services and rates.
Call 1-800-336-0437 for your local access number. Set up your communication
program. At the @ prompt, type C MAIL. Enter INTL/ASSOCIATES at the User
Name prompt, and INTL for the password.
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PACTEL PROPOSES DEFINITION FOR BELL INFORMATION SERVICES: TSR (cis 10\23)
Pacific Telesis Group has proposed a definition that would allow Bell
holding companies to provide certain types of information services that do not
substantially change the content of information sent and received by other
parties.
The California telecommunications company filed the definition change, which
was ordered by the courts on September 10, to lift certain restrictions on
information services imposed on the regional holding companies under consent
decree that broke up AT&T in '84. At that time the court indicated that the
Bell holding companies may provide "transmission-type" information services,
but not "content-related" services.
The Pacific Telesis proposal considers that transmission-type information
services include "transforming, processing, guiding, storing or retrieving
information in connection with the transmission of information, provided such
activities do not substantially alter the content of the information as sent &
received."
According to Pacific Telesis, these services may also provide introductory
information content services, billing and collection services for information
service providers and providing for the electronic delivery of directory
services which might include a list of general product and business categories,
service or product providers under these categories and their names, telephone
numbers and addresses. This definition, noted Pacific Telesis, allows for
changes in the form of transmitted messages, but in keeping with the court's
intent, doesn't allow for substantial changes to the content of messages.
"By design, the scope of the proposed definition is quite broad. We feel it
must be framed in these terms to accommodate rapid changes in industry
technology and the marketplace and, above all, to allow for easy and efficient
communication between information services providers & consumers," said Arthur
C. Latno Jr., Pacific Telesis' executive vice president. "Our definition would
allow the RHCs to offer consumers access to audiotex and videotex services & a
variety of information databases."
The proposed changes submitted to the court will be considered along with
other comments from interested parties. It's not known when the court will
issue a decision.
::::::::::::::: Information Provided by Clockwork Orange 718 :::::::::::::::
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OF UNIX, WORMS, AND VIRUSES - SCIENCE FICTION BECOMES REAL: TSR (i.w 11\27)
Many years ago a British author by the name of John Brunner wrote a
science fiction novel called 'The Shockwave Rider'. The main character, was
an indiv. who maintained his freedom by creating various personae in the
ubiquitous computer networks by which society defined itself. The odd thing
is what Brunner had right - that computer networks of the (then) future would
be susceptible to contamination by all manner of tapeworms, viruses, and other
forms of illegal code.
The virus that made the national news recently did about what Brunner's
'Shockwave Rider' TaPeWoRmS did - crawled in through a hole in the Unix
operating system on computer running on Apranet and the unclassified portions
of Milnet and took over main memory. It reminds me of the time years ago
when a bunch of kids from the Dalton School, in New York, raided the electronic
systems of Pepsico over Telenet and got cases of soda delivered to the school
free. When the FBI nabbed the so-called Dalton gang, everyone was chargrined
at how young the perpetrators were and how easily their trickery had been
conducted.
Helplessly, there's little that can be done to prevent didicated
computer indruders. Back the '60s...when Honeywell was developing the Multics
operating system for the government as the most secure of timesharing
operating systems, two Air Force colonels from Hanscom cracked into a
supposedly secure system in less than an afternoon. They were using a
teletype connected to a phone line, which had been set up in one of their
kitchens.
The odd thing is that about once a decade we get into a dither about
computer security. In the '60s is came about in the guise of worrying about
consumer privacy as great manual databases went onto disk. In the '70s it
related to some highly publicized electronic funds bank heists and material
thefts by groups like the Dalton gang. The perpetrators were often hired
later as consultants. And now, in the '80s, we've got the viruses to worry
about.
:::::::::::::::::::::::Information by The Sensei / TSR::::::::::::::::::::::
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::SYNDICATE REPORT BRIEF NOTES::
25 Prime Telecommuting Occupations (for the modem junky):
This list of 25 prime telecom. occupations identified by Electronic Services
Unlimited illustrates the wide variety of jobs that can be done on a
location - independent basis.
Travel Agents Writers
Salespersons (or Catalog Orders) Real Estate Agents (This ones mine)
BookKeepers Computer Programmers*
Lawyers Purchasing Agents
Accounting Clerks Secretaries
Clerical Support Computer Opertors*
Bank Officers (Finance, Credit*) Architects
Word Processors Data Entry Clerks
Insurance Agents Securities Brokers (Agents/Sales)
Computer Systems Analysts Accountants
Engineers* (starting pay 30k) Counselors (Vocational or Educ.)
Personal/Labor Relations (Job Analyst) Marketing Managers
...and #25 - Miscellaneous Managers (Selling LD Codes, Bank hacking for
foriegn states, Email drug rings, Cracking Consultants...you know.)
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Dial-A-Symphony:
A new recording technique that can quadruple the amount of digital
music signals stored on a compact disc has been developed by Elec. Engineers
at Queen's Univ. in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This compression of digital
information opens the possibility of transmitting high-quality music over the
telephone (2600 hz in stereo!). Householders with a suitable phone terminal
will have access to their choice of favorite music, with no deterioratioin in
quality, from a central store. The music would then be transmitted through
amps/speakers into the home.
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UDS Adapters and ISDN:
Universal Data Systems Inc. enter into the budding Intergrated Systems Ditial Network (ISDN) marketplace with a stand-alone terminal adaptor for basic-rate interface service. The UDS TA100 adapter provides two B channels operatoring at 64k bps and one D channel running at 16k bps. It permits PCs and terminals to transmit between 300 and 19,200 bps asynchronously and 2400 to 64k bps using syndronous transmission. The TA100 is designed to link with ISDN service that uses the Northern TeleCom DMS 100 DIGITAL CENTRAL OFFICE switch. Both devices use the standard LAPD protocol in the D signaling.
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MISC BELL INFO:
//Southern Bell//
Sountern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Co. is installing
fiber-optic cable to serve a residential area on Governor's Island
near Charlotte, N.C., reports Network World magazine.
FIBER OPTIC CABLE is coming to 2 residential areas near
Orlando, Fla. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co. is
installing it to deliver data, video and basic phone service, says
Network World.
//Computer Security HOT Topic//
Since the computer virus struck last week, computer security
has become the hottest topic in business. Companies such as
Electronic Data Systems Corp. say they've tried hard to protect
truly vital computer information - financial data, for example -
encircling it with complex webs of passwords and codes. A company
can lock high-level computers like electronic safes, giving few
the combination.
//Industry Said to be Lagging//
William Ferguson, vice-chairman of Nynex Corp., says the U.S.
telecommunications industry, paralyzed by battles among users,
carriers, information services providers and regulators, is
falling behind other countries, according to Network World.
TSR (tsr 11\27)
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TSR will accept additional sponsor/support Systems. If you have a certain
interest in the Report, and wish to provide support to TSR -- Leave your BBS
number - and any other information on Radio Waves / Rockin' Alliance Systems
================================\===========================================
Official Syndicate Report Sponsor System
* Radio Waves / System 1 :::: 612-471-0060
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This concludes this Transmittal No. 18
(Part 1 of 2)
by The Sensei of The Syndicate Report
Released November 30th, 1988
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