DATE=2/10/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CYBERHACKER INVESTIGATION (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259032
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The U-S Justice Department is investigating
what it calls the largest computer attack on the
Internet in memory. For three days this week, hackers
prevented millions of people from being able to reach
popular Internet sites such as Yahoo, E-Bay and
Amazon-dot.com. Correspondent Nick Simeone in
Washington reports prosecutors are looking for the
electronic trail that will lead them to the culprits.
TEXT: Because anyone with a computer can gain access
to the web, anyone it seems, can also shut down
websites, or at least sabotage and block access to
them. That means the cyber-attackers who disrupted
e-commerce on several high profile websites this week
could be doing it from just about any place on earth.
/// FIRST HOLDER ACT ///
You do not have to have a great amount of
computer expertise or very sophisticated
equipment in order to do this kind of attack.
/// END ACT ///
Deputy U-S Attorney General Eric Holder is appealing
to Internet service providers to help authorities
catch and prosecute whoever was responsible
/// SECOND HOLDER ACT ///
Internet security must be a community-wide
effort. The private sector needs to take
additional steps to safeguard their computer
systems.
/// END ACT ///
But first, who ever carried out these attacks has to
be found, and authorities don't even know where they
are. It would be much more difficult for American law
enforcement to prosecute a computer hacker, say in
China than one in Kansas City. Complicating the case
is the fact that investigators believe the attacks may
be originating from hundreds of different computers,
with hackers jamming well-known websites by
deliberately overloading them.
/// FIRST MALLETT ACT ///
[It is] Like a million people dialing all at
once, dialing into one server, and it clogged.
/// END ACT ///
Jeff Mallett is president of Yahoo, which saw its site
attacked Monday.
/// SECOND MALLETT ACT ///
People can come in from so many access points
that it's almost impossible to make sure this
doesn't happen again.
/// END ACT ///
Tuesday's attacks coincided with sharp losses on the
technology-driven Nasdaq stock market. Analysts say
more cyber attacks on popular sites traded on the
Nadaq - such as Amazon-dot-com -- could drive down the
price of high-tech stocks.
Internet security expert John Vranesevich thinks the
culprits are not cyber-terrorists but simple trouble-
makers.
/// VRANESEVICH ACT ///
In this case, we believe these people are what
we call socially motivated. I think we are
going to find in the future that these
individuals are simply looking for pure
recognition. If they were not trying to bring
down Yahoo, they'd probably be out on the
neighborhood streets tagging their initials on
buildings with spray paint.
/// END ACT ///
No computer files were stolen or tampered with, and it
could turn out that the attacks on Yahoo, Amazon-dot-
com, and other popular sites are teen-age pranks. But
federal prosecutors don't consider something that
could cost consumers and industry millions of dollars
a prank, and will recommend jail time for whoever is
found responsible. (Signed)
NEB/NJS/ENE/gm
10-Feb-2000 17:03 PM EDT (10-Feb-2000 2203 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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