Essay Database

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 What is the Computer Underground? . . . . . . . . 11 Topography of the Computer Underground . . . . . . 20 Hacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Phreaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Pirating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Social Organization and Deviant Associations . . . 28 Mutual Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 The Structure of the Computer Underground . . . . 33 Bulletin Board Systems . . . . . . . . . . 33 Towards a BBS Culture . . . . . . . . . 37 Bridges, Loops, and Voice Mail Boxes . . . 53 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Mutual Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Pirate Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Phreak/hack groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 APPENDIX A. COMPUTER UNDERGROUND PSEUDONYMS . . . 76 APPENDIX B. NEW USER QUESTIONNAIRE FROM A PHREAK/HACK BBS . 77 Introduction The proliferation of home …

…keeping off random non-CU callers, are not effective in screening out "feds." Data and media accounts show that boards are regularly infiltrated by telephone security personnel and software companies. Also, the adoption of handles to protect identities is defeated by the consistent use of the same handle over time. But in order to obtain and maintain status and prestige in the CU one must keep the same pseudonym in order to (literally) "make a nam