HACK ATTACK

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                          SANDY SANDFORT
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C'punks,

Was I the only one who saw ``Hack Attack'' on the Discovery 
Channel?  The promos were typically sensationalistic.  `In cyber- 
space, there is no privacy.'  `Teenage hackers can read, change
or destroy your computer files.'  `No one is safe.'  Yada, yada,
yada.

Phyber Optik was interviewed in prison.  A number of events were
illustrated using `dramatic re-enactments.'  Cop types told scary
stories that, more often than not, ended with a statement like,
``The meltdown was caused by a programming error, but it could
just have easily been done by a malicious teenage boy in his
bedroom.''

They did do a fair job of defining and distinguishing the terms: 
`hacker,' `phreaker' and `cracker.'  However, I don't recall ANY
mention of encryption as a means of protecting privacy.

Anyone else see it?


 S a n d y

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On Thu, 29 Dec 1994, Sandy Sandfort wrote:

> 
> Was I the only one who saw ``Hack Attack'' on the Discovery 
> Channel?  The promos were typically sensationalistic.  `In cyber- 
> space, there is no privacy.'  `Teenage hackers can read, change
> or destroy your computer files.'  `No one is safe.'  Yada, yada,
> yada.

I had to tape it, but yeah, I saw it. Seemed a bit retro-War Games type 
documentary to me also...
 
> They did do a fair job of defining and distinguishing the terms: 
> `hacker,' `phreaker' and `cracker.'  However, I don't recall ANY
> mention of encryption as a means of protecting privacy.

I also noticed that their re-enactor was wearing surgical gloves...? 
Seems a little strage since they supposed he was a teenager at home. Then 
again, perhaps he knows something about privacy that we do not? (I knew 
someone was rating out on me, never guessed it was my keyboard...)
Also, in one of the re-enactment he states," I'm in! I control the 
horizontal and the vertical..." yeah buddy, well I've got the brightness 
and contrast too...sheesh!

Perhaps The Dicovery Channel would like to know about encryption, etc. 
They listed their addres as:

		pheedback@discovery.com 
 

[No signature, but here's my photo..]

.........
. ''''' .
.  O O  .
.   u   .
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> 
> 
> Perhaps The Dicovery Channel would like to know about encryption, etc. 
> They listed their addres as:
> 
> 		pheedback@discovery.com 
>  
> 
You can also ftp to discovery.com where they have a small collection of
text files.

Happy New Year!