Since the author also requests remuneration, we would ask these

W >> Winn Schwartau >> Since the author also requests remuneration, we would ask these

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"You have it all wrong. Hackers aren't the ones." The voice was
earnest.

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked innocuously.

"Your articles keep saying that hackers cause all the trouble on
computers. You're wrong."

"Says who?" Scott decided to play along.

"Says me. You obviously don't know about the Code."

"What code?" This was getting nowhere fast.

"Listen, I know your phone is tapped, so I only have another few
seconds. Do you want to talk?"

"Tapped? What is this all about?" The annoyance was clear in
Scott's voice.

"You keep blaming everything on hackers. You're wrong."

"Prove it." Scott gave this phone call another 10 seconds.

"I've been inside the NASA computers."

That got Scott to wake up from the droll papers on his desk.
"Are you telling me you wrote the message . . .?" Scott could
not contain his incredulity.

"God, no." Captain Kirk was firm. "Do you have a modem? At
home?"

"Yeah, so what." Scott gave the caller only another 5 seconds.

"What's the number?"

"Is this love or hate?" Time's up thought Scott.

"News."

"What?"

"News. Do I talk to you or the National Expos<130>? I figured
you might be a safer bet." The voice who called himself Captain
Kirk gave away nothing but the competitive threat was effective.

"No contest. If it's real. What have you got?" Scott paid atten-
tion.

"What's the number?" the voice demanded. "Your modem."

"Ok! 914-555-2190." Scott gave his home modem number.

"Be on at midnight." The line went dead.

Scott briefly mentioned the matter to his editor, Doug, who in
turn gave him a very hard time about it. "I thought you said
virus hacker connection was a big ho-hum. As I recall, you said
they weren't sexy enough? What happened?"

"Eating crow can be considered a delicacy if the main course is
phenomonal."

"I see," laughed Doug. Creative way out, he thought.

"He said he'd been plowing around NASA computers," Scott argued.

"Listen, ask your buddy Ben how many crackpots admit to crimes
just for the attention. It's crap." Doug was too jaded, thought
Scott.

"No, no, it's legit," Scott said defensively. "Sounds like a
hacker conspiracy to me."

"Legit? Legit?" Doug laughed out loud. "Your last column just
about called for all computer junkies to be castrated and drawn
and quartered before they are hung at the stake. And now you
think an anonymous caller who claims to be a hacker, is for
real? C'mon, Scott. You can't have it both ways. Sometimes
your conspiracies are bit far fetched . . ."

"And when we hit, it sells papers." Scott reminded his boss that
it was still a business.

Nonetheless, Doug made a point that hit home with Scott. Could
he both malign computer nerds as sub-human and then expect to
derive a decent story from one of them? There was an inconsist-
ency there. Even so, some pretty despicable characters have
turned state's evidence and made decent witnesses against their
former cohorts. Had Captain Kirk really been where no man had
been before?

"You don't care if I dig a little?" Scott backed off and played
the humble reporter.

"It's your life." That was Doug's way of saying, "I told you
there was a story here. Run!"

"No problem, chief." Scott snapped to mock attention and left
his editor's desk before Doug changed his mind.

* * * * *

Midnight
Scarsdale, New York

Scott went into his study to watch Nightline after grabbing a
cold beer and turned on the light over his computer. His study
could by all standards be declared a disaster area, which his ex-
wife Maggie often did. In addition to the formal desk, 3 folding
tables were piled high with newspapers, loose clippings, books,
scattered notes, folders, magazines, and crumpled up paper balls
on the floor. The maid had refused to clean the room for 6
months since he blamed her for disposing of important notes that
he had filed on the floor. They were back on good terms, he had
apologized, but his study was a no-man's, or no maid's land.

Scott battled to clear a place for his beer as his computer
booted up. Since he primarily used his computer for writing, it
wasn't terribly powerful by today's standards. A mere 386SX
running at 20 megahertz and comparatively low resolution VGA
color graphics. It was all he needed. He had a modem in it to
connect to the paper's computer. This way he could leave the
office early, write his articles or columns at home and still
have them in by deadline. He also owned a GRiD 386 laptop com-
puter for when he traveled, but it was buried beneath a mound of
discarded magazines on one of the built-in floor to ceiling
shelves that ringed the room.

Scott wondered if Kirk would really call. He had seemed paranoid
when he called this afternoon. Phones tapped? Where did he ever
get that idea? Preposterous. Why wouldn't his phone at home be
tapped if the ones at work were? We'll see.

Scott turned the old 9" color television on the corner of the
desk to Nightline. Enough to occupy him even if Kirk didn't call.

He set the ComPro communications program to Auto-Answer. If
Kirk, or anyone else did call him, the program would automatical-
ly answer the phone and his computer would alert him that someone
else's computer had called his computer.

He noticed the clock chime midnight as Nightline went overtime to
further discuss the new Soviet Union. Fascinating, he thought.
I grow up in the 60's and 70's when we give serious concern to
blowing up the world and today our allies of a half century ago,
turned Cold War enemy, are talking about joining NATO.

At 12:02, Scott Mason's computer beeped at him. The beeping
startled him.

He looked at the computer screen as a first message appeared.

WTFO

Scott didn't know what to make of it, so he entered a simple
response.

Hello.

The computer screen paused briefly then came alive again.

ARE YOU SCOTT MASON?

Scott entered 'Yes'.

THIS IS KIRK

Scott wondered what the proper answer was to a non-question by a
computer. So he retyped in his earlier greeting.

Hello. Again.

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME?

What a question! Scott answered quickly.

Please be gentle.

NO . . .AT CHATTING ON COMPUTER . . .

I call the computer at work. First time with a stranger. Is it
safe?

Scott had a gestalt realization. This was fun. He didn't talk
to the paper's computer. He treated it as an electronic mailbox.
But this, there was an attractiveness to the anonymity behind the
game. Even if this Kirk was a flaming asshole, he might have
discovered a new form of entertainment.

VERY GOOD. YOU'RE QUICK.

Not too quick, sweetheart.

IS THIS REALLY SCOTT MASON?

Yes.

PROVE IT.

Kirk, or whoever this was, was comfortable with anonymity, obvi-
ously. And paranoid. Sure, play the game.

You screwed up the NASA launch.

I DID NOT!!!!!!!!!! OK, IT'S YOU.

Glad to know it.

YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG.

What do I have wrong?

ABOUT HACKERS. WE'RE NOT BAD. ONLY A FEW BAD APPLES, JUST LIKE
COPS AND REPORTERS. I HOPE YOU'RE A GOOD GUY.

You called me, remember?

STILL, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU THINK.

Sure, I think.

NO NO NO . . .HACKERS. WE'RE BASICALLY A GOOD LOT WHO ENJOY
COMPUTERS FOR COMPUTERS SAKE.

That's what I've been saying

REALLY. HEY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT A HACKER REALLY IS?

A guy who pokes his nose around where it's not wanted. Like in
NASA computers.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THE PRESS SAYS AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTRY
THINKS. BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SO.

So, change my mind.

LET ME GIVE YOU THE NAMES OF A FEW HACKERS. BILL GATES. HE
FOUNDED MICROSOFT. WORTH A COUPLE OF BILLION. MITCH KAPOR.
FOUNDED LOTUS. STEVE WOZNIAK FOUNDED APPLE. GET THE POINT?

You still haven't told me what you think a hacker is.

A HACKER IS SOMEONE WHO HACKS WITH COMPUTERS. SOMEONE WHO ENJOYS
USING THEM, PROGRAMMING THEM, FIGURING OUT HOW THEY WORK, WHAT
MAKES THEM TICK. PUSHING THEM TO THE LIMIT. EXTRACTING EVERY
LAST INCH OF POWER FROM THEM. LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. WHAT
DO YOU CALL SOMEONE WHO PLAYS WITH AMATEUR RADIOS?

A Ham.

AND WHAT DO YOU CALL SOMEONE WHO HAS A CALCULATOR IN HIS SHORT
POCKET WITH A DOZEN BALLPOINT PENS?

In my day it was a sliderule, and we called them propeller heads.

THAT TRANSLATES. GOOD. AND WHAT DO YOU CALL SOMEONE WHO FLIES
AIRPLANES FOR FUN?

A fly boy, space jockey.

A CAR TINKERER?

A grease monkey

AND SOMEONE WHO JUMPS OUT OF PLANES?

Fucking crazy!!!!

FAIR ENOUGH. BUT HERE'S THE POINT. DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIF-
FERENT FOLKS. AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO
PLAY WITH COMPUTERS ARE CALLED HACKERS. IT'S AN OLD TERM FROM
THE 60'S FROM THE COLLEGES, AND AT THAT TIME IT WASN'T DEROGATO-
RY. IT DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS THAT IT DOES
TODAY THANKS TO YOU. HACKERS ARE JUST A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO PLAY
WITH COMPUTERS INSTEAD OF CARS, BOATS, AIRPLANES, SPORTS OR
WHATEVER. THAT'S IT, PURE AND SIMPLE.

Ok, let's accept that for now. What about those stories of
hackers running around inside of everybody else's computers and
making computer viruses and all. Morris and Chase were hackers
who caused a bunch of damage.

WHOA! TWO SEPARATE ISSUES. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF HACKERS WHO DO
GO PROBING AND LOOKING AROUND OTHER PEOPLE'S COMPUTERS. AND I
AM PROUD TO ADMIT THAT I AM ONE OF THEM.

Wait a minute. You first say that hackers are the guys in the
white hats and then you admit that you are one of those criminal
types who invades the privacy of others.

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOOKING AROUND A COMPUTER
READING ITS FILES AND DESTROYING THEM. I REMEMBER READING ABOUT
THIS GUY WHO BROKE INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES WHEN THEY WERE OUT OF
TOWN. HE LIVED IN THEIR HOUSE UNTIL THEY CAME BACK AND THEN
LEFT. HE USED THEIR FOOD, THEIR TV, THEIR SHOWER AND ALL, BUT
NEVER STOLE ANYTHING OR DID ANY DAMAGE. THAT'S KINDA WHAT HACK-
ERS DO.

Why? For the thrill?

OH, I GUESS THAT MAY BE PART OF IT, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE THAN
THAT. IT'S A THIRST, AT LEAST FOR ME, FOR KNOWLEDGE.

That's a line of crap.

REALLY. LET'S COMPARE. LET'S SAY I WAS WORKING IN A GARAGE AND
I WAS CAR ENTHUSIAST BUT I DIDN'T OWN AND COULDN'T AFFORD A
FERRARI. SO, DURING THE DAY WHEN MY CUSTOMERS ARE AT WORK, I
TAKE THEIR CARS OUT FOR A RIDE . . .AND I EVEN REPLACE THE GAS.
I DO IT FOR THE THRILL OF THE RIDE, NOT FOR THE THRILL OF THE
CRIME.

So you admit hacking is a crime?

NO NO NO NO. AGREED, ENTERING SOME COMPUTERS IS CONSIDERED A
CRIME IN SOME STATES, BUT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IF YOU LEAVE
YOUR COMPUTER PASSWORD TAPED TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR DESK DRAWER
YOU CAN GO TO JAIL. I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

You made that up.

CHECK IT OUT. I DON'T KNOW THE LEGAL JARGON, BUT IT'S TRUE.
THE ISSUE IS, FOR THE GUY WHO DRIVES PEOPLE'S CARS WITHOUT THEIR
PERMISSION, THAT IS REALLY A CRIME. I GUESS A GRAND FELONY.
RIGHT? EVEN IF HE DOES NOTHING BUT DRIVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK.
BUT WITH COMPUTERS IT'S DIFFERENT.

How is it different?

FIRST THERE'S NO THEFT.

What about theft of service?

ARGUABLE.

Breaking and entering.

NOT ACCORDING TO MY FRIEND. HIS FATHER IS A LAWYER.

But, you have to admit, you are doing it without permission.

NO, NOT REALLY.

Aw, come on.

LISTEN. LET'S SAY THAT YOU LIVE IN A HOUSE.

Nice place to make a home.

AND LET'S SAY THAT YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS DECIDE TO LEAVE THE
KEYS TO YOUR HOUSES ON THE CURB OF YOUR STREET EVERY DAY. EVEN
WHEN YOU'RE HOME. SO THAT ANYONE WHO COMES ALONG CAN PICK UP THE
KEYS AND WALK INTO YOUR HOUSE ANYTIME THEY WANT TO.

That's crazy.

OF COURSE IT IS. BUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DID THAT AND THEN
YOUR HOUSE GOT BROKEN INTO AND YOU WERE ROBBED?

I guess the police would figure me for a blithering idiot, a
candidate for the funny farm, and my insurance company might have
reason not to pay me after they canceled me. So what?

THAT'S WHAT I DO. AND THAT'S WHAT MY FRIENDS DO. WE LOOK AROUND
FOR PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THE KEYS TO THEIR COMPUTERS LYING AROUND FOR
ANYONE TO PICK UP. WHEN WE FIND A SET OF KEYS, WE USE THEM.

It can't be that simple. No one would leave keys lying around
for hackers.

WRONGO MEDIA BREATH. IT'S ABSURDLY SIMPLE. I DON'T KNOW OF VERY
MANY COMPUTERS THAT I CAN'T GET INTO. SOME PEOPLE CALL IT BREAK-
ING AND ENTERING. I CALL IT A WELCOME MAT. IF YOU DON'T WANT ME
IN YOUR COMPUTER, THEN DON'T LEAVE THE FRONT DOOR OPEN.

If what you're saying is true . . .

IT IS. COMPLETELY. I HAVE THE KEYS TO HUNDREDS OF COMPUTERS
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. AND ONE WAY OR ANOTHER THE
KEYS WERE ALL LEFT LYING IN THE STREET. SO I USED THEM TO HAVE A
LOOK AROUND.

I don't know if I buy this. But, for now, I'll put that aside.
So, where do these hacker horrors come from?

AGAIN LET'S COMPARE. IF YOU LEFT YOUR KEYS IN FRONT OF YOUR
HOUSE AND HALF OF YOUR TOWN KNEW IT AND 100 PEOPLE WENT INTO YOUR
HOUSE TO LOOK AROUND, HOW MANY WOULD STAY HONEST AND JUST LOOK?

Not many I guess.

BUT WITH HACKERS, THERE'S A CODE OF ETHICS THAT MOST OF US LIVE
BY. BUT AS IN ANY GROUP OR SOCIETY THERE ARE A FEW BAD APPLES
AND THEY GIVE THE REST OF US A BAD NAME. THEY GET A KICK OUT OF
HURTING OTHER PEOPLE, OR STEALING, OR WHATEVER. HERE'S ANOTHER
SOMETHING FOR YOUR FILE. EVERY COMPUTER SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY
HAS BEEN ENTERED BY HACKERS. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

That's impossible.

TRY ME. I'VE BEEN INTO OVER A THOUSAND MYSELF AND THERE ARE
THOUSANDS OF GUYS LIKE ME. AT LEAST I'M HONEST.

Why should I believe that?

WE'RE TALKING AREN'T WE.

Throw me off the track.

I COULD HAVE IGNORED YOU. I'M UNTRACEABLE.

By the way, what's your name.

CAPTAIN KIRK.

No, really.

REALLY. ON BBS THAT'S MY ONLY NAME.

How can I call you?

YOU CAN'T. WHAT'S YOUR HANDLE?

Handle? Like CB? Never had one.

YOU NEED ONE DUDE. WITHOUT IT YOU'RE A JUST A REPORTER NERD.

Been called worse. How about Spook? That's what I'm doing.

CAN'T. WE ALREADY GOT A SPOOK. CAN'T HAVE TWO. TRY AGAIN.

What do you mean we?

WE. MY GROUP. YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD OF 401 AND CHAOS AND THE
LEGION OF DOOM. WELL, I AM PART OF ANOTHER GROUP. BUT I CAN'T
TELL YOU WHAT IT'S CALLED. YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE INNER CIRCLE.
I KNOW WHAT I'LL CALL YOU. REPO MAN.

repo man

REPORTER MAN. SUSPICIOUS TOO.

I suspect that hackers are up to no good.

OK, SOME ARE, BUT THEY'RE THE EXCEPTION. HOW MANY MASS GOOD
SAMARITANS OTHER THAN MOTHER TERESA DO YOU WRITE ABOUT? NONE.
ONLY IF THEY'RE KILLED IN ACTION. BUT, MASS MURDERERS ARE NEWS.
SO ALL YOU NEWS FIENDS MAKE HEADLINES ON DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.
THE MEDIA SELLS THE HYPE AND YOU CAN'T DENY IT.

Got me. You're right, that's what the public buys. But not all
news is bad.

EXACTLY. SEE THE POINT?

At least we don't do the crime, just report it. What about these
viruses. I suppose hackers are innocent of that too.

BY AND LARGE YES. PEOPLE THAT WRITE VIRUSES AND INFECT COMPUTERS
ARE THE COMPUTER EQUIVALENT TO SERIAL KILLERS. OR HOW ABOUT THE
GUY WITH AIDS, WHO KNOWS HE'S GOT IT AND SCREWS AS MANY PEOPLE
AS HE CAN TO SPREAD IT AROUND. VIRUSES ARE DANGEROUS AND DEMENT-
ED. NO HACKER OF THE CODE WOULD DO THAT.

You keep mentioning this code. What is the code?

IT'S A CODE OF ETHICS THAT MOST OF US LIVE BY. AND IT'S CRUCIAL
TO A STABLE UNDERGROUND CULTURE THAT SURVIVES BY ITS WITS. IT
GOES LIKE THIS: NEVER INTENTIONALLY DAMAGE ANOTHER COMPUTER.

That's it?

PRETTY SIMPLE HUH?

So, you said earlier that you poke around NASA computers. And
NASA just had a pretty good glitch that rings of hackers. Some-
one broke the code.

EXACTLY. BUT NO ONE'S TAKING CREDIT.

Why would they? Isn't that a sure giveaway and a trip up the
river?

YES AND NO. MORRIS FOR EXAMPLE ADMITTED HIS MISTAKE. HE SAID HE
WAS WRITING A VIRUS FOR THE EXERCISE AND IT GOT OUT OF CONTROL.
OOPS, HE SAID, AND I'M INCLINED TO BELIEVE HIM BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
COVER HIS TRACKS. IF HE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN INTERNET
HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FOUND AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE ADMITTED IT IF
THEY EVER CAUGHT HIM. PROVING HE DID IT IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE.

So?

SO, HACKERS HAVE STRONG EGOS. THEY LIKE TO GET CREDIT FOR FIND-
ING THE KEYS TO COMPUTERS. IT BUILDS THEM A REPUTATION THAT THEY
FEED ON. VIRUS BUILDERS ARE THE SAME. IF SOMEONE BUILDS A VIRUS
AND THEN FEEDS IT INTO THE SYSTEM, HE WANTS TO GET CREDIT FOR IT.
SO HE TAKES CREDIT.

And then gets caught, right?

WRONGO AGAIN, LET'S SAY I TOLD YOU THAT IT WAS ME THAT DID THAT
STUFF AT NASA.

So it was you?

NO NO. I SAID, IF IT WAS ME, WHAT WOULD YOU DO ABOUT IT?

Uh . . .

WHAT?

I'm thinking.

WHO WOULD YOU TELL?

The police, NASA,

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?

That you did it.

WHO AM I?

Good point. Who are you?

I DIDN'T DO IT AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHO I AM. YOU SEE,
MOST OF US DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER THAN OVER THE COMPUTER. IT JUST
DON'T MATTER WHO I AM.

I don't know if I buy everything you say, but it is something to
think about. So what about the NASA thing.

I DON'T KNOW. NOBODY DOES.

You mean, I gather, nobody has owned up to it.

EXACTLY

How can I describe you? If I wanted to use you in an article.

STUDENT AT A MAJOR UNIVERSITY.

Sounds like a Letter to Penthouse Forum.

TRY THE SEX BBS.

If you've done nothing wrong, why not come forward?

NOT EVERYONE BELIEVES WHAT WE DO IS HARMLESS. NEITHER DO YOU.
YET. MIGHT BE BAD FOR MY HEALTH.

What time is it?

WON'T WORK GUY. TIME ZONES I UNDERSTAND. ONE THING. IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED, I CAN ARRANGE A TRIP THOUGH THE FIRST TRUST BANK
COMPUTERS,

Arrange a trip? Travel agent on the side.

IN A WAY WE ARE ALL TRAVEL AGENTS. JUST THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE
INTERESTED.

Let's say I am.

JUST CALL 212-555-9796. USE THE PASSWORD MONEYMAN AND THE ID IS
9796. LOOK AROUND ALL YOU WANT. USE F1 FOR HELP. I'LL CALL YOU
IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. LEAVE YOUR COMPUTER ON.

<<<<<>>>>>

****************************************************************

Chapter 13

Wednesday, November 25

HACKERS HAMPER HOLIDAY HELLO'S
By Scott Mason

As most of my readers know by now, I have an inherent suspicion
of lame excuses for bureaucratic bungling. If any of you were
unable to make a long distance phone call yesterday, you weren't
alone.

AT&T, the long distance carrier that provides the best telephone
service in the world, handles in excess of 100,000,000 calls
daily. Yesterday, less than 25% got through. Why? There are
two possible answers: AT&T's official response and another,
equally plausible and certainly more sinister reason that many
experts claim to be the real culprit.

According to an AT&T spokesperson from its Basking Ridge, New
Jersey office, "In my 20 years with AT&T, I have not seen a
crisis so dramatic that it nearly shut down operations nation-
wide." According to insiders, AT&T came close to declaring a
national emergency and asking for Federal assistance.

Airlines and hotel reservation services reported that phone
traffic was down between 65-90%! Telemarketing organizations said
that sales were off by over 80%.

Perhaps an understanding of what goes on behind the scenes of a
phone call is in order.

When you pick up your phone, you hear a dial tone that is provid-
ed by the Local Exchange Company, or as more commonly called, a
Baby Bell. The LEC handles all local calls within certain dial-
ing ranges. A long distance call is switched by the LEC to the
4ESS, a miracle of modern communications. There are 114 Number 4
and 5 Electronic Switching Systems used in all major AT&T switch-
ing offices across the country. (A few rural areas still use
relays and mechanical switches over 40 years old. When it rains,
the relays get sticky and so does the call.)

Now here's the invisible beauty. There are 14 direct connects
between each of the 114 4ESS's and every other 4ESS, each capable
of handling thousands of call at once. So, rarely do we ever get
a long distance busy signal. The systems automatically reroute
themselves.

The 4ESS then calls its own STP, Signal Transfer Point within an
SS7 network. The SS7 network determines from which phone number
the call originated and its destination. (More about that later!)
It sends out an IAM, Initial Address Message, to the destination
4ESS switch and determines if a line is available to complete the
call. The SS7 is so powerful it can actually create up to 7
additional virtual paths for the heaviest traffic. 800 numbers,
Dial a Porn 900 numbers and other specially coded phone numbers
are translated through the NCP( Network Control Point) and routed
separately. Whew! Had enough? So have I.

The point is, massive computer switches all across our nations
automatically select the routing for each call. A call from
Miami to New York could be sent through 4ESS's in Dallas, Los
Angeles and Chicago before reaching its ultimate destination.
But what happened yesterday?

It seems that the switches got real stupid and slowed down. For
those readers who recall the Internet Worm in November of 1988
and the phone system slowdown in early 1990 and then again in
1991, computers can be infected with errors, either accidentally
or otherwise, and forced to misbehave.

AT&T's explanation is not satisfying for those who remember that
AT&T had said, "it can never happen again."

Today's official explanation is; "A minor hardware problem in one
of our New York City 4ESS switches caused a cascading of similar
hardware failures throughout the network. From all appearances,
a faulty piece of software in the SS7 networks was the culprit.
Our engineers are studying the problem and expect a solution
shortly. We are sorry for any inconvenience to our valued cus-
tomers."

I agree with AT&T on one aspect: it was a software problem.

According to well placed sources who asked to remain anonymous,
the software problems were intentionally introduced into AT&T's
long distance computers, by person or persons yet to be identi-
fied. They went on to say that internal investigation teams have
been assigned to find out who and how the "bug" was introduced.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, AT&T is expected,
they say, to maintain the cover of a hardware failure at the
request of the public relations Vice President.

AT&T did, to their credit, get long distance services up and
running at 11:30 P.M. last night, only 9 hours after the problem
first showed up. They re-installed an older SS7 software ver-
sion that is widely known to contain some "operational anomalies"
according to the company; but they still feel that it is more
reliable than what is currently in use.

If, in fact the biggest busy signal in history was caused by
intruders into the world's largest communications systems, then
we need to ask ourselves a few questions. Was yesterday a sym-
bolic choice of dates for disaster or mere coincidence? Would
the damage have been greater on a busier business day? Could it
affect our defense systems and the government's ability to commu-
nicate in case of emergency? How did someone, or some group,
get into AT&T's computers and effect an entire nation's ability
to do business? And then, was there a political motivation
sufficient to justify am attack om AT&T and not on Sprint or MCI?

Perhaps the most salient question we all are asking ourselves,
is, When will it happen again?

This is Scott Mason, busy, busy, busy. Tomorrow; is Big Brother
listening?

* * * * *

Friday, November 27
Times Square, New York

The pre-winter overnight snow-storm in New York City turned to
sleet and ice as the temperature dropped. That didn't stop the
traffic though. Hundreds of thousands of cars still crawled into
Manhattan to insure downtown gridlock. If the streets were
drivable, the city wouldn't stop. Not for a mere ice storm.

Steam poured from subway grates and manhole covers as rush hour
pedestrians huddled from the cold winds, tromping through the
grimy snow on the streets and sidewalks.

The traffic on 42nd street was at a near standstill and the
intersection at Broadway and 7th Avenues where the Dow Chemical
Building stood was unusually bad. Taxis and busses and trucks
and cars all fought for space to move.

As the southbound light on 7th turned green, a dark blue Ford
Econoline van screeched forward and cut off two taxis to make a
highly illegal left turn. It curved too quickly and too sharply
for the dangerously icy conditions and began to slide sideways.
The driver turned the wheel hard to the left, against the slide,
compensating in the wrong direction and then he slammed on the
brakes. The van continued to slide to the right as it careened
toward the sidewalk. The van rotated and headed backwards at the
throngs of pedestrians. They didn't notice until it was too
late.