DATE=2/26/98
TYPE=COMPUTER SERIES
NUMBER=7-18054

TITLE=PENTAGON COMPUTER BREAK-IN
BYLINE=DAN NOBLE
TELEPHONE=619-1014
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=SWANEY

CONTENT=

(PHONE QUALITY INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES)

INTRO:   RECENTLY (FYI - WEDNESDAY FEB 25), JOHN HAMRE, THE U.S. 
         DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY, ANNOUNCED THAT HIS AGENCY'S 
         COMPUTER NETWORK SUFFERED -- WHAT HE CALLS -- "THE MOST 
         ORGANIZED AND SYSTEMATIC ATTACK."  THE EVENT REMINDS 
         COMPUTER USERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH-TECH SECURITY. 
         DAN NOBLE HAS DETAILS.

TEXT:    THE ILLEGAL ENTRIES INTO THE PENTAGON'S COMPUTERS WERE 
         MADE INTO UNCLASSIFIED FILES WHICH INCLUDE PAYROLL AND 
         PERSONNEL DATA.  CLASSIFIED NETWORKS USE MUCH MORE 
         INTENSIVE SECURITY MEASURES.  BUT, DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
         OFFICIALS SAY BECAUSE OF THE BREAK-IN, OR "HACKING," AS 
         IT IS OFTEN CALLED, THEY INTEND TO BOLSTER SECURITY EVEN
         MORE. 

         PATRICIA FISHER IS PRESIDENT OF JANUS ASSOCIATES, A  
         STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT-BASED COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN 
         COMPUTER SECURITY.  SHE SAYS THAT PROBLEMS, LIKE THOSE 
         FACED BY THE PENTAGON, ARE COMMON.

TAPE     CUT ONE -- PAT FISHER (0:17)

         "WE FIND, CONSTANTLY, BREAK-INS.  WE ALSO FIND THAT THE 
         ABILITY TO BREAK-IN IS RATHER SIMPLE.  THAT'S MOSTLY 
         DUE, NOT TO SOFTWARE PROBLEMS, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME 
         OF THOSE, BUT IT IS OFTEN DUE TO ADMINISTRATIVE 
         PROBLEMS.  PEOPLE TAKING SHORT CUTS."

TEXT:    ACCORDING TO PAT FISHER, A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE 
         ATTEMPT TO ILLEGALLY ENTER COMPUTER SYSTEMS.  SHE SAYS 
         THAT THE INCIDENT AT THE PENTAGON APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A
         GAME THAT WAS BEING PLAYED BY A PARTICULAR GROUP OF 
         HACKERS...

TAPE:    CUT TWO -- PAT FISHER (0:19)

         "...AND, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS ALSO DONE BY A SMALL 
         NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS.  OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S VERY HARD 
         TO TRACK WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE BECAUSE THEY COME THROUGH 
         A VARIETY OF COMPUTERS TO GET TO WHEREVER THEY ARE 
         TRYING TO GET IN.  THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE, SO THAT YOU 
         CAN'T TRACK THEM.  THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO DIFFICULT."

TEXT:    SECURITY EXPERTS LIKE PAT FISHER OF JANUS DO A NUMBER OF
         THINGS TO IMPROVE SECURITY.  THE FIRST THING THEY DO IS 
         TO EXAMINE A COMPANY'S OR ORGANIZATION'S COMPUTERS TO 
         DETERMINE WHERE THEIR PROBLEM AREAS ARE, SO THAT THEY 
         CAN CLOSE THOSE PROBLEMS BEFORE A HACKER GETS INSIDE.

TAPE:    CUT THREE -- PAT FISHER (0:27)

         "IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S OKAY FOR SOMEONE TO COME TO THE 
         DOOR, AS LONG AS YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH THE DOOR.  YOU 
         ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THESE WORLDWIDE 
         NETWORKS, ESPECIALLY THE INTERNET.  YOU JUST CAN'T DO 
         IT.  BUT, YOU BETTER HAVE YOUR DOORS AND YOUR WINDOWS 
         INTO YOUR SITE, LOCKED TO PREVENT THEM.  SO, WE 
         PERIODICALLY TEST ENVIRONMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 
         DOORS AND THE WINDOWS ARE REMAINING LOCKED.  WE ALSO 
         PROVIDE SOFTWARE THAT DOES THE SAME THING."

TEXT:    ONCE IN PLACE, SAYS PAT FISHER OF JANUS, COMPUTER 
         SECURITY MEASURES ARE EFFECTIVE DETERRENTS.

TAPE:    CUT  FOUR -- PAT FISHER (0:54)

         "ABSOLUTELY.  THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PRODUCTS OUT THERE 
         THAT ARE VERY, VERY GOOD, AND METHODOLOGIES THAT ARE 
         VERY, VERY GOOD.  BUT, PEOPLE HAVE TO USE THEM.  
         (///OPT///) IF YOU USE A VERY POOR PASSWORD, OR NO 
         PASSWORD, OR SOMETHING THAT'S EASILY GUESSED, THEN YOU 
         MIGHT AS WELL NOT BOTHER WITH SECURITY.  WE FOUND, 
         RECENTLY, A SMALL PROGRAM THAT DOES BRUTE FORCE PASSWORD
         CRACKING.  THIS IS A SHAREWARE PROGRAM, AVAILABLE OVER 
         THE INTERNET, AND IT IS ABLE TO CRACK WHAT WE THOUGHT, 
         BEFORE, WERE VERY SECURE PASSWORDS.  SO, (///END OPT///)
         PEOPLE HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY UPGRADING THEIR SECURITY 
         BECAUSE THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS ROAMING AROUND 
         OUT THERE THAT LET UNINITIATED, OR NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE, 
         PEOPLE GET TO YOUR SITE AND BREAK IN.  YOU JUST HAVE TO 
         BE AWARE OF THAT, ALL THE TIME, AND TAKE MEASURES TO 
         PREVENT IT."

TEXT:    PENTAGON OFFICIALS SAYS THAT THE RECENT BREAK-IN TO ITS 
         COMPUTER SYSTEM IS SENDING IT A WAKE-UP CALL.  SECURITY 
         FEATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE UPGRADED.  WHAT HAPPENED AT 
         THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.

27-Feb-98 8:31 AM EST (1331 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.