DATE=6/8/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233504
TITLE=INDIA HACKERS (L)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE 
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  OFFICIALS WHO RUN INDIA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM SAY REPORTS 
COMPUTER HACKERS PENETRATED THEIR COMPUTERS ARE GREATLY 
EXAGGERATED.  CORRESPONDENT JIM TEEPLE REPORTS FROM NEW DELHI 
THREE TEENAGE HACKERS SAY THEY PENETRATED THE INDIAN COMPUTERS 
LAST WEEK.

TEXT:  THE THREE HACKERS WHO HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES 
BEYOND THEIR COMPUTER ALIASES, SAY THEY WERE BEHIND AN 
ANTI-NUCLEAR MESSAGE WHICH SHOWED UP LAST WEEK ON THE HOMEPAGE OF
THE BHABBA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTER IN BOMBAY, NOW KNOWN AS MUMBAI.

THE THREE ALSO SAY THEY DOWNLOADED SENSITIVE E-MAIL 
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN INDIAN SCIENTISTS SENT BOTH BEFORE AND 
AFTER INDIA'S RECENT NUCLEAR TESTS.

OFFICIALS AT THE BHABBA RESEARCH CENTER WHO RUN ALL NUCLEAR 
FACILITIES IN INDIA AND WHO COORDINATED LAST MONTH'S TESTS SAY 
THE HACKERS CLAIMS ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.  BHABBA CENTER 
COMPUTER DIVISION HEAD, H. KAURA, SAYS SOMEONE ALTERED THE 
CENTER'S HOMEPAGE AND DOWNLOADED E-MAIL FROM THE HOMEPAGE 
COMPUTER.

BUT HE SAYS THAT SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM OTHER 
COMPUTERS AT THE BHABBA CENTER, WHICH IS KNOWN AS BARC. 

                  // INSERT KAURA ACTUALITY //

         THERE IS NO PHYSICAL LINK BETWEEN THE E-MAIL SERVERS AND
         THE OTHER COMPUTER SYSTEM BEING USED FOR OTHER 
         APPLICATIONS AT BARC. 

                      //  END ACTUALITY //

MR. KAURA SAYS THE E-MAIL MESSAGES THE HACKERS DOWNLOADED WERE 
ALREADY IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND NO SENSITIVE INFORMATION WAS 
REVEALED. 

// OPT //  THE THREE HACKERS, WHO SAY THEY ARE FROM HOLLAND, 
BRITAIN, AND NEW ZEALAND, ALSO SAY THEY ARE PART OF A LARGER 
GROUP CALLED "MILWORM".  THE GROUP ATTEMPTS TO PENETRATE MILITARY
COMPUTERS AROUND THE WORLD.

THE HACKERS DISCLOSED THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE ON-LINE MAGAZINE 
"WIRED," WHICH HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL E-MAIL FILES FROM THEM --  
REPORTEDLY DOWNLOADED FROM THE BHABBA CENTER.  THE FILES CONTAIN 
DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INDIA'S NUCLEAR BLASTS.  // END OPT //

THE HACKERS MADE THEIR CLAIMS JUST ONE DAY AFTER U-S DEFENSE 
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WARNED ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TERRORISTS 
BREAKING INTO MILITARY COMPUTER SYSTEMS.  THE HACKERS SAY THEY 
TOOK THEIR ACTION TO PROTEST THE INDIAN TESTS, AND THEIR NEXT 
TARGET WILL BE THE COMPUTERS WHICH HELP TO RUN PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR
PROGRAM.   (SIGNED) 

NEB/JLT/LTD/RAE

08-Jun-98 8:45 AM EDT (1245 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.