DATE=2/10/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CYBERHACKER INVESTIGATION (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259032
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO:  The U-S Justice Department is investigating 
what it calls the largest computer attack on the 
Internet in memory.  For three days this week, hackers 
prevented millions of people from being able to reach 
popular Internet sites such as Yahoo, E-Bay and 
Amazon-dot.com.   Correspondent Nick Simeone in 
Washington reports prosecutors are looking for the 
electronic trail that will lead them to the culprits.

TEXT:  Because anyone with a computer can gain access 
to the web, anyone it seems, can also shut down 
websites, or at least sabotage and block access to 
them.   That means the cyber-attackers who disrupted 
e-commerce on several high profile websites this week 
could be doing it from just about any place on earth.

            /// FIRST HOLDER ACT ///

      You do not have to have a great amount of 
      computer expertise or very sophisticated 
      equipment in order to do this kind of attack.

            /// END ACT ///

Deputy U-S Attorney General Eric Holder is appealing 
to Internet service providers to help authorities 
catch and prosecute whoever was responsible

            /// SECOND HOLDER ACT ///

      Internet security must be a community-wide 
      effort.  The private sector needs to take 
      additional steps to safeguard their computer 
      systems. 

            /// END ACT ///

But first, who ever carried out these attacks has to 
be found, and authorities don't even know where they 
are.  It would be much more difficult for American law 
enforcement to prosecute a computer hacker, say in 
China than one in Kansas City.   Complicating the case 
is the fact that investigators believe the attacks may 
be originating from hundreds of different computers, 
with hackers jamming well-known websites by 
deliberately overloading them. 

            /// FIRST MALLETT ACT ///

      [It is] Like a million people dialing all at 
      once, dialing into one server, and it clogged.

            /// END ACT ///

Jeff Mallett is president of Yahoo, which saw its site 
attacked Monday.

            /// SECOND MALLETT ACT ///

      People can come in from so many access points 
      that it's almost impossible to make sure this 
      doesn't happen again. 

            /// END ACT ///

Tuesday's attacks coincided with sharp losses on the 
technology-driven Nasdaq stock market.  Analysts say 
more cyber attacks on popular sites traded on the 
Nadaq - such as Amazon-dot-com -- could drive down the 
price of high-tech stocks. 

Internet security expert John Vranesevich thinks the 
culprits are not cyber-terrorists but simple trouble-
makers.

            /// VRANESEVICH ACT /// 

      In this case, we believe these people are what 
      we call socially motivated.  I think we are 
      going to find in the future that these 
      individuals are simply looking for pure 
      recognition.  If they were not trying to bring 
      down Yahoo, they'd probably be out on the 
      neighborhood streets tagging their initials on 
      buildings with spray paint. 

            /// END ACT /// 

No computer files were stolen or tampered with, and it 
could turn out that the attacks on Yahoo, Amazon-dot-
com, and other popular sites are teen-age pranks. But 
federal prosecutors don't consider something that 
could cost consumers and industry millions of dollars 
a prank, and will recommend jail time for whoever is 
found responsible.  (Signed)

NEB/NJS/ENE/gm




10-Feb-2000 17:03 PM EDT (10-Feb-2000 2203 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.