. | . |
French reporters booted from US computer security conference Las Vegas, Nevada (AFP) Aug 7, 2008 Reporters from an online French magazine were booted from the world's premier computer security conference Thursday after reportedly hacking a press room network and stealing peers' passwords. An accused trio from Global Security Magazine said they intended to teach reporters about how easily Internet transmissions could be intercepted while covering the Olympics in China, according to Black Hat conference organizers. "It's not good manners to go in and try to crack into the press network here because it is so valuable to having the conference covered well," said Electronic Frontier Foundation senior attorney Kurt Opsahl. "The press room is designed to be a safe harbor in a fairly stormy sea." The magazine reporters plugged into a wired network in a Black Hat press room and evidently "sniffed" out log-in information used by peers. The reporters, identified by Black Hat as Mauro Israel, Marc Brami and Dominique Jouniot, took their finds to computer specialists operating a "Wall of Sheep" at the conference. The Wall of Sheep has become legendary at an annual DefCon hackers gathering and made its premier debut at Black Hat this year. Wall operators scour wireless computer transmissions, capturing unsecure password and account information. The data is edited to prevent it being used but left recognizable enough to embarrass people for leaving themselves vulnerable online. Those tending to the Wall at Black Hat said their objective is to humiliate people into better protecting themselves. The Wall refused to post the passwords purportedly pilfered by the magazine reporters. The accused reporters were escorted out and their access badges confiscated. They could not be reached for comment. Opsahl said that while signs warn Black Hat goers that wireless Internet transmissions are being "sniffed," snooping a press room's wired network could violate US laws. Global Security Magazine has been a longtime sponsor of Black Hat, which said it doesn't intend to take legal action in the case. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues
British computer hacker loses appeal over US extradition London (AFP) July 30, 2008 A British man accused of hacking into the computer systems of the US military and NASA on Wednesday lost his appeal against extradition to face trial. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |