From: The Butler / Ripco BBS Subject: An Introduction to the Computer Underground Date: February 26, 1991
* * * * An Introduction to the Computer Underground * * * * Brought to you by, * * * * The Butler… * * * * 2/26/91 * *
The Computer Underground consists of mainly two forms of media, printed and electronic, both will be discussed in this file. I use the word underground because some of the contents of this file are not the types of titles you would run across at your local bookstore or newsstand. The kind of information that makes up underground publications is mainly technical in nature, but, definitely not limited to that. One can also find tidbits about off-the-wall political views, drugs, weapons, and other topics that are not normally in the mainstream of our society.
The Computer Underground…
Com-put-er Un-der-ground \kem-`pyt-er\ \`en-der-`grand\ (1970's)
A group organized in secrecy, hidden behind aliases, to promote the free exchange of information regarding anything and everything including but not limited to Computers, Telephones, Radios, Chemicals, and ideas.
The CU is made up of men and women all over the globe and of all ages. Most of those involved in the CU consider it a hobby, but, there are those that are involved strictly for illegal purposes, i.e. Selling Pirated Software. I, like most people involved enjoy the information that can be obtained through all of the different avenues in the CU, i.e. Bulletin Boards, Underground Periodicals, Network Digests, and General Discussions between members.
The most common way members communicate is through Bulletin Boards. If you are reading this you know what a BBS is because this will not be released in printed form. There are thousands of BBSes around the world run by people for many reasons including: legitimate businesses, Software Technical Support, Hobby related, Pirated Software, Message Centers, etc…Some of the more common ones are RIPCO, Face-2-Face, Exec-PC, The Well, etc…
Currently there are many regular electronic magazines that are being published and there have been many that have discontinued for one reason or another. Some current ones include: PHRACK, NIA, PHANTASY, CUD, etc…Some discontinued ones include: PIRATE, PHUN, NARC, etc…
There is a current debate about whether or not an electronic media has the same constitutional rights as the printed one. That is for our congressmen to decide, but you could voice your opinion. I personally can't see the differ- -ence. Now, don't get me wrong I do not support the publishing of Long- distance codes or anything of that nature, but, I do support the exchange of other information, i.e. how to unprotect a game, how to make a smoke bomb, etc…
There are also "Underground Publications" like TAP, 2600, Cybertek, etc. These magazines are published in hard copy and deal with every considerable topic regarding the CU. Most of these magazines publish completely legal information that is obtained from public sources and is available to anyone and everyone.
I doubt that any of the following sources of information would mind if you use an alias to order any of their material, so I would recommend that you do just in case! You might even want to get yourself a private mail box for all of this "underground" information. I would also advise you to use a money order when purchasing anything also. They usually cost an extra 50 cents at the post office. Don't worry about using money orders with these people because I have personally made purchases from many of them without trouble.
The following information is provided to enable you to become more familiar with the CU and unusual information in general. Have fun and try not to get yourself in trouble.
Now for the meat of this Article!!!!
E L E C T R O N I C M A G A Z I N E S
PHRACK Predecessor to Phrack Classic
Author: Knight Lightning & Taran King
Network Address:c483307@umcvmb.missouri.edu
Other Address:
BBS: None
Last Issue: Phrack #30
PHRACK CLASSIC
Author: Doc Holiday, Crimson Death & Various Contributors
Network Address: pc@well.uucp or cdeath@stormking.com
Other Address:
BBS: None
Last Issue: Phrack Classic #32 11/90
LOD Legion Of Doom Technical Journals
Author: Eric Bloodaxe, Lex Luthor, Prime Suspect, Phase Jitter,
Professor Phalken, Skinny Puppy.
Network Address: None
Other Address:
BBS:
Last Issue: LOD Tech Journal #4 May 20, 1990
PHUN Phreakers/Hackers Underground Network
Author: Red Knight
Network Address: N/A
Other Address:
BBS:
Last Issue: P/HUN #5 05/07/90
ATI Activist Times, Incorporated
Author: Ground Zero
Network Address: gzero@tronsbox.xei.com
Other Address: ATI P.O. Box 2501 Bloomfield, NJ 07003
BBS:
Last Issue: ATI #53 12/05/90
NIA Network Information Access
Author: Guardian Of Time & Judge Dredd
Network Address: elisem@nuchat.sccsi.com
Other Address:
BBS:
Last Issue: NIA #70 02/91
PHANTASY
Author: The Mercenary
Network Address: None
Other Address: The I.I.R.G. 862 Farmington Ave, Suite-306,
Bristol, Ct 06010
BBS: Rune Stone 203-485-0088
Last Issue: Phantasy V1N4 1/20/91
PIRATE
Author: Various Authors
Network Address: N/A
Other Address:
BBS: N/A
Last Issue: V1 #5 April 1990
ANE Anarchy 'N' Explosives
Author: Various Authors
Network Address: N/A
Other Address:
BBS: N/A
Last Issue: #7 06/16/89
NARC Nuclear Phreakers/Hackers/Carders
Author: The Oxidizer
Network Address: N/A
Other Address:
BBS:
Last Issue: NARC #7 Fall 1989
SYNDICATE REPORTS
Author: The Sensei
Network Address:
Other Address:
BBS:
Last Issue:
This is not an attempt to list all of the known magazines but just some of the more popular ones. If I left a particular one out that you feel should of been included I apologize.
All of the above magazines can be found in the CUD archives and at many of the Bulletin Board Systems listed at the end of this file.
P R I N T E D M A G A Z I N E S
Author: Emmanuel Goldstein Network Address: 2600@well.sf.ca.us Other Address: 2600 Magazine, P.O. Box 752, Middle Island, NY 11953
2600 Magazine is published quarterly, 48 pages per issue. Subscriptions are $18 U.S. for a year in the U.S. and Canada, $30 overseas. Corporate subscriptions are $45 and $65 respectively. Back issues are available for $25 per year, $30 per year overseas and they go back to 1984.
Phone 516-751-2600 Fax 516-751-2608
TAP/YIPL Formerly YIPL "Youth International Party Line"
Now TAP "Technical Assistance Party"
TAP Magazine P.O. Box 20264 Louisville, KY 40250 Most all issues will cost $1.00 for US Citizens and $2.00 for overseas. Terms are CASH, postal money order, or regular money order with the payee left blank. BBS: 502-499-8933
Cybertek Magazine Published by OCL/Magnitude P.O. Box 64 Brewster NY 10509 $2.50 for sample issue $15 year for 6 issues
Mondo 2000 (Formerly Reality Hackers Magazine / High Frontiers) P.O. Box 10171 Berkley, CA 94709-5171 Phone 415-845-9018 Fax 415-649-9630 $24 for five issues Frank Zappa subscribes to Mondo 2000!!!
Fact Sheet Five 6 Arizona Ave Rensselaer, NY 12144-4502 $3.50 for a sample issue. $33 a year for 8 issues Phone 518-479-3707
Fact Sheet Five reviews any independent news media, i.e. 2600, TAP, Books, Music, Software, etc.
Full Disclosure by Glen Roberts P.O. Box 903-C Libertyville, Illinois 60048 Free sample issue $18 for 12 issues
Deals with Privacy, electronic surveillance and related topics.
Anvil P.O. Box 640383f El Paso, TX 79904
Computer Security Digest 150 N. Main Street Plymouth, MI 48170 Phone 313-459-8787 Fax 313-459-2720 $125 U.S. per year. Overseas $155 U.S. per year.
HAC-TIC Dutch Hacking Magazine Network Address: ropg@ooc.uva.nl Other Address: Hack-Tic P.O. Box 22953 1100 DL Amsterdam Phone: +31 20 6001480
Privacy Journal P.O. Box 15300 Washington D.C. 20003 Phone 202-547-2865
Monitoring Times 140 Dog Branch Road Brasstown, North Carolina 28902
B O O K S
Anarchist Cookbook???
Poor Man's James Bond by Kurt Saxon
Big Secrets by William Poundstone
Bigger Secrets by William Poundstone
How to get anything on anybody by Lee Lapin
Signal–Communication Tools for the Information Age A Whole Earth Catalog
(Highly Recommended!!!)
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Out of The Inner Circle by Bill Laundreth
Hackers by Steven Levy
The Cookoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll
The Shockwave Rider
Information for sale by John H. Everett
Hackers Handbook III by Hugo Cornwall
Datatheft by Hugo Cornwall
The International Handbook on Computer Crime by U. Sieber
Fighting Computer Crime by D. Parker
Foiling the System Breakers by J. Lobel
Privacy in America by D. Linowes
Spectacular Computer Crimes by Buck BloomBecker
Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman
M I S C E L L A N E O U S C A T A L O G S
Loompanics LTD P.O. Box 1197 Port Townsend, WA 98368
Paladin Press ????
Consumertronics 2011 Crescent DR. P.O. Drawer 537 Alamogordo, NM 88310 Phone 505-434-0234 Fax 500-434-0234(Orders Only)
Consumertronics sells manuals on many different hacking/phreaking related topics, i.e. "Voice Mail Box Hacking", "Computer Phreaking", etc.
Eden Press Privacy Catalog 11623 Slater "E" P.O. Box 8410 Fountain Valley, CA 92728 Phone 1-800-338-8484 24hrs, 7 days a week.
Here is the opening paragraph from their catalog:
Welcome to the Privacy Catalog, Over 300 publications explore every aspect of privacy in ways that are not only unique, but also provocative. Some books may seem "controversial", but that results only from the fact that people can enjoy many different views of the same subject. We endeavor to offer views that will prove both helpful and thoughtful in the many areas where privacy may be a concern.
Criminal Research Products 206-218 East Hector Street Conshocken,PA 19428
Investigative equipment and electronic surveillance items.
Ross Engineering Associates 68 Vestry Street New York,NY 10013
Surveillance items
Edmund Scientific CO. 101 E. Gloucester Pike Barrington, NJ 08007
Catalog of gadgets and devices including items which are useful to the surveillance craft.
Diptronics P.O. BOX 80 Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
Microwave TV Systems Catalog costs $3
Garrison P.O. BOX 128 Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Locksmithing tools and electronic security gadgets. Catalog costs $2.
Bnf Enterprises P.O. BOX 3357 Peabody, MA 01960
General electronics supplier.
Mouser Electronics 11433 Woodside avenue Santee, CA 92071
Sells most electronic components parts and equipment.
Benchmark Knives P.O. BOX 998 Gastonia, NC 28052
Call for a free catalog. (704-449-2222).
Excalibur Enterprises P.O. BOX 266 Emmans, PA 18049
Night vision devices. Catalog costs $5
DECO INDUSTRIES BOX 607 Bedford Hills, NY 10157
Sells mimiture Electronic Kits
Matthews Cutlery 38450-A N. Druid Hills RD. Decatur, GA 30033
Their catalog contains over 1000 knives and costs $1.50.
U.S. Cavalry Store 1375 N. Wilson Road Radcliff, KY 40160
Military & paramilitary clothing & gear. Catalog costs $3.
The Intelligence Group 1324 West Waters Avenue Lighthouse Point, FL 33064
Sells video equipment used for investigative purposes.
Columbia Pacific University 1415 Third Street San Rafael, CA 94901
Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees
Video & Satellite Marketeer P.O. BOX 21026 Columbus, OH 43221
Newsletter containing video, vcr, satellite dishes, etc.
Santa Fe Distributors 14400 W. 97'TH Terrace Lenexa, KS 66215
Radar detectors and microwave tv systems. (913-492-8288)
Alumni Arts BOX 553 Grant's Pass, OR 97526
Reproductions of college diplomas. Catalog costs $3
Merrell Scientific CO. 1665 Buffalo Road Rochester, NY 14624
Chemical suppliers Catalog costs $3.
K Products P.O. BOX 27507 San Antonio, TX 78227
I.D. Documents. Catalog costs $1.
City News Service P.O. BOX 86 Willow Springs, MO 65793
Press I.D. cards. Catalog costs $3.
Matthews Police Supply CO. P.O. BOX 1754 Matthews, NC 28105
Brass knuckles etc.
Taylor P.O. BOX 15391 W. Palm Beach, FL 33416
Drivers license, student I.D. cards, etc.
Capri Electronics ROUTE 1 Canon, GA 30250
Scanner accessories
Liberty Industries BOX 279 RD 4 Quakertown, PA 18951
Pyrotechnic components Catalog costs $1
DE VOE P.O. BOX 32 BERLIN PA 15530
Sells information on making electronic detonators.
Scanner World USA 10 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208
Cheap scanner receivers.
H & W P.O. BOX 4 Whitehall, PA 18052
Human Skulls, arms, legs, etc. A complete list is available for $1 and Self Addressed Stamped Envelope.
Abbie-Yo Yo Inc. P.O. Box 15 Worcester MA 01613
This is an old address that I could not verify but, they used to sell the book "Steal This Book".
For most of these catalogs you could probably play dumb and just send them a letter asking for a catalog or brochure without paying a cent. Pretending not to know that their catalogs cost anything.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S R E P O R T S & P A P E R S
Crime & Puzzlement by John Perry Barlow
The Baudy World of the Byte Bandit A Postmodernist Interpretation of the Computer Underground by Gordon Meyer & Jim Thomas
Concerning Hackers Who Break into Computer Systems by Dorothy E. Denning
The Social Organization of the Computer Underground by Gordon R. Meyer
Computer Security "Virus Highlights Need for Improved Internet Management"
By the United States General Accounting Office. GAO/IMTEC-
89-57
Call 202-275-6241 for up to 5 free copies.
N E T W O R K D I G E S T S
Telecom Digest
Moderator: Patrick Townson
Network Address: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
Risks Digest
Moderator: Peter G. Neumann
Network Address: Risks@csl.sri.com
Virus-l Digest
Moderator: Kenneth R. Van Wyk
Network Address: krvw@cert.sei.cmu.edu
Telecom Privacy Digest
Moderator: Dennis G. Rears
Network Address: telecom-priv@pica.army.mil
EFF News Electronic Frontier Foundation
Network Address: effnews@eff.org Other Address: 155 Second Street Cambridge, MA 02141 Phone: 617-864-0665
Computer Underground Digest
Moderators: Jim Thomas & Gordon Meyer
Network Address: tk0jut2@niu
F T P S I T E S C O N T A I N I N G C U M A T E R I A L
192.55.239.132 128.95.136.2 128.237.253.5 130.160.20.80 130.18.64.2 128.214.5.6 "MARS Bulletin Board" Login "bbs" 128.82.8.1 128.32.152.11 128.135.12.60
All of the above accept anonymous logins!
B U L L E T I N B O A R D S
Ripco 312-528-5020 Face-2-Face 713-242-6853 Rune Stone 203-485-0088 Home of NIA The Works 617-861-8976 The Well 415-332-6106 Blitzkrieg 502-499-8933 Home of TAP Uncensored 914-761-6877 Manta Lair 206-454-0075 Home of Cybertek
I N D I V I D U A L N E T W O R K A D D R E S S E S
Aristotle Former Editor of TAP Magazine
uk05744@ukpr.uky.edu or uk05744@ukpr.bitnet
Dorthy Denning Author of "Concerning Hackers Who Break into
Computer Systems"
denning@src.dec.com
Clifford Stoll Author of "Cookoo's Egg"
cliff@cfa.harvard.edu
Craig Neidorf Former Editor of Phrack Magazine
c483307@umcvmb.missouri.edu
Ground Zero Editor of ATI Inc.
gzero@tronsbox.xei.com
M I S C S O F T W A R E
SPAudit Self-Audit-Kit 1101 Connecticut Avenue Northwest Suite 901 Washington DC 20036 Phone 202-452-1600 Fax 202-223-8756
Free!!!
I would like to thank everyone who gave me permission to use their information in this file.
The information provided here is for informational purposes only. What you choose to do with it is your responsibility and no one else's. That means not me, and not the BBS you downloaded this from!
To my knowledge this is the most comprehensive and upto date list of underground books, catalogs, magazines, electronic newsletters, and network addresses available. If there are any additions or corrections to this list please contact me via the Ripco BBS.
The Butler...