Thursday, March 11, 2004

Hacker Promises to Protect Sources "Remember, I did NOT cooperate with law enforcement during their prosecution of me" is Kevin Mitnick's note of assurance to contributors willing to help with a book of "true, untold stories of successful intrusions." I's not the usual "citizen journalism," but it could be interesting. Mitnick, a well-known convicted computer-intruderhimself, is writing his way around the margins of a plea agreement that restricted him from telling about his own hacks until January 2010. So, rather than tell his own stories, he's offering anonymity and a shot at a $500 prize for the "most provocative story" about "your sexiest hack." He also says he will somehow verify the accuracy of the claims, presumably without breaking any laws himself, so that his fans don't have to run out and get "Free Kevin" bumper stickers again. "Readers will get an in-depth look into the thought processes that form the hacker mindset--why they do it, and how a plan is developed and executed to gain control of their victim's network," says Mitnick. He already has a publisher interested in the project, according to his "Call for hackers," and he promises an in-depth analysis of the specific vulnerabilities and how they were exploited. His first book, The Art of Deception, talked about "the human element" in getting past computer security. For the new book he's also interested in more technical hacks that exploited physical, network or individual computer systems. If the bragging rights (anonymous bragging rights?) and the possibility of a $500 prize aren't enough, Mitnick is also offering a free copy of his first book and a "rare Advanced Reader's Copy" of the new one, when ready, autographed and inscribed to the contributor's "real name, your handle or pseudonym." Watch for them on e-Bay! (Thanks to Simson Garfinkel at MIT for the blog alert.) Ireless Networking? Speaking of computer security, today's New York Times online may have created a new concept in computer discourse: "Ireless networking." Perhaps it's related to the search for compromise on RSS/Atom syndication standards? Nah, it's just a typo in a WiFi security article, if a particularly unsubtle one. The Times usually puts a large red first letter at the start of each online story, and somehow the "W" escaped from this one and the "I" became the initial cap. Or there were too  many big red I's around after a late night at the computer, which could be the worst pun I've dared to slip into this blog. In any case, less ire is a good thing. 1:15:29 PM    comment [] Lott's Fall and Bloggers' Push Several blogs have pointed to this recent Shorenstein Center  Case Study: Did Bloggers Contribute to the Downfall of Trent Lott? (It's 26 pages and 70 footnotes in a 324k PDF file, not too big for a modem download.) The pages are stenciled "Do Not Copy," with a hefty copyright statement at the bottom, but I guess it wouldn't be online if they didn't want people downloading it without writing Harvard's Shorenstein Center a check. (The file is locked to prevent text copying or editing, but it is readable and printable despite the stencil.)   The study, by Esther Scott, is an interesting look at the information flow between bloggers, journalists and political tipsters that brought critical attention to the Mississippi senator's remarks on the good ol' Dixiecrat days, and how the combination convinced a few more professionals to pay attention to blogs.  This may not be the last word on the Lott-blog story, but it's certainly not the first. Meta analysis, anyone? Here are some earlier treatments: Georgetown's online media studies journal, Gnovis had its own 30-page study last fall, under the colorful slug, Parking Lott... (with a 32-item bibliography and a color cover photo of the senator himself). Another Harvard blogger, J. Baumgart did her own research on the same subject some months ago. Online Journalism Review and Wired had covered the affair shortly after it happened, and the Baltimore Sun (Tribune syndicate) touched on the story in a blogs-and-journalism overview a few months later. 3:58:52 AM    comment []

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