SitePoint.com

RKuhle · Aug 15, 2002, 00:16

The SitePoint COMMUNITY CRIER #30 Copyright (c) 2002
August 8th, 2002 PLEASE FORWARD
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
An email newsletter for the SitePoint Community, written and edited
by Nicky Danino and Aaron Brazell. (crier@sitepoint.com).

Note: This newsletter is supported solely by advertisers like the one
below. We stand 100% behind every ad that we run. If you ever have a
problem with a company that advertises here please contact us and we
will try to get it resolved.

SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Why host your Websites with pair.com?

Rock-Solid FreeBSD UNIX Reliability
Build Your Site Using PHP, MySQL, Perl, Python, TCL...
Edit Scripts & Compile Programs from a Secure Shell
Technical, Competent Support
Uptime Stats are Online -- We Don't Lie!
Hosting for Webmasters Like You Since 1996

Ask Anyone About pair Networks -- You'll Hear Good Things!

pair.com -- FREE SETUP -- Just Mention SitePoint

Visit http://promote.pair.com/direct.pl?sitepoint.com

IN THIS ISSUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- ADMIN'S DESK
- COMMUNITY ARTICLE: Hacking, Hackers Headaches
- MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
- TIPS AND TRICKS
- ReferWare

ADMIN'S DESK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"So what's with this strange issue of the Crier?" I hear you ask. Well,
I'm in mourning! My poor old Dell laptop has been assaulted and is out
of action for the time being. Is crying over a computer a sign that I
am losing my sanity, or just that I need to see sunlight more often? I
think I am losing my mind: lack of aggravating <large company name
deleted> software, loss of ICQ contacts and no access to my CIV 3
scenarios is giving me constant chocolate addition issues!

Hacking is a serious issue, as my comatose Dell can attest! Thus we
decided to dedicate this issue of the Crier to this very topic (only
after Georgina, resident SitePoint editor, managed to dry my tears to
the extent where I would agree). We've scoured the Web to bring to
light a few interesting hacking tidbits that prove, if nothing else,
that fact is stranger than fiction where hacking is concerned.

On a sidenote, in aid of this issue's Member Spotlight, a vote was
taken at SitePoint HQ to see how cute this issue's interviewee,
SitePoint database developer Jules, was. Apparently Jules rates 66% for
good looks -- though those polled were all male! Anyone who wants to
know how to quickly remodel their lounge room into a spa, or wishes to
explore the Australian pastime of drinking green beer, DO NOT get in
touch with Jules -- he has been threatened with deportation if he ever
engages in either of these acts again.

So long, farewell, until the next time.
Nicky

COMMUNITY ARTICLE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hacking For the Uninitiated

Once upon a time, thanks to public ignorance and an over-zealous media
(the film 'Hackers' being a case in point), hacking was seen as the
glamorous addiction of an underground technical elite -- those crazy
kids who spent waaaay too much time on their Commodore 64s and could
bring entire global conglomerates to their knees with the idle tapping
of just a few keys.

But today, hacking is almost a mainstream endeavour, despite the
combined efforts of specialist firms, security experts, and various
national government intiatives. Don't believe it? Here are just a few
links we found that paint an interesting picture of hacking today...

In July, CNN reported that Princeton University admissions officials
had gained unauthorized access to a Website at rival Yale University.
The site contained personal information about applicants to the Ivy
League school -- see http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/25/yale.princeton/
Obviously, the notion of hackers being bored kids with too much time on
their hands is no longer applicable, given the considerable technical
kills avaialbe to, for example, today's Average Joe University
Admissions Official.

And so it seems that the proliferation of technology presents today's
enquiring minds with endless hacking opportunities. Though it was once
the domain of only the most passionate, now hacking seems to be seen by
many as 'just another hobby'. Consider the Slashdot post at
http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...thread&tid=172

which asks for assistance in hacking the Muzak Jukebox in a
Starbuck's coffee house. Although Slashdot's lawyers are quick to
deny any liability (and many posters advise against the idea), a
number of community members swiftly provide possible hacks.

Indeed, it's thanks to the freedom of speech facilitated by the Web
(and the Internet's ever-increasing penetration) that anyone who wants
to find out more about hacking, can. 2600 magazine (The Hackers'
Quarterly), at http://www.2600.com is one example of a print-based
hacking publication supported by a Website and considerable online
community. And such resources are by no means difficult to find.

But while the Internet may be seen by the cynics as a hackers'
free-for-all, at the same time it conspicuously discourages hackers and
enables businesses to stay abreast of related security issues. For
instance, the BBC News article at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1860241.stm probably came as a
shock to many. After all, your average business owner isn't lying awake
at night pondering the hacking possibilities attainable via an empty
Pringles can -- and they're certainly not actively searching for ways
to prevent such outlandish attacks.

Due to a combination of recent international and business events, as
well as revelations like those mentioned here, security has become one
of our generation's most critical issues. A thread in the SitePoint
Forums at
http://www.sitepointforums.com/showt...threadid=68536
(thanks to Community member Herbster!) quoted a VNUNet article that
announced the US Government's plans to imprison hackers 'who put lives
at risk through electronic means'. And whether we as individual
Internet users agree with 'security enhancing' steps such as allowing
the police the right to tap phone lines and monitor Internet traffic
without a warrant, the fact remains that hacking is more prolific - and
more of an issue - than ever before. Beware!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In this issue, the "Member Spotlight" falls squarely on the shoulders
of...z0s0.
http://www.sitepointforums.com/membe...fo&userid=8146

Alternative Universe Name: Jules

SP: How did you get started on the Internet?

Jules: My brother was attending Uni in 1995 and we figured out how to
dial in and waste their bandwidth. At 2400bps it was quite an
experience. A slow experience.

SP: How did you come across SitePoint?

Jules: Um... To be honest a friend told me he knew of some guys
looking for a programmer. I'd never actually heard of SitePoint at the
time... <runs>

SP: What are you up to at the moment?

Jules: Looking at stock charts... Hoping the "bottom" has arrived. Oh,
and trying to iron out yet more bugs from our e-commerce system. Which
I may, or may not, be responsible for. At some point today I'm going
to have to fix the lock on our server rack which I dismantled on the
weekend so I could steal the music drives from our MP3 jukebox.

SP: Do you have any interests (apart from SitePoint of course!)?

Jules: I'm into motorbikes at the moment. My new toy looks rather like
the blue one:
http://www.twobros.com/TBR_Website_N...Yamaha_R6-2.jp
g

Jase and I have been meaning to start Team SitePoint Racing. Quite a
concern that both our sysadmins go riding together ;-)

SP: What is your favorite movie of all time?

Jules: I loathe this question. I'm not really into movies. But I'm
going to say "The Song Remains The Same" because it's a Led Zeppelin
concert.

SP:...and book?

Jules: The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy series. Best books ever.
R.I.P Doug.

SP:...same goes for song?

Jules: This changes on a daily basis. Seriously. Right at this very
second: "Never There - Cake". <wanders off to request it on the
jukebox>... Tomorrow it'll be something from Powderfinger I expect.

SP: If you could only visit one Website today (apart from SitePoint of
course), which would it be?

Jules: Hmmm. Well it's boring but important: The 3 day weather
forecast for Melbourne... I need sun. Badly!

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV10450.txt

ADVERTISING INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I Caught You Reading An Ezine Ad!

Find out what thousands of savvy Internet marketers already know: email
newsletter Advertising Works! (You're reading one now, aren't you?)

Find out how to get YOUR sponsorship ad in this newsletter. Check out
http://www.sitepoint.com/mediakit/ for details or email us at
mailto:adinfo@sitepoint.com .

Ask about our special discount for multiple ad insertions!

REFERWARE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This newsletter is ReferWare. If you enjoy reading it and find useful
information in this newsletter, you are asked to help spread the word
about it. Forward a copy to your friends, tell them about it, and/or
place a link to it on your site.

You cannot:

1.) Post this newsletter in part or in whole on your site.
2.) Forward this newsletter issue after issue to people - just send
them a single issue and tell them to subscribe.

Sorry about those restrictions, our lawyer made me do it.

ADDRESSES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Send suggestions and comments to:
mailto:crier@sitepoint.com

SitePoint.com is hosted by Rackspace Managed Hosting:
http://www.rackspace.com

The SitePoint Community Crier is hosted by SparkList:
http://www.sparklist.com

The SitePoint Community Crier is (c) 2000-2002 SitePoint Pty. Ltd. All
Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole
or in part without written permission. All guest articles are copyright
their respective owners and are reproduced with permission.

Aug 15, 2002, 00:16	#1
RKuhle What's HTML? Join Date: May 2001 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,730	SitePoint Community Crier #30 The SitePoint COMMUNITY CRIER #30 Copyright (c) 2002 August 8th, 2002 PLEASE FORWARD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - An email newsletter for the SitePoint Community, written and edited by Nicky Danino and Aaron Brazell. (crier.removethis@.removethissitepoint.com). Note: This newsletter is supported solely by advertisers like the one below. We stand 100% behind every ad that we run. If you ever have a problem with a company that advertises here please contact us and we will try to get it resolved. SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Why host your Websites with pair.com? Rock-Solid FreeBSD UNIX Reliability Build Your Site Using PHP, MySQL, Perl, Python, TCL... Edit Scripts & Compile Programs from a Secure Shell Technical, Competent Support Uptime Stats are Online -- We Don't Lie! Hosting for Webmasters Like You Since 1996 Ask Anyone About pair Networks -- You'll Hear Good Things! pair.com -- FREE SETUP -- Just Mention SitePoint Visit http://promote.pair.com/direct.pl?sitepoint.com IN THIS ISSUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ADMIN'S DESK - COMMUNITY ARTICLE: Hacking, Hackers Headaches - MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - TIPS AND TRICKS - ReferWare ADMIN'S DESK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "So what's with this strange issue of the Crier?" I hear you ask. Well, I'm in mourning! My poor old Dell laptop has been assaulted and is out of action for the time being. Is crying over a computer a sign that I am losing my sanity, or just that I need to see sunlight more often? I think I am losing my mind: lack of aggravating <large company name deleted> software, loss of ICQ contacts and no access to my CIV 3 scenarios is giving me constant chocolate addition issues! Hacking is a serious issue, as my comatose Dell can attest! Thus we decided to dedicate this issue of the Crier to this very topic (only after Georgina, resident SitePoint editor, managed to dry my tears to the extent where I would agree). We've scoured the Web to bring to light a few interesting hacking tidbits that prove, if nothing else, that fact is stranger than fiction where hacking is concerned. On a sidenote, in aid of this issue's Member Spotlight, a vote was taken at SitePoint HQ to see how cute this issue's interviewee, SitePoint database developer Jules, was. Apparently Jules rates 66% for good looks -- though those polled were all male! Anyone who wants to know how to quickly remodel their lounge room into a spa, or wishes to explore the Australian pastime of drinking green beer, DO NOT get in touch with Jules -- he has been threatened with deportation if he ever engages in either of these acts again. So long, farewell, until the next time. Nicky COMMUNITY ARTICLE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hacking For the Uninitiated Once upon a time, thanks to public ignorance and an over-zealous media (the film 'Hackers' being a case in point), hacking was seen as the glamorous addiction of an underground technical elite -- those crazy kids who spent waaaay too much time on their Commodore 64s and could bring entire global conglomerates to their knees with the idle tapping of just a few keys. But today, hacking is almost a mainstream endeavour, despite the combined efforts of specialist firms, security experts, and various national government intiatives. Don't believe it? Here are just a few links we found that paint an interesting picture of hacking today... In July, CNN reported that Princeton University admissions officials had gained unauthorized access to a Website at rival Yale University. The site contained personal information about applicants to the Ivy League school -- see http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/25/yale.princeton/ Obviously, the notion of hackers being bored kids with too much time on their hands is no longer applicable, given the considerable technical kills avaialbe to, for example, today's Average Joe University Admissions Official. And so it seems that the proliferation of technology presents today's enquiring minds with endless hacking opportunities. Though it was once the domain of only the most passionate, now hacking seems to be seen by many as 'just another hobby'. Consider the Slashdot post at http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...thread&tid=172 which asks for assistance in hacking the Muzak Jukebox in a Starbuck's coffee house. Although Slashdot's lawyers are quick to deny any liability (and many posters advise against the idea), a number of community members swiftly provide possible hacks. Indeed, it's thanks to the freedom of speech facilitated by the Web (and the Internet's ever-increasing penetration) that anyone who wants to find out more about hacking, can. 2600 magazine (The Hackers' Quarterly), at http://www.2600.com is one example of a print-based hacking publication supported by a Website and considerable online community. And such resources are by no means difficult to find. But while the Internet may be seen by the cynics as a hackers' free-for-all, at the same time it conspicuously discourages hackers and enables businesses to stay abreast of related security issues. For instance, the BBC News article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1860241.stm probably came as a shock to many. After all, your average business owner isn't lying awake at night pondering the hacking possibilities attainable via an empty Pringles can -- and they're certainly not actively searching for ways to prevent such outlandish attacks. Due to a combination of recent international and business events, as well as revelations like those mentioned here, security has become one of our generation's most critical issues. A thread in the SitePoint Forums at http://www.sitepointforums.com/showt...threadid=68536 (thanks to Community member Herbster!) quoted a VNUNet article that announced the US Government's plans to imprison hackers 'who put lives at risk through electronic means'. And whether we as individual Internet users agree with 'security enhancing' steps such as allowing the police the right to tap phone lines and monitor Internet traffic without a warrant, the fact remains that hacking is more prolific - and more of an issue - than ever before. Beware! MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In this issue, the "Member Spotlight" falls squarely on the shoulders of...z0s0. http://www.sitepointforums.com/membe...fo&userid=8146 Alternative Universe Name: Jules SP: How did you get started on the Internet? Jules: My brother was attending Uni in 1995 and we figured out how to dial in and waste their bandwidth. At 2400bps it was quite an experience. A slow experience. SP: How did you come across SitePoint? Jules: Um... To be honest a friend told me he knew of some guys looking for a programmer. I'd never actually heard of SitePoint at the time... <runs> SP: What are you up to at the moment? Jules: Looking at stock charts... Hoping the "bottom" has arrived. Oh, and trying to iron out yet more bugs from our e-commerce system. Which I may, or may not, be responsible for. At some point today I'm going to have to fix the lock on our server rack which I dismantled on the weekend so I could steal the music drives from our MP3 jukebox. SP: Do you have any interests (apart from SitePoint of course!)? Jules: I'm into motorbikes at the moment. My new toy looks rather like the blue one: http://www.twobros.com/TBR_Website_N...Yamaha_R6-2.jp g Jase and I have been meaning to start Team SitePoint Racing. Quite a concern that both our sysadmins go riding together ;-) SP: What is your favorite movie of all time? Jules: I loathe this question. I'm not really into movies. But I'm going to say "The Song Remains The Same" because it's a Led Zeppelin concert. SP:...and book? Jules: The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy series. Best books ever. R.I.P Doug. SP:...same goes for song? Jules: This changes on a daily basis. Seriously. Right at this very second: "Never There - Cake". <wanders off to request it on the jukebox>... Tomorrow it'll be something from Powderfinger I expect. SP: If you could only visit one Website today (apart from SitePoint of course), which would it be? Jules: Hmmm. Well it's boring but important: The 3 day weather forecast for Melbourne... I need sun. Badly! http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV10450.txt ADVERTISING INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I Caught You Reading An Ezine Ad! Find out what thousands of savvy Internet marketers already know: email newsletter Advertising Works! (You're reading one now, aren't you?) Find out how to get YOUR sponsorship ad in this newsletter. Check out http://www.sitepoint.com/mediakit/ for details or email us at mailto:adinfo.removethis@.removethissitepoint.com . Ask about our special discount for multiple ad insertions! REFERWARE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This newsletter is ReferWare. If you enjoy reading it and find useful information in this newsletter, you are asked to help spread the word about it. Forward a copy to your friends, tell them about it, and/or place a link to it on your site. You cannot: 1.) Post this newsletter in part or in whole on your site. 2.) Forward this newsletter issue after issue to people - just send them a single issue and tell them to subscribe. Sorry about those restrictions, our lawyer made me do it. ADDRESSES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Send suggestions and comments to: mailto:crier.removethis@.removethissitepoint.com SitePoint.com is hosted by Rackspace Managed Hosting: http://www.rackspace.com The SitePoint Community Crier is hosted by SparkList: http://www.sparklist.com The SitePoint Community Crier is (c) 2000-2002 SitePoint Pty. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. All guest articles are copyright their respective owners and are reproduced with permission.

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