DEAD SMOKING PUNX :PRESENTS: DSP MINIMAG Issue 7 A 'Major Busts' History of the USSS By: Johnny Rotten 1988 November, The internet worm runs wild across many of the nations computer networks. Shutting down an estimated 6,600 systems, and costing an estimated $40 to $90 million dollars. The code, written by Robert Morris Jr. was intended to go around to every node, and record, creating a map of the net, and report back in. But due to faulty code, it ends up reproducing itself at a phenomenal clip. Eating all the cyberspace in its path and closing many systems. CRACKING 911 December, 1988, Legion of Doom member "The Prophet" downloads a Bell South document, on the administration of E-911 systems, and then posts it around BBS's such as Jolnet, it reaches night lightening, (Craig Neidorf. Knight posts it in his Publication "Phrack".. CRACKING APPLE June, 1989: A group calling itself NuPrometheus Leauge releases bits and pieces of apple source code: The software equivilent of Macintosh DNA. NuPrometheus Promises More to come. Apple has the proverbial cow. STRUTTING IN HARPERS December 1989: Harper's Magazine, hosts a virtual hackers conferance on 'The Well' a bbs whose members include a number of computer and communications industry pioneers. Hackers and cyberpunks of all stripes attend, the event is published as a Magazine Cover Story. THE PHONE SYSTEM CRASHES January 15, 1990: AT&T has a spontaneous near-death experiance in the form of a nationwide system crash. Somehow, a rumor circulates that a coven of hackers, cast the deadly spell. Though AT&T denies it. THE BUSTS January 24, 1990: Secret Service agents raid Acid Phreak, and Phiber Optik (suspected participants of the above mentioned Harpers magazine Conference) Holding a gun to the head of Acid Phreak's 12 year old sister, and confiscating all of his electrical equipment, including CD'S and a telephone answering machine. Though no charges are filed, Phreak & Phiber are interrogated under suspision of causing the AT&T crash and of being Key members of the Legion of Doom. Feburary 2, 1990: Secret Service agents raid Len Rose, aka Terminus. Rose, his wife, and child are interrogated at gunpoint, denied food, and use of the bathroom. Calls to lawyers are denied, computers and property are confiscated. Feburary 7, 1990: In the by-now-familiar gestapo style, the SS raids Robert Riggs (The Prophet) and Franklin Darden (The Leftist) and Adam Grant (Necron 99) This time, an indictment charges various fedral felonies, including fraud and conspiracy, including taking copies of proprietary software and unauthorized entry into bell south computer systems, and specificly mentions Legion of Doom. Feburary 15, 1990: Craig Neidorf, publisher of the electic Mag, Phrack is raided, charged (among other things) with publishing the Bell south E-911 documents. His computers, the electonic printing presses for his magazine, were taken, putting Phrack, out of business. Bell south claims that the e-911 doc was worth over $79,000 Late Feburary, 1990: Rich Andrews, operator of Jolnet, is visited by the secret service. Abdrew's crime? Just to be on the safe side, he'd informed AT&T of the document that had been uploaded onto his system, his reward, the USSS siezed all of his computers and related hardware. March 1, 1990: The SS Raids Steve Jacson Games and its employees. Jackson is the second largest game publisher (after milton bradley) and has published numerous fantasy role playing games. They were in the process of creating the new GURPS Cyberpunk RPG. The SS confiscates computers at The business, and employees homes. MORRIS GETS WHATS COMING TO HIM May 4, 1990: Robert Morris Jr. is sentanced to a $10,000 fine, and four hundred hours of community service for unleashing the internet virus. THE USSS GETS? Nothing, they are still running rampang, a plauge.