PPT 03

Computer Forensics and Cyber
Crime
CHAPTER 3
Traditional
Computer Crime:
Early Hackers and
Theft of
Components
Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed. Copyright © 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Marjie T. Britz All Rights Reserved
Learning objectives
• Identify traditional problems associated

with the recognition and prosecution of
computer crime.
• Explore a history of computer crimes.
• Explore traditional rationales for phreakers

and hackers.
Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Copyright © 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Britz
All Rights Reserved
Learning objectives
• Explore the evolution of hacking.
• Learn the value of computers as

marketable commodities.
• Explore the current state of computer

crimes in the United States and abroad.

Britz
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Introduction
• Computer criminals will possess varying

degrees of technical sophistication.
 Hence, the metaphor of a continuum of
offenses in terms of seriousness.
• However, degrees of computer crimes may

also be reflected by the degrees of
technical expertise of agencies
investigating such crimes.

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Traditional Problems
Traditional problems with any crime may

pose more complicated issues for computer
crime investigation and prosecution, such
as:
•Questions of vicinage: The jurisdiction of
most crimes is based on the location of the
crime. However, computer-based crime may
be subject to laws where criminal and the
victim live.

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• Lack of international cooperation:

Collaboration among nations to investigate
and prosecute may suffer in the absence
of prior agreements to deal with this kind
of crime.
 Perhaps due to judicial inconsistency,
administrative apathy, cultural skepticism

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• Encryption & steganography: Encoding

(cryptography) or hiding information
(steganography) makes it harder for
prosecution.
 Delay in detection can mean increased
chance of escaping prosecution.
• Perception of anonymity: Since some
may have a way to cloak their identity,
anonymity may embolden them to commit
crimes.
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Recognizing and Defining
Computer Crime
Difficulties in recognizing and defining computer
crimes may depend upon the:
•Targets
 Are victims individuals, organizations, countries?
 What are the fruits of the illegal activity?
•Means:
 To what degree does technology matter?
 Hacking requires a lot of technology, where fraud
may involve only an e-mail, as with phishing.

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Computer Crime
• Incidentals
 Is computer technology incidental to the
commission of the crime? If so, to what extent?
 Online gambling versus filing a false insurance
claim

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Computer Crime
• History
 Early forms of computer crime could include the
theft of the physical technology (like an abacus) or
sabotage, such as the destruction of Jacquard’s
automated textile machine in the early 19th century
CE.

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Three Incidents
• MILNET: Via independent data carrier (Tymnet),

a KGB-employed hacker seemed to have easily
entered MILNET. It was discovered by chance in
1986 by a programmer at UC Berkeley.
• Morris Worm: In 1988, Cornell student Robert

Morris released the worm (self-replicating
computer program), which quickly spread to over
6000 computers, causing millions in damages.
 Convicted for violating Computer Fraud and Abuse
Act

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Three Incidents
• AT&T crash: The crash occurred due to a

software failure, demonstrating the vulnerability
of telephone system. It was the result of self-
named Legion of Doom, which may or may not
have been a hacking menace.

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Three Incidents
 Secret Service investigated, getting leads from the
bragging of some and disclosure of a critical safety
document by one.
 Federal law enforcement believed that the

business, Steve Jackson’s Games, was a critical
player in these actions, but it was only one
employee. Their overreaction embarrassed the
agency.

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Three Incidents
• Early hackers included:

 Kevin Mitnick (perhaps the most famous)
 cOmrade (first teen to be incarcerated for hacking)
 Terminus (Unix programmer & AT&T minicomputer
expert)
 Shadowhawk (breaking and entering into U.S.
Missile Command)
 Kyrie (one of the few female hackers)

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Phreakers: Yesterday’s Hackers
• Phreaking: Manipulation of
telecommunications carriers to gain
knowledge of telecommunications, and/or
theft of applicable services
 Illegal use, manipulation of access codes,
access tones, PBXs, or switches

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Phreakers: Yesterday’s Hackers
• Methods
 Social engineering, like shoulder surfing,
stealing codes while people are dialing
 Use of blue boxes, devices that deceived
switching system to put through a call for free
 Some approaches became dated due to
changes in phone equipment. New strategies
were constantly developed, such as with the
theft and sale of stolen access codes ("call-sell"
operations).

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Evolution in the Hacking
Community
• In the 1960s, “hacking” by MIT students
was more benign. Hackers would look for
computer shortcuts, engage in clever
pranks; would "hack" a way at a problem
until solution was found.
 Those with criminal intentions were initially
called "crackers."
 “Hacking” now refers to both benign and
criminal activities.

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Evolution in the Hacking
Community
Initially:
 Hacking was conducted via role-playing
games, by young, socially inept individuals
fascinated with computer technology.
 Some advocated anti-establishment ideology,
but others were motivated to hack telephone
exchanges because of the costs associated
with downloading.

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Contemporary Hacking
Communities
• Most of the original ideology is gone.
• Contemporary motivation includes:
 Profit, economic goals (like theft)
 Revenge (for example, by insiders such as
disgruntled employees)
 Personal notoriety
 Relief from boredom
 Informational voyeurism (what's there to
see?)
(Continued)
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Contemporary Hacking
Communities
(Continued)
Intellectual challenge (hacking as a way to mine
for knowledge)
Sexual gratification (stalking, harassment)
Political goals (the aims of terrorists and spies)

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Hierarchy of Contemporary Cyber-
Criminals
• Script kiddies
 Inexperienced hackers who use others'
programs (like scripts) to exploit
vulnerabilities and compromise computer
systems, but they don't understand these
programs
 Also known as skidiots, skiddie, or Victor
Skill Deficiency (VSD)

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Hacking
• Cyberpunks
 Name used by law enforcement for those who
wreak havoc on the Internet
 Not its original, more benign meaning
• Hackers/Crackers
 Sophisticated computer criminals
• Cyber-criminal organizations
 Greater threat

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Social Engineering
• Social engineering takes advantage of

people who use technology.
 Insiders may be the most dangerous,
whether by accident or intentionally
 Can reduce risks through security
awareness training

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Computers as Commodities
• Whereas the black market involves criminal

organization, the gray market involves legitimate
businesses engaging in questionable activities.
• In addition to the ability to be stolen, software

could also have problems with counterfeiting.
• Data piracy can include the sale of credit card

numbers, for example.

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Theft of Intellectual Property
• IP can include patents, trademarks and copyright.

• Software is copyright-protected.
• Film and television piracy can be conducted via
bitstream.
• Can include illegal copies of DVDs, CDs,
videocassettes
 Sometimes identifiable because of absence of
authentication information, like a security hologram

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Theft of Intellectual Property
• Internet piracy can include broadcast

piracy and signal theft.
• Technology piracy can include the

counterfeiting of computer chips.

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Computer Forensics and Cyber

• Identify traditional problems associated

• Explore a history of computer crimes.

• Explore traditional rationales for phreakers

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Explore the evolution of hacking.

• Learn the value of computers as

• Explore the current state of computer

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Computer criminals will possess varying

• However, degrees of computer crimes may

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Traditional problems with any crime may

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Lack of international cooperation:

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Encryption & steganography: Encoding

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• MILNET: Via independent data carrier (Tymnet),

• Morris Worm: In 1988, Cornell student Robert

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• AT&T crash: The crash occurred due to a

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

 Federal law enforcement believed that the

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Early hackers included:

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Social engineering takes advantage of

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Whereas the black market involves criminal

• In addition to the ability to be stolen, software

• Data piracy can include the sale of credit card

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• IP can include patents, trademarks and copyright.

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

• Internet piracy can include broadcast

• Technology piracy can include the

Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime, 3rd ed.

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