Welcome to USA-NET, Kirk. Time synchronizing: 0:04:57 December 18, 1990 DO YOU WANT THE MAIN MENU? Y Scott's large window began to scroll and fill with lines after line of options: (A) Instructions (B) Charges (C) Updating (D) OAG (E) Shopping Menus (F) Trading Menus (G) Conversation Pits In all there were 54 choices displayed. The lower window came alive. SEE HOW IT WORKS? Fascinating. THAT WAS JUST A TEST. NOW FOR THE REAL THING. SURE YOU WANNA GO? Scott had gone this far. He would worry about the legalities in the morning. Higgins would have his work cut out for him. Aye, aye, Captain. ENGAGE WARP ENGINES. The upper window changed again. QUIT? Y ARE YOU SURE? Y <<<<<<CONNECTION TERMINATED>>>>>> Another number flashed in the upper window. 12125559796. <<DIALING>> After less than 2 rings the screen announced that they had ar- rived at the front doors to the computer system at First State Bank, in New York. Another clue. Kirk was not from New York. He used an area code. Scott felt like looking back over his shoulders to see who was watching him. His automatic flight-or-fight response made the experience more exhilarating. He tried to force his intellect to convince himself that he was far from view, unobservable, unde- tectable. Only partially successful, he remained tense realizing that he was borderline legal. <<<<<<CONNECTION>>>>>> PORT CONTROL SECURITY, CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING CENTER, FIRST STATE BANK. O/S VMS R31 SECURITY: SE-PROTECT, 4.0 REV. 3.12.1 10, OCT, 1989 TIME: 00:12:43.1 DATE: 04 December PORT: 214 ARE YOU SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR? YES ENTER SYS-ADMIN ID CODE SEQUENCE: 8854 <<WAITING . . .>> PRIMARY SYS-ADMIN AUTHENTICATION ACCEPTED. PLEASE BEGIN SECOND- ARY IDENTIFICATION. PASSWORD: 4Q-BAN/HKR <<WAITING . . .>> SECONDARY SYS-ADMIN AUTHENTICATION ACCEPTED. PLEASE BEGIN FINAL IDENTIFICATION. ID: 374552100/1 <<WAITING . . .>> WELCOME TO CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING, FIRST STATE BANK, NEW YORK CITY. YOU ARE THE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR. ***************** WARNING!!! PLEASE ONLY INITIATE CHANGES WHICH HAVE BEEN TESTED ON BACKUP PROCESSORS. SEVERE DAMAGE MAY RESULT FROM IMPROPER ADMINISTRA- TION. ***************** Scott watched in fascination. Here he was, riding shotgun on a trip through one of New York's largest bank computers, and there was no resistance. He could not believe that he had more securi- ty in his house than a bank with assets of over $10 Billion. The bottom window showed Kirk's next message. WHAD'YA THINK? Pretty stupid WHAT? That the bank doesn't have better control VIVE LE HACKER!!! * * * * * Wednesday, December 2 New York City "Doug," Scott came into the office breathlessly, "we have to see Higgins. I gotta great . . ."