Underground: Hacking, madness and obsession on the electronic frontierDreyfus, Suelette
Science
Underground: Hacking, madness and obsession on the electronic frontier
Dreyfus, Suelette
Computer crimes -- Australia; Computer hackers -- Australia -- Biography; Computer security -- Australia
Chettle could put people at ease--or rattle them--at will. Topped by a
minute stubble of hair, his weathered 40-something face provided a
good match to his deep, gravelly voice. With quick eyes and a hard,
no-nonsense manner, he lacked the pretentiousness of many barristers.
Perhaps because he didn't seem to give a fig about nineteenth century
protocols, he always managed to looked out of place in a barrister's
wig and robe. Every time he stood up, the black cape slid off his lean
shoulders. The barrister's wig went crooked. He continually adjusted
it--tugging the wig back into the correct spot like some wayward
child. In court, Chettle looked as if he wanted to tear off the crusty
trappings of his profession and roll up his sleeves before sinking
into a hearty debate. And he looked as if he would rather do it at a
pub or the footy.
The NorTel manager took the stand. Chettle asked him some questions
designed to show the court the witness was credible, in support of the
company's $160000 hacker-clean-up claim. His task accomplished,
Chettle sat down.
A little nervous, Paul Galbally stood up to his full height--more than
six feet--and straightened his jacket. Dressed in a moss green suit so
dark it was almost black, with thin lapels and a thin, 1960s style
tie, he looked about as understated hip as a lawyer could--and still
show his face in court.
Halting at first, Galbally appeared unsure of himself. Perhaps he had
lost his nerve because of the technical issues. WMTP files. UTMP
files. PACCT audits. Network architecture. IP addresses. He had been
expected to become an expert in the basics literally overnight. A
worried Mendax began passing him notes--questions to ask,
explanations, definitions. Slowly, Galbally started working up a
rhythm to the cross-examination.
During the questioning someone from the back of the court sidled up to
Mendax, in the front row of seats, and handed a note over his
shoulder. Mendax unfolded the note, read it and then turned around to
smile at the messenger. It was Electron.
By the time Galbally had finished, he had pulled apart much of the
NorTel manager's evidence. As he built up a head of steam quizzing the
witness, he forced the NorTel manager to admit he didn't know all that
much about the alleged hacking incidents. In fact, he wasn't even
employed by the company when they occurred. He had largely thrown
together an affidavit based on second-hand information--and it was
this affidavit which supposedly proved the hackers had cost the
company $160000. Worse, it seemed to an observer at court that the
NorTel manager had little Unix security technical expertise and
probably would not have been able to conduct a detailed technical
analysis of the incident even if he had been with the company in 1991.
By the end of the defence's cross-examination, it appeared that
Galbally knew more about Unix than the NorTel manager.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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