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
`No, I'm not familiar.' Which is just what Anthrax was thinking.
Sexton moved on. `On the back of that document there is more type
scans ...'
`It's all just the same thing. Just take a note of what is there. In
this case, box 544 belongs to this woman ...'
`So, once again, you just release this type of information on the
bridge?'
`Not all of it. Most of it I would probably keep to myself and never
look at it again. I was bored. Is it illegal to scan?'
`I'm not saying it's illegal. I'm just trying to show that you were
really into this. I'm building a picture and I am gradually getting to
a point and I'm going to build a picture to show that for a while
there ...' Sexton then interrupted himself and veered down a less
confrontational course. `I'm not saying you are doing it now, but back
then, when all these offences occurred, you were really into scanning
telephone systems, be it voice mailboxes ... I'm not saying you found
the 008s but you ... anything to bugger up Telecom. You were really
getting into it and you were helping other people.'
Anthrax took offence. `The motivation for me doing it wasn't to bugger
up Telecom.'
Sexton backpedalled. `Perhaps ... probably a poor choice of words.'
He began pressing forward on the subject of hacking, something the
police had not said they were going to be discussing. Anthrax felt a
little unnerved, even rattled.
Day asked if Anthrax wanted a break.
`No,' he answered. `I just want to get it over and done with, if
that's OK. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say "no comment".
I'm going to admit to everything 'cause, based on what I have been
told, it's in my best interest to do so.'
The police paused. They didn't seem to like that last comment much.
Day tried to clear things up.
`Before we go any further, based on what you have been told, it is in
your best interests to tell the truth. Was it any member of the AFP
that told you this?'
`Yes.'
`Who?' Day threw the question out quickly.
Anthrax couldn't remember their names. `The ones who came to my house.
I think Andrew also said it to me,' he said, nodding in the direction
of the red-headed constable.
Why were the cops getting so uncomfortable all of a sudden? It was no
secret that they had told both Anthrax and his mother repeatedly that
it was in his best interest to agree to an interview.
Day leaned forward, peered at Anthrax and asked, `What did you
interpret that to mean?'
`That if I don't tell the truth, if I say "no comment" and don't
cooperate, that it is going to be ... it will mean that you will go
after me with ...' Anthrax grasped for the right words, but he felt
tongue-tied, `with ... more force, I guess.'
Both officers stiffened visibly.
Day came back again. `Do you feel that an unfair inducement has been
placed on you as a result of that?'
`In what sense?' The question was genuine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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