December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Y2K Report Card
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

AGENCIES GET NEW REPORT CARDS ON Y2K READINESS Saying "the picture is a gloomy one," Congressman Stephen Horn, chair of the House subcommittee responsible for overseeing government progress on averting the Y2K problem, has given out new report cards to federal agencies. Three departments flunked: Justice; Health & Human Services; and State. The Defense Department gets a D-minus. Three departments get A grades: Small Business Administration; Social Security Administration; and the National Science Foundation. The Social Security Administration began working on the problem in 1989, eight years before most other government agencies. - USA Today, Nov. 24, 1998

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Re: Netscape AOL Instant Messenger Confirmation (kB3bEjeb1I aohelsux)
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Again, some clueless asshole that can't tell the difference between >solicited responses and Unsolicited spam mouths off. If you would like >to talk about someone, talk about the jerk who set up an AIM name using >the outdated address, not the company that repsonded. > >PHM > >AKA PHMerrill(a)AOL.Com (among other names and addresses) Again, the clueless asshole known as Paul *H.* Merrill jumps up and defends AOL, incompetently-written web sites, and morons everywhere. Someone told AOL to mail cypherpunks(a)toad.com. AOL could have checked to see if the originating site was under the toad.com domain. This is trivial. They didn't. It's rather easy to just require that somebody trying to mail an address under the toad.com domain submit the request from an address under toad.com. In other words, Paul, you believe that if somebody goes and types your address into some system and asks it to send you 512MB of MPEG video, that's okay because it was solicited. It wasn't solicited by you but somebody solicited it. Oops. That's "blatent propoganda." I'd better rephrase. In other words, Paul, you believe that if somebody goes and types YOUR address into fifty different systems, signs you up for a bunch of mailing lists, and generally causes you a lot of inconvenience, that's okay because it was solicited. You don't know who it was solicited by, but somebody obviously did. If you then object to the sites sending you mail rather than just silently unsubscribing yourself every week, are you then just 'some clueless asshole'? Are spammers now not to be held accountable for their spamming because they bought a list of addresses from someone who claimed that the people all asked to be on the mailing list? Why don't we just sign Cypherpunks up for Ignition-Point, the FP list, the ACLU action advisories, Sixdegrees, and whatever else we can find? Or should We just sign up Paul, really, because he doesn't have a problem with this. In fact I'm sure we could make some 'marketting research' to show that he might be interested. Hey let's get the entire CDR subscription list and sign everybody up for FP and ACLU because if you're on Cypherpunks you're obviously interested in those things. The root of the problem is sites which require email addresses for no good reason, and/or don't have the decency to perform a simple check to see if the domains match. They're lazy. They're irresponsible. When confronted, no matter how civil, they react much like you do, Paul, and they don't want to be inconvenienced by having to fix their usually badly-designed web sites. If I recall correctly Tim has the same opinion and has stated it a few times as have others so I'm not alone. Now I leave you, Paul, so you can go back to your 24 hour vigil and you and your quick response team can scour the net for attacks against AOL and the true clueless assholes, and defend them with your last breath. Yet Another 'Clueless Asshole'

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Re: Re: Netscape AOL Instant Messenger Confirmation (kB3bEjeb1I aohels
by lcs Mixmaster Remailer 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Do you even bother to read the posts you try to flame? Read the last part of that. Paul H. Merrill wrote: > >Again, some clueless asshole that can't tell the difference between >solicited responses and Unsolicited spam mouths off. If you would like >to talk about someone, talk about the jerk who set up an AIM name using >the outdated address, not the company that repsonded. > >PHM > >AKA PHMerrill(a)AOL.Com (among other names and addresses) > >Anonymous wrote: >> >> This does wonders for my opinion of AOL. Even the administration has no clue. >> >> AOL administration spammed the Cypherpunks <cypherpunks(a)toad.com> list, using >> an address for Cypherpunks which has been defunct for over a year now, with: >> >> >Thank you for registering for Netscape AOL Instant Messenger! >> > >> >Your registration for screen name aohelsux has been received. >> > >> >Please reply to this message within 48 hours to complete >> >the registration process. Simply reply to the present message >> >and type 'OK' as the text of your message. >> >> P.S. "Well they just responded to an address someone gave them," like >> certain advocates of AOL, lamers, and Microsoft we have on the list have >> said, is not an excuse. It's easy to set up domain validation. The spammers >> just don't care.

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NAI Special offers to expire Soon
by Tom Jud - US 5-200 Sales 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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Interesting tidbit about media controlling and censoring opinions, Web Polls data manipulated, etc.
by Jean-Francois Avon 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On Tue, 24 Nov 1998 16:03:53 -0600, Ed "Saipan" D. (via CFD V2#714) wrote: >Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 11:48:13 -0600 >From: dongres <dongres(a)manitouwadge.lakeheadu.ca> >Subject: Anne MacLelland has promised [several paragraph snipped] [THE FOLLOWING REVEALS A VERY DISTRUBING TENDENCY. JFA.] [snip] >The problem now is missinformation. Public forums >that generaly shows we are in the majority, are being removed while media incresed >their pitch. You may have noticed the latest one on Sympatico showed 85% against >gun control and 15% for it. Now set for 0% to 0%, while sysop says he didn't >noticed and his female helper ("webmistress") emailed me that there's "no any >conspiracy" even 'though I never suggested there's any to beggin with. When I >asked Angus Reids Poll info about their gun control poll they said that they know >only what is on their website. (And that one wasn't there) They asked me who ever >mention such poll!!! (as if it didn't existed?) Maybe it does maybe it doesn't. I >haven't seen the evidence yet. "That's all I'm saying" (to put it in Randy Scott's >words ;-) [THE FOLLOWING IS IS A VERY INTERESTING OBSERVATION... JFA. ] >See, we have to work on demystifying all the "news" we are getting and NEVER TAKE >ANY at face value. Did you noticed often on the news they show a "talking head" >with the sound off and CBC own comentator narates what has been said. This is to >train us to get used to it (communist regime trick I've seen so often) so they can >put anything to anybody's mouth when needed - and sometimes they do already. >Nothing new under the Sun. [large snip] >Ed "Saipan" D. >/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

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buttsniffer
by Patrick Hinsberger 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hi folk! Anybody knows how to use Buttsniffer? I can listen to ethernet frames in our network, but after a few minutes I`ve got a huge File with over 50MB... I read that there is an option to listen only to POP3 password and so funny things... At the moment I listen the network with the options : buttsniff -d 0002 pws.txt e Please mail me directly!!! ThanX (and Sorry for my fucKKK English!!!) -@HiNSe@-

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[ISN] Feds Want Banks to Spy on All Customers...Even You! (fwd)
by Ken Williams 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Good thing I keep all my money in a steel case buried somewhere along the Appalachian trail. No bank accounts, no credit cards. Ken Williams Packet Storm Security http://www.Genocide2600.com/~tattooman/ E.H.A.P. Head of Operations http://www.ehap.org/ ehap(a)ehap.org NC State CS Dept http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/ jkwilli2(a)unity.ncsu.edu PGP DSS/DH/RSA Keys http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jkwilli2/pgpkey/ _____________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free, Encrypted Email at http://www.nsa.gov - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 00:56:41 -0700 (MST) From: mea culpa <jericho(a)dimensional.com> To: InfoSec News <isn(a)repsec.com> Subject: [ISN] Feds Want Banks to Spy on All Customers...Even You! >From: ISPI Clips 6.51 >From: WorldNetDaily, November 23, 1998 Big Brother Banks? FDIC has snooping plans http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/19981123_xex_big_brother_.shtml David M. Bresnahan, David(a)talkusa.com Contributing Editor, WorldNetDaily Are you a potential criminal? Are you a threat to banks, airlines, a potential spy, or perhaps an IRS tax protester? The government would like to know and they are about to force banks to be their detectives. The federal government wants banks to investigate you. Soon your banker will know more about you than anyone else in town. Banks must not only determine your correct identity, they must also know how you make your money, and how you spend it. Once you establish a pattern of deposits and withdrawals, banks must inform federal agencies when you deviate. Bank customers may soon find themselves explaining to the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Agency why they made a $15,000 deposit to their bank account. According to current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation plans, banks will soon establish "profiles" of their customers and report deviations from those profiles. If you sell a car, for example, and place the proceeds in your account while you shop for a new one, a red flag may go off in the bank computer. Such a situation puts law abiding citizens in a situation where they must prove they are innocent, says Scott McDonald of the watchdog group Fight the Fingerprint. An uproar from grass roots Americans is the only thing that will stop the current plans for the FDIC "Know Your Customer" program, according to McDonald. His organization has led the charge against the national ID, medical ID, and computerized information about private aspects of people's lives. A recent announcement by the FDIC provides for citizen comment prior to implementation of their new banking regulations. The deadline for comments is Dec. 27, 1998. "The FDIC is proposing to issue a regulation requiring insured nonmember banks to develop and maintain 'Know Your Customer' programs," according to a recent FDIC information package sent to Congress to provide notice of proposed rulemaking, and to banks for comment. "As proposed," the 29-page FDIC document begins, "the regulation would require each nonmember bank to develop a program designed to determine the identity of its customers; determine its customers' source of funds; determine the normal and expected transactions of its customers; monitor account activity for transactions that are inconsistent with those normal and expected transactions; and report anytransactions of its customers that are determined to be suspicious, in accordance with the FDIC's existing suspicious activity reporting regulation. By requiring insured nonmember banks to determine the identity of their customers, as well as to obtain knowledge regarding the legitimate activities of their customers, the proposed regulation will reduce the likelihood that insured nonmember banks will become unwitting participants in illicit activities conducted or attempted by their customers. It will also level the playing field between institutions that already have adopted formal 'Know Your Customer' programs and those that have not." Many banks across the country have already begun to implement such programs, according to the FDIC. A quick search of the Internet found many stories in press accounts of problems reported at such banks. There have been a number of stories dealing with banks requiring fingerprints to open accounts and to cash checks. There are several lawsuits presently underway testing the right of banks to make that requirement. McDonald has been fighting that issue, along with fingerprints on driver's licenses for some time. He pointed out the many errors found on credit reports and suggested that banks will soon make similar errors when they begin creating profiles of their customers. The FDIC is selling the planned regulations by pointing out the need for prevention of financial and other crime. "By identifying and, when appropriate, reporting such transactions in accordance with existing suspicious activity reporting requirements, financial institutions are protecting their integrity and are assisting the efforts of the financial institution regulatory agencies and law enforcement authorities to combat illicit activities at such institutions," says the FDIC. The proposed regulation is, according to FDIC spokesperson Carol A. Mesheske, authorized by current law. It comes from the statutory authority granted the FDIC under section 8(s)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 18189s)(1), as amended by section 259(a)(2) of the Crime Control Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-647). The FDIC claims that the law requires them to develop regulations to require banks to "establish and maintain internal procedures reasonably designed to ensure and monitor compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act. Effective 'Know Your Customer' programs serve to facilitate compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act." The proposed regulations will mandate that all banks insured by the FDIC must maintain an intelligence gathering department that screens out customers and keeps an eye on existing customers. Before you decide to move your money to a credit union, you should know that the FDIC is not the only federal organization making such plans. "Each of the other Federal bank supervisory agencies is proposing to adopt substantially identical regulations covering state member and national banks, federally-chartered branches and agencies of foreign banks, savings associations, and credit unions. There also have been discussions with the Federal regulators of non-bank financial institutions, such as broker-dealers, concerning the need to propose similar rules governing the activities of these non-bank institutions," reports FDIC attorney Karn L. Main in the proposal. The purposes for the regulation are to protect the reputation of the banks, to facilitate compliance with the law, to improve safe and sound banking practices, and to protect banks from being used by criminals as a vehicle for illegal activities. Current customers will be subjected to the new regulation in the same way new customers will be scrutinized. The FDIC does not wish to permit any loop hole which would leave any bank customer unidentified or unsupervised. Each bank will create profiles. The first profile will determine the amount of risk a potential customer might present by opening an account. The system of profiling potential customers will be different from one bank to the next, since the FDIC does not provide a uniform program. The purpose of the profile is to identify potential customers who might use a bank account for funds obtained through criminal activity. The next profile will be one that is used by automated computers to determine when suspicious activity is taking place in an account. When activity in the account does not fit the profile, banks will notify federal authorities so they can investigate. Banks are expected to identify their customers, determine normal and expected transactions, monitor account transactions, and determine if a particular transaction should be reported. The FDIC has sent copies of the proposal to all banks and is asking for input. The questions asked by the FDIC in the proposal do not

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Nuts & Bolts: the ultimate trojan horse
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 11:30 PM 11/24/98 -0800, Tom Jud - US 5-200 Sales wrote: > >Call Today >To Receive A FREE Nuts & Bolt's '98 CD! What a perfect Trojan cover. A program that's *supposed* to scan your disk, and *supposed* to dial home for "updates". And its free, too!

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Welcome to Netscape AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)!
by Netscape AOL Instant Messenger 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Welcome to Netscape AOL Instant Messenger! Thank you for confirming your Netscape AOL Instant Messenger account. We're glad you've joined the fastest growing Internet online community in the world. To help maintain an online environment that you feel comfortable with, you can set your own buddy controls. You can decide who can see if you're online as well as who can and can't get in touch with you while online. For your convenience, your controls have been initially set to allow other users to contact you online if they know either your e-mail address or your screen name. You may change your buddy controls any time when signed on to Netscape AOL Instant Messenger by doing the following: (On Windows): 1) Click on the "Netscape AOL Instant Messenger" button and select "Options" 2) Select "Edit Preferences" 3) Click on the "Controls" tab By entering the screennames of people for whom you would like to set special control settings (e.g., "block" the following users from contacting me or "allow" the following users to contact me) - you can maintain an online environment that is comfortable for you. In the future, you can change your settings by returning to the "Controls" area. Thanks for joining Netscape AOL Instant Messenger! Now you can instantly chat with your AOL and Internet friends with real-time text messages! You can even add your Internet friends to your Buddy List group. It's easy and it's FREE! Remember, to communicate instantly with friends on Internet, they have to register for Netscape AOL Instant Messenger too. Invite your friends to register by sending them a personalized invitation! Sending an invitation encouraging your friends to join is quick and convenient. All you have to do is the following: 1. Sign on to Netscape AOL Instant Messenger. 2. Click the "Netscape AOL Instant Messenger" button and select "Sign On A Friend." 3. Enter the e-mail addresses of your friends and co-workers. We'll send them an invitation -- personalized by you -- inviting them to join the Netscape AOL Instant Messenger service. For help and additional information, please visit our website http://www.netscape.com. For quick tips on getting started with Netscape AOL Instant Messenger, see the information below. See you in cyberspace! ------------------------------------------- Quick Tips on Getting Started ------------------------------------------- Signing On to Netscape AOL Instant Messenger Once you've registered, downloaded, and installed Netscape AOL Instant Messenger, you're ready to start using it. Here's what you need to do to sign on (the following instructions apply to Windows 95/NT): 1. First, make sure that you're connected to the Internet via your Internet Service Provider, school, or office network. 2. Launch Netscape AOL Instant Messenger by double-clicking the AOL Instant Messenger program icon. (If you aren't sure how to locate Netscape AOL Instant Messenger, click the Start menu and then select Programs. From Programs, select AOL Instant Messenger and then the AOL Instant Messenger program icon.) 3. When you see the "Sign On" window, type or select the screen name and password you chose during registration in the space provided and click the "Sign On" button. 4. Netscape AOL Instant Messenger will then sign you on. Setting Up Your Buddy List Once signed on, you'll see the main Netscape AOL Instant Messenger window which contains two tabs: a box with names in it, and a row of buttons at the bottom. This box is your Buddy List window, and it shows you the screen names of your buddies online. Your Buddy List window will have three sample groups that you can use to begin organizing your buddies: 1) Buddies; 2) Family, and 3) Co-Workers. (You can change the names of these groups by highlighting the group name and typing over it - or just add new ones.) Personalize your Buddy List by adding your friends' screen names. To add a new buddy, click on the "List Setup" tab, click the "Add Buddy" button, and type a friend's screen name. Do this for each buddy you want to add. To add a new group, click the "Add Group" button, and type the name of the new group (like "soccer team"). Once you've added your buddies, click the "Online" tab. If you can't remember someone's screen name, use the "Find a Buddy" function to first see if the person is a registered Netscape AOL Instant Messenger ser or not. If the person is a registered user, you can look up his or her screen name here. Sending Your Buddy an Instant Message When you see a buddy's name in your Buddy List, it means the person is online and that you can send your buddy an Instant Message (which is a private, personalized, text message). There are two ways to send an Instant Message: 1) Double-click on your buddy's screen name, and a "Send Instant Message" window will appear. Type your message in the bottom part of the window, and click "Send." Or, 2) Highlight your buddy's screen name and click on the "IM" button. (If your buddy's screen name is not on your Buddy List group, then click on the "IM" button and type in his or her screen name and a message.) Either way, after clicking the "Send" button, your message will "pop up" on your buddy's computer screen. Then your buddy can send messages back to you for an instant, private, one-to-one chat.

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NSA Scientific Advisory Board
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The NSA Scientific Advisory Board has been functioning since 1953: http://jya.com/nsa-sab97.htm The 1997 annual report briefly describes what it does and what it costs to do it. However, its closed meetings are not announced in the Federal Register as required by regulations governing such FACA orgs. Names of members, minutes and studies are not available. We've made a request for info to the NSA office which handles the matter (301) 688-6449. Any information on the board would be welcome. Skimpy annual reports on the NSA SAB, like the one for 1997 above, as well as for all other federal advisory committees, from 1972 to 1997 are available at: http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mc/index-r.htm

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