British hacker says aliens exist

Regarding Official Systems Securities :

A civilian would have more success trying to hack a manual typewriter via a Wi-Fi connection.

If this guy did stumble across some files pertaining to "aliens/UFO's" or what-have-you, it's likely planted disinformation designed to appease curious minds playing cloak and dagger with online military servers.

But still, "aliens and UFO's" are fun subject to ponder and talk about, so don't let that dissuade enjoyment of the topic.

Peace.

a reply to: ZetaRediculian


2000 was the year that public use of the internet exceeded 50%.
So maybe project Mckinnon was just a heads up for admins to tighten their servers up?
Might possibly have been a failed attempt to make the public fear the emerging interactive media.
Strategically the internet would appear to make it more difficult for the military to operate a confidence scheme unquestioned.
Although in practice as we have seen on ATS it just levels the field.

a reply to: ZetaRediculian

Thank you.

originally posted by: Cauliflower
Gary Mckinnon was doing all his investigating from the UK in the early 90's so:
The machines in question were connected to the internet as .mil .org .etc domains.
There were lots of Unix boxes that were left with default passwords for root and administrative levels.
Telnet port 23 was left open in those days and file sharing was done under the honor system before that became abused.
The server stats were easy to find and could be used to explore limitless resources in many different countries.
There were people on the Joint Academic Network sharing (classified) military/space/science projects that were not to be exposed by the Main Stream Media. You could publish stuff using ghost to keep it away from the bots.

And far as hitting the wrong key (B flat) and wiping half the files off a NASA server, don't you hate when that happens?

So what is project "Gary Mckinnon" really about?

I have a Unix cert.. It's from 1999. The most common Unix then and now is Berkley Unix, which hasn't changed much since the 70's. I'm currently working on my RHCE, my 10th cert and 2nd Engineer level cert.

So it's from experience when I say you can't install a *nix box without setting a password for root as you install (there is no default) - else etc/passwd and "the wheel" will be hosed (would panic if rebooted), additionally you wouldn't be able to connect to it, you'd have to reinstall.

Many boxes currently have port 23 open (allow telnet) for the same reason they allow pings - for a helo. While telnet can carry UDP and TCP bits, it would make a poor service to hack with. I believe it's niceness is 20, last to be executed.

It goes without saying that Remote Desktop doesn't run over telnet.

There probably wasn't "millions in damage" - that sounds more like politics to help get him extradited.

- Edit to add:
The info he found was probably meant for him to find - a "honeypot". It's not uncommon, and useful for various reasons (I have a honeypot on my server, and no sensitive data).

They either wanted to round up the curious for an anti cyber-crime agenda (creates funding) - or he had a skill they wanted.

- Edit again:
I forgot to include that the domain I was referring to is a Windows Domain - not a TLD (.org, .com, .mil, etc).

Also just thought to clarify that my point isn't the technology - but that from what I know of technology, his story (as I've read here) doesn't add up.

originally posted by: KellyPrettyBear
a reply to: obscurepanda

I told a colleague that I thought he had
mastered a certain training program
and that he hadn't let it go to his
head.

I should have said mostly mastered and
mostly hadn't gone to his head.

But instead he took my 'blessing' and
now thinks he's this super evolved
form of life; sort of a mixture of
Jesus and all the archangels
put together.

I imagine he'd have gone off his
rocker no matter what, but it
grieves me what he has become;

And I can't "talk him off the ledge"
so to speak.

Words can be powerful and have
unintended results.

Kev

This post expresses a point Bukowski style. It's human, gritty, refreshing and well written.

(Hope it's not off topic to say so, since I'm quoting / referring to a post that has to do with op. It's just an unusual and exceptional reply.)

originally posted by: obscurepanda
a reply to: Paperjacket

Actually, he does Web Search Optimization for businesses nowadays. Think he charges like 40 quid an hour.

Thx and I noticed his smallseo business. Either way he stepped out the dark side. Though I still believe there is possiblity that he does some favor to British Intelligence. You know what I mean.

a reply to: Pearj

but that from what I know of technology, his story (as I've read here) doesn't add up.

It wasn't meant to, as long as you focus on the trees and not the forest.

Most of the stories involving Mckinnon described his finding an image of a huge "cigar shaped UFO" that was too large to download. He wasn't talking about the limitations of his silicon memory. If T0b@cc0 was your password you're done.

The story goes back to Roscoe Hillenkoetter who was on NICAP's board of governors from about 1957 until 1962. Barney Hill chased the same UFO with a Hann gun back in 1961. There was evidence left out in the Idaho desert in the 1970's that became the subject of the movie Close Encounters of the 3rd kind. He probably knew about the runway beacon and where that Mother ship landed in 1961.

During that period there was a No Text, Eyes Only policy used on some classified documents.
So the project probably was designed as a honey pot to find kids that could read that stuff.

Artificial intelligence has evolved way beyond the Babbage engine that let anyone practice accounting.
Way beyond anagram solvers that use contextual clues.
Someone wealthy enough to purchase the technology could buy a system that could scan and match images.
Suppose an organization wanted to kidnap Maggie Simpson so they could use her to further their nefarious cause.
They could could just instruct the search engine to visgrep for images of Maggies pacifier and trace the location.

None of the other babies noticed... Excellent....

a reply to: Pearj

Aw thanks.

I expect to be a published author within a year.
I have one, possibly two 'giants' of their fields
who will be endorsing my first attempt.

As it's related in a minor manner to the thread
(I'm autistic and am writing about a fringe field
which does include UFOs),

I'll tell you I'm writing a book on "The Trickster"
and how this phenomenon is actually behind most
of what is strange in the world - UFOs, spirituality,
religion, etc.

I'ts a hard book to write; the content of course
is terrible, as I won't write anything I can't
at least hypothetically explain with the laws
of physics.

And I must be totally and completely honest,
without the tiniest exaggeration,

yet i need to make nearly every word living
free form poetry, because I won't enjoy
the writing otherwise.

I'll have to lookup this Bukowski.. I've never
studied writing or poetry and have only
taken English Comp 101.

If you want to discuss writing, IM me.. I
don't' want to derail this thread too much.

Thanks.

Kevin

Way to necro this thread from 2012! lololoolloollool