NOTE In December 2006, in an attempt to reduce the number of attacks on
its protected systems, the DoD barred the use of HTML-based e-mail due to
the relative ease of infection with spyware and executable code that could
enable intruders to gain access to DoD networks.
In 2003, a hacker was indicted as part of a national crackdown on computer crimes.
The operation was called ???Operation Cyber Sweep.??? According to the Department of Justice,
the attack happened when a cracker brought down the Los Angeles County Department
of Child and Family Service??™s Child Protection Services Hotline. The attacker was a
former IT technician of a software vendor who provided the critical voice-response system
used by the hotline service. After being laid off by his employer, the cracker gained unauthorized
access to the L.A. County??“managed hotline and deleted vital configuration files.
This brought the service to a screeching halt. Callers, including child abuse victims,
Chapter 2: Ethical Hacking and the Legal System
25
PART I
Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker??™s Handbook
26
hospital workers, and police officers, were unable to access the hotline or experienced
major delays. In addition to this hotline exploit, the cracker performed similar attacks on
12 other systems for which his former employer had performed services.
Pages:
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103