Conference noted::hackers_v1

29.0. "Some breakins from down-under" by AUSSIE::BELL () Thu Jul 05 1984 00:41

	My first job was as systems programmer, in a University!
The students were given access to a RSTS/E system, and very soon managed to
break-in, once in they found that they could create priviledged programs, in
their directories, and use those to access files etc.

The first solution when we discovered the situation was to change priv
passwords, then we shut down the machine for a week, while we investigated the
problem. (This put pressure on the students who had broken in from other
students who wanted to user the system) eventually we fixed login to only allow
priv logins from terminals in a secure area, a job to delete all priv files not
in priv accounts, a password (ZZZZZZ) which could not be used (misbehaving
accounts were locked out by setting the password to ZZZZZZ, and a program which
shut down terminals (by setting speed to 0) 5 minutes before the building they
were in closed.
We also had a batch job that zeroed out any unallocated disk space.

Security on AUSSIE:: is (I hope) tight.

But we still have problems with Field Service changing their password to S.....

Peter.

 From Bedford...a similar problem.  We had a RSTS system called the
"Gentle Giant" (this was before the days of DECnet--yes, there was such
a time!).  The machine was used both by software students and by a 
group of developers, resources being scarce at the time.  The 
instructor kept giving his students access to privileged accounts, 
despite the developers' loud protests.  The biggest problem was game-
playing during prime "hack" time.

 We finally solved the problem by putting all games on an RL05
(remember them?).  It was awfully hard to run games when the disk was 
ripped from the drive...

    RE: .1 

	RL05 ?? Should that be RK05, or RL01/2, or did we go through all 
	5 phases of development and retire a product while I was on vacation?

							:-) Don

Hey Pete, how does RL05 prevent people from playing games ?  Can't they just
copy the game to their own area (and call it TECO of course) ?

/Eric