Re: The Beijing hack attack

[Paul Kneisel <tallpaul@nyct.net>]

[: hacktivism :]

At 09:47 PM 12/17/99 -0800 maggie knowles published an article from the
arch-conservative WorldNetDaily entitled "The Beijing hack attack: Hong
Kong-based cyber warriors build anti-China techno army." The author gave
the impression that the elite hacker community is involved in a cyber
attack on the People's Republic of China, complete with a variety of rather
breathless references to the "real inside dope" of world hackerdom.

In reality, cyber attacks on China have been routinely condemned by the
bulk of the real, documentable, hacker organizations. Documentation for
this claim, taken from 2600 Magazine, is included below.

  --  tallpaul
      editor: The Internet Anti-Fascist

Following a declaration of war by the Legions of the Underground (LoU)
against the information infrastructures of China and Iraq, 2600, along with
hacker groups including the L0pht, Chaos Computer Club, and the Cult of the
Dead Cow, issued a joint statement and a press release. One day later,
members of the LoU issued a statement condemning any destructive actions. 
   2600 Magazine
   7 Jan 99

- - - - -

JOINT STATEMENT CONDEMNING LOU CYBERWAR 
7 Jan 99

The hacker groups 2600, Chaos Computer Club, the Cult of the Dead Cow
(cDc), !Hispahack, L0pht Heavy Indusries, Phrack and Pulhas feel the need
to comment on recent announcements of a group calling themselves the
"Legion of the Underground" (LoU). 

The LoU has declared that they will attempt to damage and sabotage the
cyberspace infrastructures of Iraq and China. They cited the human-rights
issues in those countries as the reason for this action. 

Though we may agree with LoU that the atrocities in China and Iraq have got
to stop, we do not agree with the methods they are advocating. They are
short-sighted and potentially counterproductive. One cannot legitimately
hope to improve a nation's free access to information by working to disable
its data networks. 

Without doubt, the human rights situation in China, Iraq and many more
countries on this planet is very bad. Hacktivism - using the skills and
tools of hacking to advance progressive causes - could in the eyes of some
of the signatories sometimes be a legitimate way of bringing public
attention to this issue. 

But we strongly oppose any attempt to use the power of hacking to threaten
or destroy the information infrastructure of any country, for any reason.
Declaring "war" against anyone, any group of people, or any nation is a
most deplorable act. This only reduces the hacker to the level of the group
or country that they are attacking. This has nothing to do with hacktivism
or the hacker ethics and is nothing a hacker can be proud of. 

Governments all over the world are trying to establish cyberspace as the
new battleground for their artificial conflicts. What the LoU has done
inadvertently legitimizes this agenda. If hackers are establishing
themselves as a weapon, hacking in general will be seen as an act of war.
And hackers themselves will undoubtedly be seen as legitimate targets of
warring countries. 

As we see it, LoU is doing things that governments worldwide do not want to
do officially or publicly. These preparations for Information Warfare in
the US and elsewhere are at a point where real-world cases are needed to
justify the assigned budgets. 

The LoU is providing this real-world case now. We believe the LoU should
carefully investigate whether the idea of declaring "war" against China and
Iraq was not given to them by someone with different interests in mind than
advancing the human rights issue. 

The signatories are asking all the hackers on planet earth to reject
anything that has to do with damaging the information infrastructure of any
country. Don't support ANY acts of "Cyberwar"; keep the networks of
communication alive: they are the very nervous system of our planet. 

All hackers and hacker-groups are welcome to sign, please direct your
submission to hacktivism@berlin.ccc.de 

- - - - -

LOU CYBERWAR PRESS RELEASE 
01/07/99 

International Coalition of Hackers Denounce Declaration of War
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 7.1.1999 

An international coalition of hackers strongly condemns the Legion of the
Underground's (LoU) recent "declaration of war" against the governments of
Iraq and the People's Republic of China. Citing human rights violations and
other repressive measures the LoU declared their intention to disrupt and
disable Internet infrastructures in Iraq and China. In a decision that was
more rash than wise, the LoU will do little to alter existing conditions
and much to endanger the rights of hackers around the world. 

We - the undersigned - strongly oppose any attempt to use the power of
hacking to threaten or destroy the information infrastructure of a country,
for any reason. Declaring "war" against a country is the most irresponsible
thing a hacker group could do. This has nothing to do with hacktivism or
hacker ethics and is nothing a hacker could be proud of. 

Frank Rieger of the CCC said, "Many hacker groups don't have a problem with
Web hacks that raise public awareness about human rights violations. But we
are very sensitive to people damaging networks and critical systems in
repressive regimes or anywhere else. The police and intelligence
communities regard hacking as seditious. It is quite possible now that
hackers - not only in totalitarian states - could be jailed or executed as
'cyberterrorists' for the slightest infraction of the law." 

"It is shortsighted and potentially counterproductive," added Reid Fleming
of the cDc. "One cannot legitimately hope to improve a nation's free access
to information by working to disable its data networks." 

"Though we may agree with LoU that the atrocities in China and Iraq have
got to stop, we do not agree with the methods they are advocating," said
Space Rogue of the L0pht. 

Emmanuel Goldstein of 2600 said: "This kind of threat, even if made idly,
can only serve to further alienate hackers from mainstream society and help
to spread the misperceptions we're constantly battling. And what happens
when someone in another country decides that the United States needs to be
punished for its human rights record? This is one door that will be very
hard to close if we allow it to be opened." 

Governments worldwide are seeking to establish cyberspace as a new
battleground for their artificial conflicts. The LoU has inadvertently
legitimized this alarmist propaganda. With its dramatic announcement the
LoU played into the hands of policy makers who want complete control over
the Internet and are looking for reasons to seize it. If hackers solicit
recognition as paramilitary factions then hacking in general will be seen
as an act of war. Ergo, hackers will be viewed as legitimate targets of
warring states. 

Strategic combat planning in the United States and among other nations has
reached the point where real-world cases are needed to justify assigned
budgets. The LoU is providing this real-world case now. We believe that the
LoU should carefully investigate the idea of declaring "war" against China
and Iraq. Was it planted with them by someone with different interests in
mind other than advancing human rights considerations? 

The signatories to this statement are asking hackers to reject all actions
that seek to damage the information infrastructure of any country. DO NOT
support any acts of "Cyberwar." Keep the networks of communication alive.
They are the nervous system for human progress. 

Signed (7.1.1999): 

2600 (http://www.2600.com)
Chaos Computer Club (http://www.ccc.de)
Cult of the Dead Cow (http://www.cultdeadcow.com)
!Hispahack (http://hispahack.ccc.de)
L0pht (http://www.l0pht.com)
Phrack (http://www.phrack.com)
Pulhas (http://p.ulh.as/)
several members of the Dutch Hackers Community (contact Rop Gonggrijp,
rop@xs4all.nl)
Toxyn (http://www.toxyn.org/)


Supporting documents:
http://www.hackernews.com/archive.html?122998.html - The original
declaration of war by LoU 




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