U.S. Web Probe Seeks German Hacker - Report

BERLIN (Reuters) - Investigators tracking hackers who shut down a number of leading Web sites this week are following a lead in Germany, Die Welt newspaper reported on Saturday.

The FBI-led National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) believes that a hacker who goes by the alias ``Mixter'' and who breaks into networks with a program called ``Stacheldraht'' (''Barbed Wire''), may be based in Germany.

The program was used in hacker attacks under its German name, Die Welt reported.

Computer security company Network Associates Inc. said earlier that a computer in Germany had been located as one of the so-called ``zombies'' used to launch the attacks and had since been disconnected from the Internet.

One or more computer vandals disrupted several popular Web sites last week, including Yahoo, Buy.com, eBay, Amazon.com and Time Warner.

President Clinton has called a summit on Internet security for next week.

• Web Probe Widens, Clinton Calls Internet Summit (February 11)
• Clinton Plans Meeting As Web Probe Widens (February 11)
• U.S. Turns Up No Clues in Web Blitz Inquiry (February 10)
• U.S. Still Has No Clues on Hacker Blitz (February 10)
• Web Sites Regroup After Hacker Attacks, Origins Unknown (February 10)
• U.S. Vows to Go After Internet Vandals (February 9)

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Related Web Sites · CERT/CC Denial of Service - general overview of attacks in which the goal is to deny the victim(s) access to a particular resource. · ICSA.net - features a special section on Distributed Denial Of Service Attacks, which brought down several major Web sites in February, 2000. · Infrastructure Protection and Computer Intrusion Squad (IPCIS) - responsible for investigating unauthorized intrusions into major computer networks. · A Hacker's Glossary - "phreaking," "spaghetti code," and the hacker's preferred term for a malicious computer vandal -- "cracker." From Discovery Online's Hackers' Hall of Fame. · Attrition - includes the security errata page, which debunks various media information on hacking, and an index of hacked sites. More In Full Coverage

Opinion & Editorials · Hackers part of Web life - Seattle Times (Feb 11, 2000) · Pranksters who cause harm should face penalties - Dallas Morning News (Feb 11, 2000) · Interview: FBI Computer Crime Squad - ECommerce Times (Feb 11, 2000)

Magazine Articles · Where Is the Firewall? - Intellectual Capital (Feb 10, 2000) · Criminal code? - Salon (Feb 9, 2000) · A Private Little Cyberwar - Forbes (Feb 7, 2000)

Audio · "Internet vandals have been responsible for a rash of attacks" - BBC (Feb 11, 2000) · Excite Web Site Confirms Attack - NPR (Feb 10, 2000) More In Full Coverage

Video · Hackers helping to secure ecommerce sites - CNN (Feb 10, 2000) · "Hacking is something financial institutions are afraid of" - BBC (Feb 10, 2000) · FBI press conference on Denial of Service hackers - Channel 2000 (Feb 9, 2000)

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