Astronomer Clifford Stoll was working as a systems manager at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California when he noticed a minor discrepancy in the shared-time computer system accounts. This seemingly insignificant error sparked a ten-month investigation that would eventually expose a German hacker selling defense secrets to the KGB.
Stoll’s narrative resembles a captivating spy novel, replete with unexpected developments, suspense, and a surprising conclusion. It illustrates how curiosity and perseverance can uncover unforeseen discoveries and revelations, even in the seemingly unremarkable areas of a computer system.
The story begins in 1986, when Stoll was asked to find out why the computer system accounts were off by 75 cents. He expected to find a simple explanation, such as a rounding error or a misplaced decimal point. Instead, he found evidence of a computer break-in.
Stoll traced the intruder to a computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but soon realized that the hacker was using the MIT computer as a relay point to access other systems. Stoll decided to monitor the hacker’s activities and set up a trap to catch him.
He created a fake military database and a fictitious computer network called “SDI Net,” hoping to lure the hacker into revealing his identity and location. He also installed an electronic pager that would beep whenever the hacker got onto the system, allowing him to track the hacker’s movements.
Stoll soon discovered that the hacker was not just a curious prankster, but a serious threat. The hacker, who went by the codename “Hunter,” had managed to break into U.S. computer systems and steal sensitive military and security information. He was searching for keywords like nuclear, ICBM, SDI, biological warfare, Norad. He was reading everything he could get his hands on, and then it turns out he was selling it to the Soviets,” Stoll said.
Stoll tried to alert the FBI, but they were initially uninterested in the case. They thought that the hacker was just a harmless hobbyist, and that the computer break-in was not a national security issue. Stoll persisted, however, and convinced them to take the case seriously.
He also enlisted the help of his girlfriend, who played a crucial role in the investigation. She suggested that he lay a trap for the hacker by creating bogus military data and a fictitious computer network called “SDI Net.” The hacker took the bait, spending two hours reading through the material, giving Stoll enough time to trace the call to Hanover, West Germany.
Stoll contacted the German authorities, who agreed to cooperate with the investigation. They set up a sting operation to catch the hacker in the act. They also discovered that the hacker was part of a larger spy ring, involving several other hackers and agents working for the KGB.
The hacker was eventually identified as Markus Hess, a 25-year-old computer science student. He was arrested in May 1989, along with four other members of the spy ring. They were charged with espionage, computer fraud, and theft of trade secrets. They confessed to selling U.S. military and security information to the Soviet Union for more than $50,000.
Stoll’s tenacious pursuit of the truth, his innovative methods of tracking the hacker, and the eventual unmasking of an international spy ring is a testament to the power of curiosity and determination.
Relevant articles:
– ASTRONOMER CRACKS SPY CASE 75-CENT ACCOUNTING ERROR … – Deseret News
– The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage …
– CUCKOO’S EGG – Clifford Stoll – Google Books
– The Cuckoo’s Egg | Book by Cliff Stoll – Simon & Schuster
– COMPUTER HACKERS FACE SPY CHARGES – The Washington Post