Date: 06 Aug 91 19:29:34 EDT
From: "m.lolich%briggs.stad@mich.al"
Subject: Hackers Challenged to Break In

            Company Dares Computer Intruders to Hack Away
           (From  The Detroit News, Sunday, Aug. 4, p. 3A).

It's a little like inviting robbers to knock over your bank.

To prove its computer programs are secure from electronic intruders,
Unix System Laboratories wants hackers to try to break in.

The company set up an unattended test computer at its headquarters in
Summit, N.J., and bets that unauthorized users can't get into its mock
payroll accounts, can't cut phony checks and can't breach private
files.

Initially, the challenge was issued to corporate security experts--and
none has been able to sneak in during the past few months, said
spokesman D. Scott Belin. Now, in a bold publicity stunt, the company
will offer a toll-free phone number to let any whiz kid or mischief
maker log onto a computer and hack away.

"There's probably 10,000 computer hackers out there," Belin said.
"We're trying to figure out a way tohandle all the phone calls once we
make the number available."

He said the company, which makes a computer operating system widely
used by phone companies, has yet to decide how to publicize the
toll-free access number.

Marilyn Partel, an operating systems manager at the company, said the
software has been redesigned so that no one--even if authorized--has
unlimited access to the system.

{Moderator's note: We called D. Scott Belin, and he informed us that
challenge is not yet open to the general public. There are three pha
to the challenge. Beta SV5 was first released to source code customers
of 4.1 ES (Enhanced Security). The second phase, currently underway,
is to all UNIX SVR4 customers. The final phase, in which it will be
to the public, is still in planning stage, and they will release the
phone number as soon as all the kinks are worked out.  User restrict
are built into the operating system. There will be regular user perm
and superuser permissions.sions. No single user will have
superuser permissions.

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