Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 10

A-10 Monday, Nov. 1, 1993 Sentinel Hackers dig potholes in information highway sites around the country that their security might have been compromised. A number of security experts said technology now exists that would help minimize the kind of intrusions that rely on stealing passwords. The recent intrusions have also reignited a debate among security specialists over how much information about loopholes in system protection should be made publicly available. The Computer Emergency Response Team maintains a policy of not commenting on specific attacks.

However, the organization has been criticized by a number of system administrators, who think they are vulnerable to attacks because they are not informed quickly enough of newly discovered security flaws. Th New Yorlt Timet SAN FRANCISCO The vision of a national information superhighway is being threatened by a group of anonymous computer intruders who have broken into hundreds of university, government and commercial computers in recent months, bedeviling many of the nation's computer managers. The attacks, which became public several weeks ago when an online service in New York City was forced to shut down for three days, have alarmed security experts, who say this has exposed fundamental weaknesses in the security of Internet, an international computer network that is widely viewed as the forerunner of the nation's data highway. "The pervasive nature of this thing is startling but not surprising," said Peter Neumann, a com diction over computer break-Ins. However there is little information about where the intruders are or even whether the break-ins are the work of an individual or a group working together.

Security experts said the method is not new, but Its extensive use reveals Internet's weaknesses. The attacks, government and private security specialists both said, raise questions about the use of passwords as a method for protecting network security in the future. "Things go flying by in clear text on communications lines that are easy to tap," said Richard Pethia, coordinator of the Computer Emergency Response Team, a government-financed security support group at Carnegie Mellon University. His group has made 300 to 400 phone calls warning computer tions, and record password information in a secret file. In recent years, dozens of small commercial on line service providers like Panix have sprung up around the country to give computer users access to Internet.

In addition to electronic mail, this permit users to read computer bulletin boards, and exchange software and documents. They are part of an explosion of network services that are being used by an increasing number of American businesses for electronic commerce. Computer site administrators said they had no accurate estimates of how many systems had been compromised in the attacks, or whether information had been stolen. Several computer sites said they had notified the FBI, which along with the Secret Service has juris- are being used by most of the interactive television experiments of cable television and telephone companies eager to sell services like on line banking and home shopping. "People see the glitter and the glamour of the information highway, but they don't see the risk," said Eugene Spafford, a computer scientist and director of a Purdue University security center.

"The vast majority of people have never really bothered to think carefully about what they may have to lose and what exposure they are taking for themselves by connecting to the network." On Oct. 18, the staff of Panix Public Access found that an intruder had secretly inserted a rogue program into one their computers. The program was designed to watch network data communica- Athlete beaten River Phoenix, 23, collapses land dies outside LA nightclub puter scientist and security expert at SRI International, a research center in Menlo Park. "The vendors and the system administrators are way behind the power curve. The fact is everyone on the Internet is getting hit." The intruders have been able to obtain passwords for hundreds, or even thousands, of computers that are attached to Internet, which connects more than two million computers at universities, corporations and government sites around the world.

"The extent of this isn't appreciated by the people who should know better," said Alexis Rosen, president of Panix Public Access system, a New York City on line service, which was attacked last month. The problems are sobering because similar security technologies detectives were handling the case, as a matter of routine, but "it's not a homicide investigation at this time," Hecht said. The actor's family, gathering in Los Angeles, issued a statement: "Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you who have been a friend and support to our darling son, brother, grandson and lover, River, who lives on in all of our lives. His beauty, gentleness, compassion, vulnerability and love is a gift for all eternity." The family asked that contributions be made to the charities Earth Save in Santa Cruz or Earth Trust in Malibu, in Phoenix's name. Depp's Viper Room is popular with young celebrities, providing a stage recently for a listening party for Concrete Blonde and an impromptu tune-up show by Pearl Jam.

Depp, the heartthrob star of "21 Jump Street" and "Edward Scissorhands" took over what had been Club Central, a trendy dive. A recording answered the Viper Room's phone Sunday with the message: "We are madly in love with each other here. Please join us." River Phoenix was best known as the star of the 1986 film 'Stand by Me. He was nominated for best supporting actor Oscar for "Running on Empty." KNBC-TV quoted a statement from Ford, who said he was "terribly sad" about the death of the young man who co-starred with him in two films. "He played my son once and I came to love him like a son, and was proud to watch him grow into a man of such talent and integrity and compassion," he said.

"We will all miss him." Phoenix came from an unusual family and spent much of his childhood on the move, living in Oregon, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South America and Florida. His parents had met while hitchhiking and chose to name their son after the river of life in Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha." Born in Madras, on Aug. 24, 1970, Phoenix spent most of his childhood in Venezuela with his siblings, Rain, Leaf, Liberty and Summer, while his parents, John and Arlynn, became missionaries for Children of God. Continued from Page Al the stairs and kicking me in the head and eventually I got away," said Kennedy, who splits his time between Lake Placid, N.Y., and Santa Cruz, where his brother Ian is a UC Santa Cruz student. "I was lucky.

They could have killed me if they wanted." The other three Americans got away unharmed. The beating Friday at Oberhof, a favorite of international bobsled and luge competitors, was the first serious case since unification that Americans were attacked by German hate-mongers. It shocked, frightened and outraged the U.S. athletes, who spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday from a hotel in Austria. The Americans had left Oberhof a day earlier than planned with questions about the prudence of going back.

"I've never seen so many men so upset emotionally," team trainer Larry Standifer of Eugene, said. Oberhof mayor and other German officials, fearful the incident would scare away foreigners and blight Germany's image, apologized effusively and sought to assure international athletes they would be safe in Germany. Phoenix was in the midst of filming the movie "Dark Blood," a Fine Line Features film which was nearly complete, Patricola said. Phoenix, who also sings with the band Aleka's Attic, was to have appeared in the film version of novelist Anne Rice's "Interview With a Vampire." A year after his 1985 film debut in "Explorers," Phoenix showed his star potential in director Rob Reiner's "Stand by Me." Phoenix portrayed Chris Chambers, the tough kid in a group of boyhood friends who learn about themselves on a hike in the woods where they find a corpse. In his brief career, Phoenix played a male hustler in Gus Van Sant's 1991 film "My Own Private Idaho" and portrayed a youthful computer hacker in the Robert Redford-led ensemble cast of 1992's "Sneakers." His other films include "The Mosquito Coast" (1986) and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), both with Harrison Ford, "Little Nikita" (1988) with Sidney Poitier, "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" (1988), and "Running on Empty" (1988).

"From today on we'll have a standing police presence," Mayor Harmut Goebel said by telephone. He said there had not previously been a need, although neo-Nazis from Suhl beat up two local youths a week earlier. Police said Sunday they released four of the five youths arrested in the attack. A regional prosecutor, Uwe Koenig, said he would not know until today what charges the five, ages 16 to 19, might face. Kennedy said he identified three attackers to police who escorted him back to the Kurparkklause bar afterward, but he had to leave quickly because the skinheads were getting unruly, giving Hitler salutes and shouting Nazi slogans.

"They were looking at me like they absolutely wanted to kill me," he said. Teammate Gordy Sheer of Croton, N.Y., said he was terrified and barricaded his door. "I was living the nightmare that the Nazis were going to come and get me in the night," said Sheer, who is Jewish. The U.S. Embassy official said he believed the attack on the lugers "was anti-foreigner, not anti-American." Pipkins, of New York, said he considered the attack a hate crime "clearly directed toward me because I was black." You are welcome to write about your loved ones in an "In Memoriam" or "Card of Photos or pictures can be included.

For details call Kathy Kolaski at CrutfCounty oentinel Classified Department 423-4242 Ext. 296 Advertisement FUNERALS Area digest NOBMANS family chapel 3620 SOQUEL DRIVE SOQUEL 476-6211 Paid Political Affirmative Action Office, Chancellor's Committee on the status of women, and the Women's Studies and Feminist Studies. For more information, call 459-2072. Mammography van to visit The Mobile Quickscreen mammography van, an effort of Dominican and Watsonville Community hospitals and the Santa Cruz Radiology Medical Group, will visit Santa Cruz County from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

and p.m. starting Tuesday. Cost is $65, or $60 for those on Medicare. Medi-Cal is accepted as full payment. The dates and locations are: Tuesday: Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Ves-sey's Drugs, Soquel Drive, Aptos.

Thursday: Watsonville Square Center, Main Street and Green Valley Road, Watsonville. Nov. 9: Longs Drugs, 41st Avenue and Capitola Road, Capitola. Nov. 11: Longs Drugs, 600 Front Santa Cruz.

Mammograms are recommended for women over 35 years. Anti-drug law advocates to meet Education Not Incarceration will meet from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday at the Louden Nelson Center, 301 Center Santa Cruz. Admission is free. For more information, call 454-9472.

French feminism is topic A lecture on "Women Who Have Only Paradoxes to Offer: French Feminism between 1789 and 1945" will be given by scholar and feminist historian Joan Scott, at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the UC Santa Cruz Women's CenterCardiff House. The talk is sponsored by the Women's Studies, Cultural Studies Center, and the Humanities Division. For more information, call 459-2072. Human rights lecture set The" Women's International League for Peace and Freedom will present "Expressing Our Views on Human Rights" from 11:30 a.m.

to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Fireside Room, 420 Melrose Santa Cruz. Groups led by Alice Davis, Jane Podesta, Patricia Schroeder and Jacquelyn Marie will address how U.S. aid, foreign policy, and how an embargo affects human rights; how cultural practices impact human rights; and women's rights as human rights. For more information, call 426-5433.

Title IX director to speak The UC Santa Cruz Women's Center will present an opportunity to meet the first UCSC Title IX officer Rita Walker, from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Women's CenterCardiff House on campus. This event is co-sponsored by Human Resources, The Associated Press LOS ANGELES River Phoe- nix, whose natural intensity as a i youthful star of the 1986 film "Stand by Me" launched a career, collapsed outside actor Johnny Depp's Sunset Strip nightclub early Sunday and died. He was 23. Friends reported that Phoenix Was "acting strange" as he left the Viper Room in West Hollywood about 1 a.m., said sheriffs Deputy Diane Hecht.

He had been at the club with actress Samantha Mathis, 23, and his 19-year-old brother, Joaquin, sheriffs Sgt. Bob Stoneman said. Paramedics went to the club after a frantic 911 emergency call by a man who said he thought his brother "had Valium or something I don't know," according to the call aired Sunday night by KNBC-TV. The actor was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. "At this time the cause of death is under investigation.

The exact cause will be determined at autopsy by the coroner," Hecht said. The autopsy will probably be performed today, she said. Sheriffs Road report WEST CLIFF DRIVE from Beach Street to Washington Street Extension is closed to through traffic due to a bridge closure. BEACH STREET from West Cliff Drive to Riverside Avenue is subject to delays due to roadway reconstruction. Due to street reconstruction and overlay, there will be traffic delays on the following streets: Water Street from Market Street to North Branciforte.

Nobel Drive from Meder Street to Calvin Place. Cedar Street from Center Street to Church Street. Gault Street from Seabright Avenue to Frederick Street. Felix Street from Laurel Street to Neary Street. For more information, call the Santa Cruz City Public Works Department, 429-3633.

Lottery The Associated Press Super Lotto One ticket purchased in Covina matched all six numbers drawn Saturday night for a $6.3 million "Super Lotto" jackpot, lottery officials said. Numbers drawn in the twice-weekly game: 12, 13, 16, 27, 42 and 48. Numbers are listed in sequential order but any combination wins. In addition to the jackpot winner, there were 83 tickets sold with five of the six numbers, with each ticket worth $2,142. Another 5,400 tickets had four numbers, with each winning $85.

And there were 109,406 tickets sold with three of six numbers, with each worth an automatic $5. Daily 3 Here are the winning numbers picked Sunday night for the California Lottery's Daily 3 game: 6, 2, 3. Teach Someone to Read Teach Someone to Write Teach Someone to Live VOLUNTEER TUTORS NEEDED (408)423-0554 VOTE WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY Prop. 168 170 Low Rent Housing Projects. YES Property Taxes.

Schools. Majority Vote. YES Education. Vouchers. NO Countywide Contingency Sales Tax YES 174 League of Women Voters of Santa Cruz County P.O.

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