Chapter 26
Pg.149
ch26> Log File: Script kiddie </h26>
"Did you know a famous hacker lived here?" Said Eckardt one day when he
walked back with me from the rugby practice. "What?" I say, trying to put on my
tracksuit top while we are walking. "Yes, in Harrismith. His hacker nickname was
Kokey. He taught himself electronics and computer programming from books he
found in the library. And when he was fifteen, he built his first computer himself
for just RI70. "He managed to guess other guys' Telkom Beltel passwords and was
able to get on the net at their expense. So, he met hackers in other countries.
Later he also did blueboxing." "What is it?" I ask. "Do you still remember Capt'n
Crunch?" "Yes?" "Now with blue-boxing you also send tones over the phone.
Kokey has managed to make free phone calls by exploiting Telkom's toll-free
numbers. And he has places like the government, CSIR, weather bureau, Pick 'n
Pay, Olivetti and Standard Bank's systems hacked. ““And other hackers in South
Africa?" I ask. Someone walks past us. Eckardt pauses for a moment before
saying: "There is Low Voltage- which is a fairly well-known personality in the
hacking underground. He also has a South African website
ge-run. 2600.co.za. In Cape Town there was logiK. He managed to hack
Dimension data systems. This gave him access to Telkom. Another guy was an
aKtor from the then Pietersburg. He knew some hacker buddies from America,
the Middle East, and New Zealand they hacked NASA website. He also defaced
,the JSE and Telkom websites "And has anyone been caught yet?" "The police, and
apparently also Interpol, were on track. They raided houses, confiscated
computers. At that time there were no laws that banned hacking itself. There
were laws against computer fraud, theft of information, vandalism. "And now?"
"Things have changed. Now there is the ECT law banning hacking Depending on
what you did, you could face up to five years in prison. Maybe a fine ... "I put my
sport bag in my other hand, feeling the last bit of sun faint in my neck. An
inconvenience gripped me." But what we did…the stuff that ... you taught me.
"Yep, it's illegal." He sees the worrying on my face." Relax, G-4ce! No one will
know. I have your back ... law or whatever? Eckardt's words make the oppression
worse. He looks me in the eyes smiling." And it is not like we pushed the hacking
into the red, we just revved the engine to see how he runs! "I walked for a while
and thought about it. Then I asked," So, has anyone been convicted of this. "There
was a disgruntled worker who hacked the Edgars and Jet system shut down one
Saturday morning. It cost them millions. Edgars first filed a civil lawsuit against
him, but then dropped it when they saw he did not have the money in any
case. Then they filed a criminal case against him. The guy was not prosecuted
under the ECT Act because it was still in place, so they found him guilty of
malicious damage to property. He got five years. "Just the other day there was
someone loading spy software on the government computers. He was caught red-
handed. He worked in the gang with a crime syndicate.
They used the staff's payroll and paid money to themselves. The guy testified for
the state against his friends. He was sentenced to four years, suspended for four
years. "" Oh no, Eckardt, how do you know all this? "I ask." Probably as you know
,what is going on in rugby. You keep your eyes and ears open. If you are into
hacking, you need to know such things. And you too, newbie, he teases. "Hey,
I'm not a newbie anymore!" I turn around. "Okay, but you're still a point and
click script kiddie," laughs Eckardt. I cannot argue with that. I cannot write my
own scripts like the hardcore hackers. Point and click. "I still wanted to ask you,
Ekk-o do, but who taught you?" "I did. Then I tried it myself, with bumps and
bumps. And a good dose of luck. It is rare to get a mentor to help you. Usually,
you must prove yourself first. And if you find out something, and share the
information, the other hackers will also share information. ““Have you ever had
trouble hacking?" I asked as we stood at the residence entrance. "Of course
not." Eckardt's voice is suddenly cold. "Are you lying to me now?" I ask. "Does it
look like I'm sitting in jail with my ass?" I turn around and point to the school's
security fences that break through the trees here and there. "What do you think
this is?"
Chapter 27
<h27> Brute Force </h27>
Nicole calls early Wednesday night. I wish she would stop talking. I have other
things to worry about now than the silly things that happen at her school. I must
probably tell her what happened. No. I must sort it out for myself first. "Nicksie,
I have to go now," I stop her in the middle of a sentence. "RCL meeting" Strange
how the lies come so easily now. I am sitting in my room. Just look at the wall
, across from me as if it holds the answer for the mess, I ended up in. The Police
found nothing in the stormwater pipes. Well not that I know of, at least. If there
was anything, the story would have been circulating in the hallways. A knock on
the door. Kwanele. "Kwanele, I cannot now." "Just give me a moment." He
stood firmly in the doorway. "Come in," I sighed. "There are lots of rumours
going around." He took a deep breath. His face serious. "I do not know what is
true and what is not. And I know we have not been getting along. But if you need
any help -anything-you have got my support. That is what we promised each
other when we were Trap- pers. I keep my promises. Always. Okay? “I
nodded. “Thank you, Kwanele. I appreciate it. Really. "I feel like a discarded dog
when he walks out.
I am terribly scared, but I know I must call home sometime. I probably sit for half
an hour with my cell phone in my hand, my mother's number on the screen, but I
do not press the green button to make the connection. My hand trembles. My
heart too. I do not want to disappoint my mother. She has so much hope for me;
a different hope than my father. But in the end, I have no choice. Just get it
behind your back, Greg. "Hello, Ma?" I start telling her about Eckardt, that he is a
hacker, that he taught me. From the police who took my laptop. I keep quiet
about Doc and the stuff I found out about him. After a deep breath, I add, "Mom,
they think I have something to do with Eckardt's disappearance." My mom
stumbles over her own words. I can hear the fear in her voice. "But you would not
... "" Of course not, Mom. "" He was your friend…. "Mom, don't tell Dad, please.
Not now. Let me see what I can do first." "But what can you do Greg? Let me at
least call Dad's lawyer." "Mom, no. I am saying, not now. I want to try something