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The KGB, the Computer, and Me.

DragonFartOutLoud

202 subscribers • 1 video on Hallway

YouTube
  • Recommended by 3 people: 3 on Hacker News.
  • Presented by Clifford Stoll, astronomer and author

Beginner. No background in the topic needed.

87K views13 years ago3 recommendations

SecurityHistory and cultureExploits and vulnerabilitiesHistory of computingOperating systems

Clifford Stoll re-enacts how he tracked down a KGB hacker after noticing a 75-cent accounting discrepancy on a Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory computer.

In 1986, astronomer turned computer scientist Clifford Stoll had just started working on a computer system at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory when he noticed a 75-cent discrepancy between the charges printed by two accounting programs responsible for charging people for machine use. Intrigued, he deduced that the system was being hacked, and he determined to find the culprit. This is the re-enactment of how he tracked down KGB cracker Markus Hess through the Ethernet to Hannover, Germany, as is told in his best-selling book _ The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage_ (1989). Stoll has become a celebrity for being, as he terms himself, "a computer contrarian."

Why it's here

3 people recommend this

What people say. Highly recommended as an entertaining and historically significant documentary adaptation of the classic cybersecurity book The Cuckoo's Egg.

cartoonworldon Hacker News • Recommends

On “A foreign seller has hijacked my Amazon Klein bottle listing”

There was also a television adaptation, "The KGB, the Computer, and Me" produced by PBS Nova in like 1992, starring Clifford Stoll as Cliff Stoll! Here is a bootlegged youtube link--it's the best I've got. link to this video A legend!

ndsipa_pomuon Hacker News • Recommends

On “How a Berkeley Eccentric Beat the Russians – Then Made Useless, Wondrous Objects”

Haven't seen anyone mention the 1990 documentary: link to this video It's amazing to see how little he's changed.

sys32768on Hacker News • Recommends

On “Cliff Stoll, the mad scientist who wrote the book on how to hunt hackers (2019)”

Definitely read his book The Cuckoo's Egg. Terrific story and prose. Then check out the old Nova documentary about the story: The KGB, The Computer, and Me: link to this video

meatsockon Hacker News • Mentions

On “Cybersecurity in 1989: Looking back at “The Cuckoo's Egg” (2015)”

it is hard not to mention the fine WGBH produced re-enactment 1 version of this story any time this book is mentioned. there's also a german film from the POV of the other side of cliff's story 2 1 link 1 link to this video 2 link

zoenolanon Hacker News • Mentions

On “Ask HN: What book have you re-read 3x or more?”

The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll 1 Pulling a small thread of trivial inconsistent accounting value to in the end exposing an international spy ring. I grew up in the cold war, so I have always been interested in what went on. First recommended by a lecturer at Uni. The book reads like a techno-thriller but happened. Full of technical detail, I learnt a lot about UNIX system when I first read the book. I would still say the book offers a great primer on computer security concepts and the logical processes people use to understand a systems. Always good to be reminded of that from time to time. NOVA made an episode based on the book 2 1 link 2 link to this video