Hacker takes Ireland offline

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Hacker takes Ireland offline

By John Murray-Brown in Dublin Published: August 17 2000 18:06GMT | Last Updated: August 17 2000 21:36GMT

Thousands of Irish computer users were unable to access the internet on Thursday, after the country's largest service provider had to issue new passwords after an overnight hacker attacked the system.

A spokesman for Eircom, the former state telephone monopoly, which operates Eircom Net and Indigo with a total of 240,000 customers, said the passwords were being changed as a precautionary measure to prevent the hacker gaining access to emails and websites.

The incident is the first known case of a security breach in Ireland and will add to public concerns about the privacy and confidentiality of the internet.

Eircom put warning notices on its own website requesting clients to ring a help line for new passwords. The company emphasised that there was no evidence of interference.

"The bottom line is these scares are bad for business and bad for consumer confidence, and will impede the growth of the internet," said Frank Cronin, chief executive of the Irish Internet Association. "The only thing that can be said is that Eircom has acted very promptly."

Aidan Doyle, managing director of E-com Internet, a Dublin consultant, expressed the frustration of many internet users at yesterday's incident. "Here we go again. Another hacker has got into another ISP system, it just seems to be so simple. It happens every other week."

http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3EUP7Q0CC&live=true&tagid=ZZZAFZAVA0C&subheading=europe

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), August 17, 2000

Answers

Computer hacker alert for 30,000

Eircom Net takes precautionary measures to protect internet security [17 Aug '00] - Eircom Eircom Net Saturday 19 August 2000

IRELAND'S biggest internet service provider changed the passwords of thousands of clients yesterday to protect them from a computer hacker. An intruder broke into the system operated by the Eircom company, affecting a potential 30,000 users. There was no evidence of any interference but a spokesman for the company said the passwords were being altered as a precautionary measure.

The unidentified hacker's activities could have led to interference with emails and websites. The company said it was working closely with police to track down the person responsible.

Eircom, formerly the state-run Telecom Eireann, operates two service providers, Eircom Net and Indigo, who have a total of 240,000 customers. It was thought to be the first hacking incident of its kind in Ireland.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et? ac=002844489039691&rtmo=aqqJ9CTJ&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/8/19/whack19. html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), August 19, 2000.


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