First teenage males flung off phone system by
enraged authorities.
1939
"Futurian" science-fiction group raided by Secret
Service.
1971
Yippie phone phreaks start YIPL/TAP magazine.
1972
*Ramparts* magazine seized in blue-box rip-off
scandal.
1978
Ward Christenson and Randy Suess create first
personal computer bulletin board system.
1982
William Gibson coins term "cyberspace."
1982
"414 Gang" raided.
1983-1983
AT&T dismantled in divestiture.
1984
Congress passes Comprehensive Crime Control Act
giving USSS jurisdiction over credit card fraud and
computer fraud.
1984
"Legion of Doom" formed.
1984.
*2600: The Hacker Quarterly* founded.
1984.
*Whole Earth Software Catalog* published.
1985.
First police "sting" bulletin board systems
established.
1985.
Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link computer conference
(WELL) goes on-line.
1986
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act passed.
1986
Electronic Communications Privacy Act passed.
1987
Chicago prosecutors form Computer Fraud and
Abuse Task Force.
1988
July.
Secret Service covertly videotapes "SummerCon"
hacker convention.
September.
"Prophet" cracks BellSouth AIMSX computer
network and downloads E911 Document to his own
computer and to Jolnet.
September.
AT&T Corporate Information Security
informed of Prophet's action.
October.
Bellcore Security informed of Prophet's action.
1989
January.
Prophet uploads E911 Document to Knight
Lightning.
February 25.
Knight Lightning publishes E911 Document
in *Phrack* electronic newsletter.
May.
Chicago Task Force raids and arrests "Kyrie."
June.
"NuPrometheus League" distributes Apple
Computer proprietary software.
June 13.
Florida probation office crossed with phone-sex
line in switching-station stunt.
July.
"Fry Guy" raided by USSS and Chicago Computer
Fraud and Abuse Task Force.
July.
Secret Service raids "Prophet," "Leftist," and "Urvile"
in Georgia.
1990
January 15.
Martin Luther King Day Crash strikes AT&T
long-distance network nationwide.
January 18-19
Chicago Task Force raids Knight Lightning
in St. Louis.
January 24.
USSS and New York State Police raid "Phiber
Optik," "Acid Phreak," and "Scorpion" in New York City.
February 1.
USSS raids "Terminus" in Maryland.
February 3.
Chicago Task Force raids Richard Andrews' home.
February 6.
Chicago Task Force raids Richard Andrews'
business.
February 6.
USSS arrests Terminus, Prophet, Leftist, and
Urvile.
February 9.
Chicago Task Force arrests Knight Lightning.
February 20.
AT&T Security shuts down public-access
"attctc" computer in Dallas.
February 21.
Chicago Task Force raids Robert Izenberg in
Austin.
March 1.
Chicago Task Force raids Steve Jackson Games,
Inc., "Mentor," and "Erik Bloodaxe" in Austin.
May 7,8,9.
USSS and Arizona Organized Crime and
Racketeering Bureau conduct "Operation Sundevil" raids
in Cincinnatti, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark,
Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Tucson, San Diego, San
Jose, and San Francisco.
May.
FBI interviews John Perry Barlow re NuPrometheus
>case.
June.
Mitch Kapor and Barlow found Electronic Frontier
Foundation; Barlow publishes *Crime and Puzzlement* manifesto.
July 24-27.
Trial of Knight Lightning.
1991
February.
CPSR Roundtable in Washington, D.C.
March 25-28.
Computers, Freedom and Privacy
conference in San Francisco.
May 1.
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Steve Jackson, and
others file suit against members of Chicago Task Force.
July 1-2.
Switching station phone software crash affects
Washington, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Francisco.
September 17.
AT&T phone crash affects New York City
and three airports.
Bruce Sterling
bruces@well.sf.ca.us
Literary Freeware: Not for Commercial Use
THE HACKER CRACKDOWN: Law and Disorder on the
Electronic Frontier
