David Cassel (destiny@wco.com)
Thu, 6 Feb 1997 01:15:49 -0800 (PST)
V a l e n t i n e ' s D a y M a s s a c r e
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"There will at least be 150 hackers rioting," the e-mail message read.
Warning of a February 14 wilding on AOL at 9:00, it promised hacker hordes
descending on chat rooms and using special tools to cancel user accounts
en masse. "They will totally clear out all of the lobbies," the message
cautioned. "So beware and don't sign on. And don't spread the word
because it is the only way to be able to sign on again with no busy
signals. Only tell your friends..."
By last Friday at least 800 users had received the message. A February 2
e-mail expanded its scope. "Among plans of revolters are mail bombs,
viruses, and attempts to sign off other members," it projected. Two days
later the message had been forwarded to at least 114 users. "Do not make
yourself a victim on the day of love!"
That e-mail contained the text of a new warning--which broadened the
length of the attack. "THERE IS GOING TO BE A RIOT FEB 14 OF HACKERS SO I
WOULD NOT GET ON THAT WHOLE DAY," its latest incarnation read. "I AM
TELLING YOU THIS BECAUSE YOU ARE MY FRIENDS AND I DON'T WANT YOUR COM TO
GET EVICTED FROM A HACKERS IDEA OF A FUN TIME." It re-iterated the
forwarder's warnings of mailbombings, viruses, and forced sign-offs. "SO
IF I WERE YOU I WOULD TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY
PEOPLE AS POSABAL," the message continued, "AND CLEER OUT YOUR MAIL BOXES
THE DAY BEFORE AND DONT READ ANYTHING THE DAY AFTER JUST DELET IT ALL.
THIS IS NOT A JOKE PLESES SEND IT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS SOON AS YOU CAN!"
"I am amazed at HOW stupid AOL users are," one recipient commented. While
mailbombs are always possible, viruses or account terminations probably
wouldn't reach the users. "They should know unless they download what is
sent to them, they are NOT going to get a virus."
"We have never had an occurrence of a virus being spread through simply
reading email," AOL said in a statement in 1994. That December the
comp.risks digest had discussed the possibility of executable e-mail
messages. Within 24 hours, one reader complained they'd been "inundated"
with bogus alerts about a virus sent in an e-mail message with the subject
"Good Times" which erased hard drives if it was read. "There are idiots
in the world who think it's awfully funny to cry 'Wolf' as soon as someone
else notices that it's theoretically possible that wolves exist," another
reader commented. (http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/16.61.html#subj6)
But folklore reveals a culture's secret fears. Steve Case's
pronouncements must be building a pool of skepticism. ("Frustrated with
hearing busy signals? AOL is solving the problem. Here's how--from CEO
Steve Case," read last Thursday's Welcome Screen.) AOL's users give
credence to a dangerous world terrorized by the technologically powerful,
with the company leaving them unprotected.
Their fears aren't unfounded. Last month at least 25 users received a
very real hacker file attached to e-mail messages, with instructions to
download and execute the program--though once executed, the program would
mail their password to the hacker's internet address.
AOL silently intercepted e-mail messages bound for the hacker's
addresses--but they didn't warn members. "From a Corporate Communications
perspective, the access issue is predominant," reads one internal memo.
"That message must be focused, and material about virus safety will likely
draw negative media attention... For now, the best PR approach seems to
be low key."
It didn't work. Tonight AOL suffered another catastrophe--a service
outage. AOL's spokesperson told C|Net it was "a hiccup in the new
software"--which ironically occurred just ten hours before a scheduled
maintainence shutdown of three hours. Members were locked out of AOL for
over an hour. "AOL may be on the brink of disaster," C|Net's Janet
Kornblum wrote, citing comments from an industry analyst pointing to AOL's
"overall bad-service package" as a turn-off for consumers.
(http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,7691,4000.html)
Content-provider defections loom, too. One week before the hacker riot,
AOL faces a threatened strike from their Company Connection content
partners. (http://www.sb.net/kevin/aolstrike.txt) "Your forum and mine
are in grave danger of being eliminated," reads the message distributed to
all its company representatives. AOL's Kevin Schoeler had announced plans
to "enhance" their AOL status for a "modest fee" of $55,000 a year. "This
policy change comes disguised as an 'exciting opportunity' with the
Company Connection being 'redesigned and enhanced'," the letter notes
sarcastically--pointing out the only new feature would be duplicative
monthly reports and demographics on forum participants. "If you refuse to
pay this $55,000 annual ransom, your forum will be dismantled and you will
be evicted from America Online!!!"
They're the latest casualty of AOL's flat-rate pricing. "Not long ago, we
were a valuable asset to AOL's income. Now we are a financial burden," the
letter continues. "They expect us to pay up or get out, while popular
'magnet' forums like MTV continue to RECEIVE substantial residual
payments." Indicating that many forum managers were striking Friday, the
letter calls for others to join them. "Together, we can send a message to
the AOL brain-donors who came up with this scam," it predicts, "that we
will not succumb to this ridiculous idea. That we will not pay ransom
money to keep THEIR PAYING customers happy. That we will not go quietly
into the night!" The strike is scheduled to begin Friday, February 7,
"and will only end when AOL rescinds this policy."
Content providers will conceal files and replace message forums with a
statement that "This forum is participating in the Company Connection
Strike." It takes their case to AOL's users. "America Online has
introduced a new policy that will make it impossible for us to continue to
support you, our valued customers, on America Online. If you value our
having a forum here on AOL, please send a note in support of our strike
to: CompanyCon@aol.com. Sorry for this inconvenience and thank you for
your support."
And the strikers will not pay "the $55,000 ransom". Instead, they
forwarded their message to the press. "I'm sure they'll be happy to
report this strike along with America Online's other 'good' press." The
letter's author told Interactive Week that several forum leaders had
already decided to abandon AOL. But the threatened strike still looms.
"We have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
THE LAST LAUGH
AOL's refund line greets callers with pitches for their service. "Thank
you for calling America Online. We value your membership--and we're
working around the clock to prove it!"
Late-night callers are then told to call back during business hours.
David Cassel
More Information - http://www.wco.com/~destiny/time.htm
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