245Colby Street house, “kiss of death”: Condon, author interview, 2009. Additional details provided by John Gilbert and other members of the Colby Street gang.
245“They explicitly excluded me”: Acker author interviews, 2008 and 2011.
246The more people who knew: In the physical world economists call this the tragedy of the commons. The term describes situations in which a natural resource (e.g., fish in the sea, or trees, or grazing land) is overused because it does not belong to any one individual and, as a result of such overuse, disappears. I think of the electronic security equivalent as a sort of “tragedy of the informational commons.” A version of this problem also appears in code breaking (if you break your enemy’s codes and then do something with the information you obtain, your enemy is likely to figure out that you’ve broken his codes and will change them, denying you further intelligence) and is explored in Neal Stephenson’s book Cryptonomicon (2002). See Garrett Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” Science, December 1968, p. 1243, at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full.pdf.
246One such phreak in New York: Author interview with a New York–area phone phreak who prefers to remain anonymous, 2012. Two of the books in question were the Distance Dialing Reference Guide and the Traffic Routing Guide, both of which described AT&T’s network routing in excruciating detail.
Chapter 17: A Little Bit Stupid
249entered a telephone booth: Ken Hopper notes and author interview, 2006.
250had been around since the early 1900s: Joel, Switching Technology, pp. 45–48. See also J. Atkins, K. A. Raschke, and D. L. Woody, “Traffic Service Position System No. 1: Busy Line Verification Feature,” Bell System Technical Journal, vol. 59, no. 8, October 1980, pp. 1397–416.
250verification circuits in some places could be reached: Bill Acker and Ray Oklahoma, author interviews, 2008. An internal AT&T memo acknowledges that blue box access to verification was possible prior to 1971 in Miami: “[We] caught this in Miami when they cut over their TSPS [a relatively new switchboard system used by operators]. They made a vacant area code available to TSPS operators for verification. [We] pointed out at the time that anything available via unused area code was available to blue box users and would compromise verification.” See C. J. Schulz, “Appraisal of ‘Secrets of the Little Blue Box’ Article in the October 1971 Esquire Magazine,” Bell Laboratories memorandum, September 17, 1971
251Eder was a burly, forty-five-year-old: Chic Eder’s real name was Phillip Norman Ader. Description of Eder from author interview of John Draper, 2008, and from Albert Goldman, “What Will Happen When Middle-Class America Gets the Straight Dope?” New York Magazine, August 25, 1975, p. 28.
252“Dear Agent in Charge”: FBI file 100-LA-82471, serial 22, August 28, 1973
252–253 first inkling (and subsequent description): FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 1, June 24, 1975
253“San Francisco is not serviced”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 8, June 27, 1975
254“This is to inform”: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 6, July 2, 1976
254got it all on tape: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 30, July 15, 1975 and bulky enclosure E30. Eder’s tape of the phone call was obtained under FOIA and you can listen to it at http://explodingthephone .com/extra/edertape.
255Walter Schmidt: Schmidt later received a personal commendation letter from FBI director Clarence M. Kelley for “exceptional assistance . . . to our Los Angeles Office in the investigation of an Interception of Communications case and most significantly for his efforts which facilitated the handling of a very sensitive situation.” FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 29, July 31, 1975
256“valuable service,” “outstanding”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 31, July 21, 1975
256“capability of monitoring calls”: Ibid. and FBI file 139-HQ-4991 (serial number obscured), July 21, 1975
256“not selling information,” “does not know how widespread”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 38, July 25, 1975
258“extremely cautious in use of the telephone” and preceding description: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 26, July 22, 1975
258“Dear Mr. deButts”: Ken Hopper notes and author interview, 2006. See also FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 26, July 22, 1975, and serial 27, July 24, 1975
258“It is pointed out”: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 25, July 24, 1975
258“ho-hum”: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 35, August 1, 1975
259“undoubtedly be sympathetic”: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 33 (serial number obscured), July 29, 1975
259small blizzard of memos: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 43, July 30, 1975
259“most valuable,” “penetrate”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serials 64 and 65, 139-HQ-4991, serial 31
260“Departmental Attorney Kline”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 75, September 30, 1975
260answer was no (and subsequent descriptions): FBI file 139-SF-188, serials 76–82, October 2–15, 1975
260“For information of receiving”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 85, November 17, 1975
Chapter 18: Snitch
Much of the information regarding Wayne Perrin’s investigation of Paul Sheridan comes from author interviews conducted with Perrin in 2008 and Perrin’s case notes from the time.
266“related numerous items”: Wayne Perrin, author interview and case notes, 2008.
266“early twenties, five-foot-eleven”: Ibid.
267“Mr. Norden, often times”: Ibid.
268could get President Ford on the line (and preceding description): Perrin, author interview, 2008; FBI file 139-LA-430, serial 1, December 5, 1975.
268“got right to the second floor of the White House”: Perrin’s recollection may be slightly off, since the second floor of the White House is the residential area, but the 800 number in Sheridan’s possession (also making the rounds of other phone phreaks at that time) definitely did go to the White House.
268AUTOVON: Definitive historical and technical information on autovon is difficult to come by. The most authoritative source is Records Group 371 (Records of the Defense Communications Agency), National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.
270to be used only by the President: autovon Telephone Directory, as quoted in Telecom Digest email list, June 19, 1992, at http://massis.lcs.mit.edu/archives/reports/autovon.instructions.
272Bob Jacobs: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 108, December 23, 1975
273guard banding: Guard banding seems to have been discovered sometime between 1971 and 1972. John Draper says he invented it, but Bill Acker says this credit belongs to New York phone phreak Jim Roth. It is interesting to note that the TAP newsletter did not print an article about it until 1979, which gives some indication of the informational time lag between the more sophisticated phreaks and the newsletter of the phone phreak masses. For more details on guard banding, see Napoleon Solo, “Guard Banding,” TAP, no. 56, March–April 1979, p. 4.
273military’s Arctic communication system: United States Air Force, “The White Alice Network,” 1958, at http://www.porticus.org/bell/pdf/whitealice.pdf. For a more personal recollection, see Bill Everly, “The White
Alice Communications System,” at http://www.whitealice.net.
273Sheridan’s document explained: Author unknown, “autovon Access Info,” undated
274The FBI’s biggest concern: Nelson Saxe, author interview, 2007.
274JCSAN/COPAN: JCSAN stood for “Joint Chiefs of Staff Alerting Network”; COPAN stood for “Command Post Alerting Network.” See W. H. Seckler, “Global Command Post Alerting Network,” Bell Laboratories Record, November 1964, pp. 371–74.
274“mentally unstable,” “go off”: Saxe, author interview and notes, 2007.
275“We’re not about to go out to Los Angeles”: Saxe, author interview, 2007.
Chapter 19: Crunched
276“Dear TAP”: “Letters from Readers,” TAP, no. 31, December 1975, p. 3. Yes, it was true, William F. Buckley Jr.’s conservative National Review had printed Captain Crunch’s telephone number, and Joe Engressia’s too, as part of an article covering the 1973 phone phreak convention. It was payback for YIPL’s having printed the telephone number of Nixon’s law firm. “Call them up the next time you get in at 4 a.m.,” the National Review article’s author suggested. “Collect. Tell them they’re stupid.” See D. Keith Mano, “Sorry, Wrong Revolution,” National Review, October 26, 1973, pp. 1183–85
277a dark vibe: Author interviews with several phone phreaks who, naturally, wish to remain anonymous, 2008.
277FBI-AT&T AUTOVON demo: Description of the autovon meetings comes from author interviews with Ken Hopper of Bell Laboratories, Nelson Saxe of AT&T Long Lines, Wayne Perrin of Pacific Telephone, FBI special agents who attended the meeting, and Ken Hopper’s notes.
278National Security Agency: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 159
278Michael was a talented: Author interview with “Michael,” 2009.
279Hopper suspected it was Sheridan: Hopper, author interview, 2006.
280Just two miles from Stanford: Description of the 1900 block of Menalto and the story about Steve Wozniak from Roy Kaylor, author interview, 2008. Additional information from John Draper, author interview, 2008.
280“Computers are mostly used against people”: Levy, Hackers, p. 142. See also DigiBarn Computer Museum website, at http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/peoples-computer/index.html.
282“It was decided”: FBI file 139-LA-430, serial 30, January 29, 1976
282“agents met with Pacific Telephone” and subsequent description: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 127, January 27, 1976
282“Draperism”: Draper, author interview, 2008.
283Wall Street Journal: Sanford L. Jacobs, “Blue Boxes Spread from Phone Freaks to Well-Heeled,” Wall Street Journal, January 27, 1976, p. 1
283“has no sources who are phone phreaks”: The draft teletype message described here is FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 154, February 10, 1976
284agents in Los Angeles were not thrilled: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 161, February 18, 1976
284send a phone phreak informant up to San Francisco: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 160, February 19, 1976
284would drive up the next day: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 173, February 23, 1976
287Draper maintains he was framed: A version of this story with slightly different details appears on Draper’s website, at http://www.webcrunchers.com/stories/snitch.html.
288“On February 20, 1976 at 5:23 pm”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 175, February 23, 1976
288“This will serve to inform you”: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 187, February 23, 1976
289tape recording and detailed analysis: FBI file 139-SF-188, serial 183, February 24, 1976
289service’s receptionist said: FBI file 139-SF-188, unnumbered serial (FD-302, numbered page 4*), May 4, 1976
289friend in Pennsylvania: FBI file 139-SF-188, unnumbered serial (FD-302, numbered page 2), May 21, 1976
290FBI’s after-action report (and following paragraphs): FBI file 139-SF-188, unnumbered serial (FD-302, numbered page 29), April 2, 1976
291–292 picked up by the newswires: AP, “Charges Filed Against Electronics Wizard,” Asbury Park Press, April 23, 1976, p. A6
292“The first thing I thought”: Sidney Schaefer, author interview, 2012.
292“Draper shall refrain”: United States v. John Thomas Draper, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, No. CR-72-973 RFP, Judgment and Order of Probation, November 29, 1972
292Dawson met with Draper’s attorney (and following quotes): FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 90, April 22, 1976
292with two provisos: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, serial 92, June 8, 1976
293“It was a big joke for him”: Author interview with anonymous source familiar with the debriefing, 2008.
293“sentenced to the custody”: FBI file 139-HQ-4991, unnumbered serial (FD-204), September 7, 1976
293On March 5, 1976: Wayne Perrin, notes and author interview, 2008.
293“In ninety percent”: Wayne Perrin, author interview, 2008.
Chapter 20: Twilight
296On May 15, 1976: Victor K. McElheny, “New Phone Setup Started to Save Time and Circuits,” New York Times, May 15, 1976, p. 34
297Bell started experimenting: Joel, Switching Technology, pp. 430–38.
297eliminating blue box fraud: Ibid., p. 434.
297CAMA-C: Ibid., pp. 379 and 432. “As of January 1, 1977, 155 of these [CAMA-C] systems . . . were installed in crossbar tandems and No. 4A crossbar offices. Later the programs for these offices were modified to seek out potential troubles and suspected fraud situations based upon the detected supervisory signals.”
298Thomas Carter: Ellen Wojan, “Thomas F. Carter of Carter Electronics: Calling for Competition,” Inc., April 1, 1984.
298Carterfone: “In the Matter of Use of the Carterfone Device in Message Toll Telephone Service; In the Matter of Thomas F. Carter and Carter Electronics Corp., Dallas, Tex. (Complainants) v. American Telephone and Telegraph Co., Associated Bell System Companies, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, and General Telephone Company of the Southwest (Defendants),” Docket No. 16942; Docket No. 17073, Federal Communications Commission, 13 F.C.C. 2d 420 (1968), 13 Rad. Reg 2d (P &F) 597, FCC 68-661, June 26, 1968 (hereinafter, “Carterfone”).
298“[T]he phone companies were harassing my customers”: Wojan, “Thomas F. Carter.”
298FCC tariff 132: FCC tariff 132, April 16, 1957.
298“The universal comment,” “I didn’t think it was fair”: Wojan, “Thomas F. Carter.”
299“unreasonable, unlawful, and unreasonably discriminatory”: “Carterfone.”
299cream skimming: Coll, The Deal of the Century, pp. 11–14.
300The very next day: “AT&T to Cut Off MCI’s Connections,” New York Times, April 16, 1974
300AT
&T, at regulatory gunpoint: “AT&T Ordered to Give Service to MCI, Others,” Wall Street Journal, April 24, 1974. In fact, AT&T appealed the FCC’s decision and lost; see “AT&T Loses Motion, Will Reconnect MCI’s Private-Line Services,” Wall Street Journal, May 3, 1974.
300all for much less (and preceding description of Execunet): Philip Louis Cantelon, The History of MCI: 1968–1988, The Early Years (Dallas: Heritage Press, 1993).
301sued the Hare Krishnas: “Krishna Units Accused of ‘Pirate’ Telephone Calls,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 1977, p. B6
301seeking to sever its manufacturing arm: Charles Zerner, “U.S. Sues to Force A.T.&T. to Drop Western Electric Co.,” New York Times, January 15, 1949, p. 1
301reached an agreement: Anthony Lewis, “A.T.&.T. Settles Antitrust Case; Shares Patents,” New York Times, January 25, 1956, p. 1
302“The wounds from that 1956 scandal”: Coll, Deal of the Century, p. 59.
302On November 20, 1974: Peter T. Kilborn, “The Telephone Suit: Competitive Cold Water for the Mighty Bell System,” New York Times, November 24, 1974, p. 1
302“severed limbs”: Coll, Deal of the Century, p. 120.
302AT&T lawyers argued (and subsequent description): “Antitrust Immunity for AT&T Is Barred by High Court Ruling,” New York Times, November 29, 1977
303“Watergate is a gnat”: “A Phone Executive Assails Bell System in His Suicide Note,” New York Times, November 19, 1974
304Ashley was fired soon after (and surrounding description): Brooks, Telephone, p. 309; Kleinfield, The Biggest Company on Earth, pp. 267–69.
Exploding the Phone : The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell (9780802193759) Page 43