DEFCON HACKERS
September 10, 1996

In Studio

CHRIS:
They've had bad movies made about them, books celebrating their exploits and some people in the media proclaiming them as termites in the foundation of a new cyber age.

GINA:
Ugh! They're called hackers and believe it or not they have their very own annual convention. Where else but in "Lost Wages" Nevada.

SHOTS OF THE STRIP AND THE MONTE CARLO HOTEL

NARRATOR:
Welcome to Defcon IV (SHOTS OF DEFCON IV T-SHIRTS) this year's social event for computerdom's social outcasts.

MAN SHOWING MANUAL OF DATA

MAN:
Basically what the book does is it tells you all of the rate of frequency transmissions for the military and the federal government.

SHOT OF THE MONTE CARLO SIGN ON TOP OF HOTEL

NARRATOR:
Here at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino some of the most brilliant and perhaps diabolical minds (SHOTS OF VARIOUS HACKERS) of the computer age have come together to compare exploits and share tricks of the trade in the flesh, rather than online.

CU OF MAN

MAN:
Face to face communication has some advantages over digital. There's more information.

MEN STANDING AROUND TALKING
CU OF MAN

MAN:
The Freakers will talk with the Hackers and exchange ideas. The cellular people will get together with the radio people and exchange what they know.

CU OF CELLULAR PHONE
MAN IN BERET HOLDING PHONE

MAN:
If you think the real stuff's on the wires, you need to listen to the RF.

CU OF MAN
PHOTO OF MAN DRINKING, MAN PASSED OUT

MAN:
I'd say a good third of this convention is about everyone getting drunk together.

NARRATOR:
So, maybe they're not so different from the stereotypical fez-top conventioneers. But who are these people? And what exactly is a Hacker, anyway?

PAN UP MAN IN COMBAT BOOTS AND SUIT

Galen, Co-founder of the Hacker's Defense Fund:
The most common modern definition? (CU OF Galen) A hacker is someone who maliciously breaks into computer systems to cause damage and steal information. (SHOTS OF VARIOUS HACKERS AT CONVENTION) My definition of a hacker is someone who likes to learn how the technology works, why it works, what makes it go tick, what you can do with it.

CU OF MAN

MAN:
In this world, it's like, it doesn't matter if you have a gun anymore, It matters if you have a computer and you know how to use it.

PAN ACROSS PAGES OF DATA

NARRATOR:
In the past some big name technology and securities companies have millions to counteract hacker assault. (CU OF MAN TALKING ON RADIO) But, how many of those same companies have come to one inescapable conclusion?

CU OF MAN

MAN:
The only way to run security is to break security.

MAN WORKING ON LAPTOP

NARRATOR:
That's right, companies like Secure Computing Corporation have formed uncomfortable alliances with hackers, actually paying them to do what they normally do for kicks.

CU OF MAN

MAN:
It's good to have hackers working for us. They attempt to break into our system so we learn from that and go on. Actually see that some of the people here, the hackers here, are employed by us.

MAN IN SIDEWINDER T-SHIRT HOLDING UP GIANT CHECK FOR $10,000.

NARRATOR:
SCC is so confident in it's sidewinder protection systems that it offers $10,000 to anyone who could breech it.

SHOTS OF HACKERS ON LAPTOPS
CU OF MAN

MAN:
Since November of '94, over 5,000 attempts to break into the system and nobody has been able to break, break in yet.

VARIOUS SIGNS ON TABLES AND T-SHIRTS

NARRATOR:
Speaking of security once the management of the Monte Carlo learned exactly what kind of convention was being held in their hotel they swiftly closed the doors and barred the CyberLife crew (MAN PUTS HAND UP TO CAMERA) from re-entering the convention. (LONG SHOT OF HACKERS DOWN HALL) As for the hackers, well they lived up to reputation. (SHOT OF LAPTOP, PAN ACROSS DATA ON SCREEN) Rumor has it they compromised the hotel computer system and garnered free accommodations for each other.