Copyright 1995 Crain Communications Inc. Advertising Age September 11, 1995 SECTION: News; Pg. 36 LENGTH: 1214 words HEADLINE: INTERACTIVE MEDIA & MARKETING;HACKERS REVEL IN MARKETER HYPE;UNITED ARTISTS, GTE TURN CODE-CRACKERS INTO PROMOTIONAL PLOY BYLINE: Jeff Jensen BODY: A 12-year-old whiz kid reprograms a hot CD-ROM game to do all the things its makers didn't want it to. A handful of crafty Web surfers hack their way into a corporate-sponsored Internet scavenger hunt to plumb its secrets and create a virtual community within its digital infrastructure. And a Hollywood studio sets up a promotional Web site on the 'net to plug a movie about fictional hackers, only to see it get defaced by a few real-life cyberpunks. How did these companies deal with the blatant intrusions on their interactive marketing efforts? Not by covering them up, but by inviting the hackers into their living rooms. Welcome to the world of hacker marketing, where technowhizzes capable of doing serious damage to a marketer's online efforts are suddenly-and uncomfortably-his new best friends. GTE Entertainment, marketer of the ''FX Fighter'' CD-ROM, enlisted the 12-year-old whiz kid as a spokesman for the game. Vivid Studios, the San Francisco-based Web designer that created ''The Rift'' Internet hunt promotion for Silicon Graphics turned the content created by hackers into an online magazine for its sponsor. And in the most notorious example, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, marketer of the flick ''Hackers,'' is spinning its tale of victimization by virtual vandals into positive PR for the film-so successfully that some have suspected the studio of engineering the prank itself. ''It's really dangerous to say, 'Bad hacker, don't break into stuff,' but then reward them,'' said Joshua Greer, president of Digital Planet, which created the ''Hackers'' site (http://www.mgmua.com/hackers). ''Eventually, someone will push it too far and the government will respond, probably out of ignorance, by bringing down legislation on all of us.'' Still, MGM is so hot on hacking that this week it is encouraging Web users to become hackers themselves. On Sept. 12, MGM opens ''The Hackathon,'' a promotion for ''Hackers'' in which participants must complete three hacks, including the familiar ''Crack-the-school's-computer-to-change-your-grade'' hack. The contest is being conducted on the 'net and online services like CompuServe and will be touted nationwide in radio spots created by various agencies. Hackers have already had their way with MGM/UA. The movie site has been repeatedly altered since it went up several weeks ago: Its logo was changed to read ''Not Hackers'' and the site was tagged with a message linking users to the Web site for DefCon, a major hackers convention. There were other, more serious hacks, however. Links to underground hacker sites appeared at various times, and at least one link offered instructions on how to build a bomb. ''We're not surprised this happened to 'Hackers.' The name itself is like flashing a red flag in front of a bull's eyes,'' said Mr. Greer. ''The people who hacked it actually sent in an apology and told us how they hacked into it, so they actually provided us a service.'' Rather than incite the wrath of the hackers by deleting the hacked page, MGM/UA reinstated the original but left the hacked page as a link. Some have accused MGM/UA and Digital Planet of glamorizing the hacker culture and encouraging hacking, but a studio executive said the site is clearly labeled as a promotional vehicle and only seeks to provide information about hacker culture. ''I'm glad all this has worked out in a way to get publicity for the film, but it raises a lot of concerns for us and marketers, and we don't want to give these people any more incentive to do it again,'' said Mr. Greer. GTE echoes such sentiments. In June, David Sisselman of Livingston, N.J., bought ''FX Fighter,'' a ''Mortal Kombat''-like martial arts CD-ROM, took it home, reprogrammed it and then posted the hack on the Internet. ''It wasn't illegal, but I was still a bit upset,'' said Dick Larkin, VP-marketing and sales at GTE Entertainment. ''But then I got over it and was impressed. We could have taken the common tact of covering it up. But we decided to make some lemonade out of some lemons.'' GTE flew the boy out in late August for a press conference and tour of the GTE En- tertainment lab in Carlsbad, Calif., eliciting press coverage from CBS, wire services and videogame trade magazines. At Vivid Studios, one of the premier creators of Internet scavenger games, hacking became part of the game. After players began toying with ''The Rift,'' Vivid decided to put together ''The Rift Daily,'' an interactive magazine that collects all the content the hackers leave behind. Silicon Graphics even sponsored the magazine. ''Most of the time, these clever people aren't trying to hurt the system but create tools to help themselves and others and create a virtual community,'' said Henri Poole, Vivid's president. ''The danger, though, is when one of these clever people crosses that line. It's tough to know if these people are suddenly going to come at you and do something bad. And what do you do then? There are no rules and laws in cyberspace. Yet.'' Despite the recent spate of hacker-inspired marketing, most of those involved say they don't want it to become a trend. Nor do they want their actions to be interpreted as legitimizing hacking. ''Is it wrong? Yeah, it's vandalism. You're tampering with content-property-that doesn't belong to you. But this is the wild West. There are no rules. And if you go after someone, who knows if and how they'll come back after you. Sometimes, it's best to keep it quiet or put a good PR spin on it,'' said a veteran Internet marketer. Said Steve Franco, data communications analyst with Yankee Group, Boston: ''It's a justifiable business opportunity to.....hire a hacker to provide security and expertise, but there is a a lot of fear that these hired guns are leaving behind back doors and holes for other hackers or even themselves.'' GRAPHIC: MGM/UA invited hackers to post their favorite tricks on its movie Web site. Tech-savvy computer users wreaked havoc instead, altering the site and changing links.;Silicon Graphics and Vivid Studios turned a hack attack on their scavenger hunt into an online magazine. Copyright 1995 PR Newswire Association, Inc. PR Newswire August 31, 1995, Thursday SECTION: Financial News DISTRIBUTION: TO ENTERTAINMENT AND BUSINESS EDITORS LENGTH: 779 words HEADLINE: MGM/UA WEB SITE CAUSES A STIR; Electronic Engineering Times Finds Links to Sites on How to Make Napalm Weapons and Lists of Stolen Credit Cards BODY: CMP's Electronic Engineering Times reveals in next week's issue that a World Wide Web site put up by MGM/UA to promote the studio's upcoming movie, "Hackers," points users to potentially dangerous content and ongoing criminal activity, including stolen credit card listings, homemade bomb construction, illegal drug use and currency counterfeiting. "A seemingly innocuous World Wide Web site on the Internet has thrown open the door to the arcane and shadowy world of computer hackers," writes Associate Editor Larry Lange in the Electronic Engineering Times article. "This week, Electronic Engineering Times found two postings there that contained threatening messages about the AT&T Corporation, with a list of over 60 stolen credit card numbers complete with instructions on how to get free international calls." Federal authorities have been alerted to the situation, according to the article. An FBI source told Lange that the site has already been submitted to the Bureaus' National Computer Crime Squad (NCCS) for potentially opening an investigation. Officially, MGM/UA says that the site is for purely entertainment purposes. John Hegeman, Vice President of Marketing Administration for the corporation told Electronic Engineering Times that the Web page began as a "teaser site" with a disclaimer saying "we're not experts in hacking -- we're not saying we are. We asked people to open some dialogue -- what are your favorite hacks or what are some hacks you've done in the past, using this just for background information to make our site a little more entertaining and interesting." Once the site was up, real hackers came in and started making changes. Copy was changed and images altered in an attempt to ridicule the movie. Hegeman said the hackers "then put links to real hacking sites in there -- none of which were created by us." Leaving the hacked page on the site was a decision made by MGM/UA in order to avoid further or more severe hacker attacks, says Lange. "We weren't looking to wage a war with people who can do that to us on a daily basis," said Hegeman. "We don't have the technology or the manpower to keep re-doing our site." And while Hegeman admits to "some synergy between what they did and what the movie's about," he adds that "there is some social responsibility that any corporation has to have. If there's something that PAGE 21 crosses the line, then we'll take it off our Web site." Hegeman points out, however, that MGM/UA is not out to redefine social responsibility. "We're not looking to break new frontiers with being socially acceptable," he said. "What we're looking to do is provide promotional Web sites for our movies so people can get information about the movies in an entertaining and fun way." Indeed, the glamorization of the hacking community via popular movies and promotional materials did not start with "Hackers." Many veterans cite the 1987 release of "War Games" as their inspiration for getting into hacking. Mike Godwin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation doesn't see a problem with people, even children, stumbling upon the materials linked from the "Hackers" Web site. "Most of the people who even look this stuff up, just look it up because they think there's a thrill in knowing how to do it," says Godwin. "And an even smaller percentage of them do it." According to the article, Godwin sees no real danger of an influx of media-encouraged hacking as "people who only know how to 'point and click' are technically incapable of building a napalm weapon (instructions for which are linked from the "Hackers" movie site.) Maybe the instructions are simple, but they've got to get the raw material, hide it from Mom and Dad, and it turns out to be an incredibly complex thing." The "Hackers" site can be found at http://mgmua.com/hackers. Electronic Engineering Times, published by CMP Publications, Inc., is the only source that delivers news of both business and technology to the engineering community and technical/corporate management at U.S. OEM organizations. CMP Publications, Inc. is a leading provider of high-tech publishing, marketing and information services reaching the entire spectrum of the high-technology market. Its publications reach the builders, sellers and users of technology. All of the company's publications and a series of innovative news services are available on the World Wide Web through CMP's TechWeb (http://techweb.cmp.com), the online technology source. Larry Lange, Electronic Engineering Times' Associate Editor is available for interviews. Proprietary to the United Press International 1995 August 31, 1995, Thursday, BC cycle SECTION: Regional News DISTRIBUTION: California LENGTH: 316 words HEADLINE: Web site attracts criminal activity DATELINE: LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 BODY: A Worldwide Web site on the Internet set up by MGM/UA to promote the studio's new movie ''Hackers'' has attracted criminal activity, a computer magazine said Thursday. Electronic Engineering Times said people are going into MGM's promotional computer program to guide users to stolen credit card listings, drug use and homemade bomb making information. They are adding information to MGM's Web, which then directs users to other computer sites containing the illegal information, said Larry Lange, associate editor of the magazine. ''A seemingly innocuous Worldwide Web site on the Internet has thrown open the door to the arcane and shadowy world of computer hackers,'' Lange wrote in his story. The hackers invaded the program by changing copy and altering images to ridicule the movie, John Hegeman, vice president of marketing administration for MGM/UA told Electronic Engineering Times. Hegeman said there is some correlation between what the hackers have done and the actual material in the upcoming movie ''Hackers.'' As of Thursday afternoon, MGM/UA officials had not yet wiped out the hacking material from its Web site, Lange said. MGM/UA officials say their Web site is only for entertainment purposes. It was set up to provide information to the public about upcoming movies, Hegeman said. The Web page began as a teaser site with a disclaimer that read: ''We're not experts in hacking -- We're not saying we are. We asked people to open some dialogue -- what are your favorite hacks or what are some hacks you've done in the past, using this just as background information to make our site a little more entertaining and interesting. '' Federal authorities are aware of the problem, Lange said. An FBI source told Lange the site has already been submitted to the Bureau's National Computer Crime Squad for possible investigation. Copyright 1995 The Baltimore Sun Company The Baltimore Sun August 22, 1995, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: TELEGRAPH (NEWS), Pg. 2A, PEOPLE AND PLACES LENGTH: 530 words HEADLINE: Clinton birthday surprise is golfer Johnny Miller SOURCE: From Wire Reports BODY: Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted, absolutely insisted, that President Clinton play golf one more time yesterday so she could spring a final birthday surprise. And when the president walked onto the first tee against the signature silhouette of the Grand Teton peaks in Wyoming, he found that golf champion Johnny Miller had flown in to be his partner on the greens. Mr. Clinton turned 49 Saturday. Mr. Miller, the birthday present, is 48 and won the U.S. Open in 1973. Julia Sweeney can laugh about her cervical cancer Former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Julia Sweeney, who created the androgynous character "Pat," has learned to laugh in the face of death. She has made her bout with cervical cancer the subject of a stand-up comedy routine. "They took out everything -- lymph nodes, gall bladder, anything that could be there that could have it, 'cause it was spreading," said Ms. Sweeney, 35. "Then I went through about nine weeks of radiation, so that's what the year's been like. A nightmare." After one performance, she said, she was approached by a cousin of "Saturday Night Live" comedian Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. The fan said, " 'She would have done exactly what you're doing,' " said Ms. Sweeney. " 'She would have gotten up and she would have talked about it.' " Danza alleged to attack 2 men videotaping him Tony Danza is accused of smashing a car window and grabbing a video camera from two men who had taped the actor and his kids on the beach in Malibu, Calif., authorities said yesterday. Chris Williams, 25, and Alan Zasi, 34, told deputies that Mr. Danza pursued them Sunday and got them to pull over by bumping their car with his Cadillac. They said he kicked and broke the window and made off with the camera. Mr. Danza wasn't arrested, but the case will be forwarded to prosecutors for possible charges. Lost climber survives by eating tadpoles An amateur climber who got lost on a central Japanese mountain survived for more than a week by eating tadpoles until he was rescued yesterday. Kenshi Sakamoto, 48, had been missing since Aug. 13 when he left a cabin on 5,874-foot Mount Misen. He left written notes, attached to trees using red plastic tape, which were found by company colleagues. Stars of movie 'Hackers' hit by cyber graffiti "Hackers" co-stars Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie have become victims of their own movie plot. Real-life computer hackers found their way onto the Internet World Wide Web page for the MGM/United Artists movie. The hackers scribbled mustaches on pictures of the stars and gave them wild neon hair. Then they replaced mug shots of the other actors with a snapshot of people drinking beer. The old site was back up a few days after the prank. Birthdays Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping is 91. Author Ray Bradbury is 75. Heart surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley is 75. Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf is 61. ABC newsman Morton Dean is 60. Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is 56. Actress Valerie Harper is 55. Football coach Bill Parcells is 54. Actress Cindy Williams is 47. Tennis player Mats Wilander is 31. Open wide please GRAPHIC: PHOTO, ASSOCIATED PRESS, Four-year-old Stephen Carmichael of Oak Grove, Ill., knew how to please the judges of the Sixth Annual Smiling Contest at the Missouri State Fair on Sunday. He was not about to do anything phony or cute. After all, the judges were all dentists. Copyright 1995 Southam Inc. Calgary Herald August 22, 1995, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. A12 LENGTH: 349 words HEADLINE: CELEBRITIES BYLINE: AP AND REUTERS BODY: New Playboy digs After 20 years of pyjama parties and playmates, Hugh Hefner is moving out of the Playboy mansion. Playboy magazine's editor-in-chief and his wife, Kimberly Conrad, are reportedly leaving the famous Los Angeles mansion to provide their two sons, three and five years old, with a "normal atmosphere." Like the Playboy mansion, the new home is also in the city's Holmby Hills area, which neighbors Beverly Hills and Bel-Air. Hefner also owns a home in Malibu. Hefner, 69, turned day-to-day operations of Playboy Enterprises over to his daughter, Christie, in 1988. He has been married to Conrad, 33, for six years. Hackers hacked Hackers co-stars Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie have become victims of their own movie plot. A group of real-life computer hackers found their way on to the Internet World Wide Web page for the new MGM/United Artists movie and left their own rather abrasive version in its place. The original Web site featured a big picture of Miller and Jolie. The hackers scribbled mustaches on them and gave them wild neon hair. Then they replaced mug shots of the other actors with a snapshot of their friends drinking beer. The hack went down Aug. 12 and the original site was back up a few days later. "Although we don't condone them trashing our site," said MGM/UA spokesman Frank Lomento in Los Angeles, "we certainly admire their creativity and ingenuity." Geraldo hooked on O.J. Television talker Geraldo Rivera doesn't just cover the O.J. Simpson trial; he lives it. In addition to including it every weeknight on his CNBC talk show, Rivera watches at least two or three hours of the trial each day and has gotten to know the families and lawyers on both sides. The trial has become "part of the fabric of my life," Rivera says in the Aug. 26 edition of TV Guide. His relationship with the family of Simpson's slain ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson is "personal and professional." "The whole family stayed at my home," he said. "I'll probably watch the verdict with them." -- Associated Press/Reuter Copyright 1995 Information Access Company, a Thomson Corporation Company ASAP Copyright 1995 Adweek L.P. MEDIAWEEK August 21, 1995 SECTION: Vol. 5 ; No. 32 ; Pg. 12; ISSN: 1055-176X LENGTH: 299 words HEADLINE: Hackers tangle the Web; World Wide Web; Brief Article BYLINE: Sacharow, Anya BODY: Online content providers who have created areas of interest to cyberspace sophisticates are getting burned--hackers are hacking up the Web sites. MGM/UA recently put up a Web site dedicated to Hackers, a cyberpunk thriller due in theaters on Sept. 15. Two weeks ago, a hacker attacked the Web site, replacing the studio's plot synopsis with his (or her) own version. "Hackers," read the new material, "the new actionadventure movie from those idiots in Hollywood, takes you inside a world where there's no plot or creative thought, only boring rehashed ideas." The cyber-scofflaw adorned the Hackers site with links to other hack sites on the Web and defaced the site with graffiti. A few days later, he (or she) sent MGM/UA an unsigned e-mail apology, with advice on how to guard against further intrusions. Other recent incidents have been less amusing. Computer News Daily, a New York Times Information Services Group Web site that went up June 13, was recently destroyed by a hacker when a posted message in the chat room expanded until it consumed the server's entire memory. The server vendor, Interactive Connection, was forced to take the server off line and remove all its content. Not even Netscape Communications, this year's Lord of the Web, is immune. A 27-year-old grad student at Ecole Polytechnique in France broke a Netscape encryption code, which secures communications so they can be sent safely across the Internet. On the up side, some of the trouble encountered by Internet sites attractive to hackers seems worth it for the publicity. The number of hits at the Times site increased from 60,000 to nearly 100,000 after news reports about the system crash. And MGM/UA certainly isn't hurting from the media exposure generated by the Hackers prankster. Copyright 1995 The Tribune Co. Publishes The Tampa Tribune The Tampa Tribune August 20, 1995, Sunday, METRO EDITION SECTION: BAYLIFE, Pg. 6 LENGTH: 375 words HEADLINE: Real hackers show their creativity at Wide World Web site BYLINE: YARDENA ARAR; of the Los Angeles Daily News DATELINE: LOS ANGELES BODY: A World Wide Web site to promote the upcoming United Artists film "Hackers" got a visit from some real computer bandits, the studio said. UA parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer learned of the cyberspace vandalism when a reporter called to inquire about some strange graphics and startling text on the month-old page teasing the film, set for release Sept. 15. A picture of the film's co-stars had been defaced with computer crayon scribbles. Much of the copy had been changed. For example, the line "This is going to be an entertaining, fun promotional site for a movie" was replaced by "This is going to be a lame, cheesy promotional site for a movie." "Click here for a video preview of "Hackers"' had been replaced by "Click Here for a Big Waste of Bandwidth." And next to the credit "Created by Digital Planet," was the claim "Hacked by ILF" - followed by "Go see "The Net' instead of this dog." Also included were links to web sites for Defcon, the recently concluded hacker convention in Las Vegas, and other hacker hangouts. MGM, sensing an opportunity to turn hackery into flackery, decided to maintain the site in its altered form. A prepared statement was released: "We don't approve of their trashing our web site but are thoroughly impressed by their creativity and ingenuity." "MGM was asking for this," said Paul Grand, chief executive of Digital Planet, which creates MGM's web sites. "We created a site on "Hackers,' the film portrays hackers in a certain way and on the site we actually invite hackers to tell us about their favorite hacks." Trashing of commercial web sites has not been a widespread problem, but Grand said it's always a possibility, especially if contests are involved. "Anyone who's in this business and has something they want to keep private knows they better make their security tight," Grand said. PAGE 38 He said Earthlink Network, Digital Planet's Internet access provider, would probably beef up its security as a result of the incident. Earthlink officials could not be reached for comment. But Grand supported MGM's decision to keep the hacked page online. "We think it's a pretty creative hack," he said. The "Hackers" page is located at http://www.digiplanet.com/hackers/ index.html. Copyright 1995 The Austin American-Statesman Austin American-Statesman August 18, 1995 SECTION: Movies and More; Pg. E1 LENGTH: 563 words HEADLINE: Real 'Hackers' tap into movie's Web site BYLINE: Carol Flake BODY: If the plot for Hackers, a film opening Sept. 15 about youngcomputer whizzes drawn into an international conspiracy, seems complicated and even preposterous, a subplot that has developed around the promotion of the movie has even more unlikely twists and turns. Last week, officials at MGM-UA discovered that a promotional page for the film set up on the World Wide Web by Digital Planet, a leading interactive design and marketing company, had been trashed by real hackers. A photograph of the movie's two young stars had been doodled over with crayons, complete with a mustache for the lead actress, and the hacker-improvised promotional copy had a rather decidedly nasty tone to it. ''Hackers,'' it declared, wasthe ''the new action-adventure movie from those idiots in Hollywood.'' On their revised version of the Hackers page, the vandals had inserted links to real hacker sites on the Internet, and a photograph of real hackers taken at a New York bar during a hacker convention in New York had been substituted for a still from the film. Members of the computer underground might have recognized well-known Austin hacker Chris Goggans, known as Eric Bloodaxe, in the picture, although Goggans said he was not involvedin the hack. To add insult to injury, the anonymous hackers advised viewers to see The Net, the rival film about Internet terrorism, and claimed responsibility for the prank on behalf of the ILF, the Internet Liberation Front, and signed the posting Jack Devlin, a character in The Net. In a hasty bit of damage control and spin-marketing, MGM advised Digital Planet to let the trashed site remain and issued a statement that disapproved the trashing of the Web site but acknowledged the ''creativity and ingenuity'' of the pranksters. On Monday, Digital Planet restored the page to its initial state, but included a link to the ''trashed'' site, with one change. Viewers no longer could click on an icon linking the site to a page advertising The Net. Paul Grand, owner of Digital Planet, acknowledged that the prank was ''pretty clever, as most hacks are.'' Although he was concerned about security bugs exploited by the hackers, he said he also appreciated their humor. ''After all, we've got hackers working for us, too.'' There has been considerable grumbling on the Internet by real hackers about most of the recent films about high-tech terrorism and the portrayal of the PAGE 40 computer underground. The objections are more on technical rather than aesthetic grounds. As Goggans put it, ''Hackers are sticklers for detail.'' In yet another twist to the Hackers saga, Paul Grand said on Tuesday that Digital Planet and MGM had received a note of apology by e-mail from an anonymous hacker claiming to be the Web bandit. Certain details about how the hack was done, detailing bugs in the security system and how to remedy them, have convinced Grand that the note is real. Ironically, the anonymous hacker suggested that while he's no ''ad man,'' it's ''possible you can use what I did to promote your movie.'' Of course, that was an idea that already had occurred to the folks at MGM. The film's screenwriter, Rafael Moreu, has entered the fray with his answer to the hackers on the site. ''I'm incredibly amused by the whole thing,'' he said. ''It's exactly what I would have expected after spending time in the hacker world.'' GRAPHIC: In another twist to the Hackers saga, Digital Planet and MGM recieved a note of apology this week by e-mail from an anonymous hacker claiming to be the Web bandit who did the online vandalism, left. Details about how the hack was done convinced authorities the note is authentic. The site's address is http.www.digiplanet.com/hackers/index.html. Copyright 1995 BPI Communications, Inc. The Hollywood Reporter August 17, 1995, Thursday LENGTH: 573 words HEADLINE: 's Internet Web site for the upcoming United Artists cyberpunk thriller, Hackers,'' said Paul Grand, CEO of Digital Planet, which created the site. BODY: A remorseful (and fearful) computer hacker sent an anonymous apology by e-mail for his recent vandalism of a promotional page on MGM Expressing fear of reprisal for invading the computer system of Internet access provider Earthlink Network and trashing the site with graffiti on the digital movie poster and a parody of the ad copy, the hacker forwarded instructions on how to make the system secure. "I'd rather not go to prison," the hacker wrote. "Hackers are explorers, not vandals." "By all means, MGM was asking for it," Grand said of the site's request for hackers to log their conquests. Seeking publicity mileage from the stunt, a spokesman said MGM has included a link to the trashed page in the full-blown redone "Hackers" area that debuts Friday. Internet en Espanol: While some may argue that the Internet already requires fluency in a language other than English, sources say Sony Pictures is creating what is believed to be the first bilingual movie Web site for "Desperado." The site will feature all text and audio clips in English and Spanish. Shinier Dreams: The former creative director of Shiny Entertainment has lured four former Shiny co-workers to his new Laguna, Calif.-based company, the Neverhood, which has just concluded a multimillion-dollar pact with DreamWorks Interactive for interactive, TV and movie projects (HR 8/3). Douglas TenNapel, creator of the "Earthworm Jim" video game and TV series character, enticed most of Shiny's animation department and background artists, as well as three programmers. New Moon: Software developer and publisher TDC Interactive will release the first of a new "Cinemaker Movie-Builder" series of CD-ROM titles this month in which the user can assemble an original movie or featurette from a selection of about 300 video clips of about 20 seconds-40 seconds in length from the Full Moon Entertainment library of horror, science fiction and fantasy films, according to TDC president Sam Pirnazar. Full Moon CEO Charles Band said a deal announced last year with Philips Media Games to produce interactive games based on Full Moon titles remains in effect. PAGE 42 Delphi morph: More than 700 names have been submitted in a contest to name the new Internet-based service being developed by News Corp. and MCI Communications Corp. A name favored internally before the contest was begun was something akin to GenuiNet, according to a staffer. The new service will incorporate the struggling Delphi Internet commercial online service, which has only 100,000 subscribers. Former Prodigy chief Scott Kurnit has been named CEO and president. Former TV Guide and Delphi editor-in-chief Anthea Disney has been named editor-in-chief. Kurnit says the jobs of all 600 employees are secure. Disney said one of the prime attractions of the new service would be a packaging service for Internet offerings: "It will be like a TV Guide for the Internet." Brave CD-ROM: MidiSoft Corp. has signed an exclusive license with Viacom Consumer Products to produce and distribute a CD-ROM based on the Paramount movie "Braveheart" that will include movie footage and behind-the-scenes material with the help of the movie's producer-director-star Mel Gibson. Appointment: Bob Bejan, former president and CEO of theatrical interactive movie company Interfilm Inc., has been named to the new position of vice president creative development for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Copyright 1995 The Hearst Corporation The Times Union (Albany, NY) August 15, 1995, Tuesday, THREE STAR EDITION SECTION: LIFE & LEISURE, Pg. C7 LENGTH: 290 words HEADLINE: Flacks take a back seat to hackers BODY: YARDENA ARAR Los Angeles Daily News LOS ANGELES A World Wide Web site to promote the upcoming United Artists film ''Hackers'' got a visit from some real computer bandits, the studio said. UA parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer learned of the cyberspace vandalism when a reporter called to inquire about some strange graphics and startling text on the month-old page teasing the film, due for release Sept. 15. A picture of the film's co-stars had been defaced with computer crayon scribbles. Much of the copy had been changed. For example, the line ''This is going to be an entertaining, fun promotional site for a movie'' was replaced by ''This is going to be a lame, cheesy promotional site for a movie.'' ''Click here for a video preview of 'Hackers' '' had been replaced by ''Click Here for a Big Waste of Bandwidth.'' And next to the credit ''Created by Digital Planet,'' was the claim ''Hacked by ILF'' followed by ''Go see 'The Net' instead of this dog.'' MGM, sensing an opportunity to turn hackery into flackery, decided to maintain the site in its altered form. A prepared statement was released: ''We don't approve of their trashing our web site, but are thoroughly impressed by their creativity and ingenuity.'' ''MGM was asking for this,'' said Paul Grand, chief executive of Digital Planet, which creates MGM's web sites. ''We created a site on 'Hackers,' the film portrays hackers in a certain way and on the site we actually invite hackers to tell us about their favorite hacks.'' He said Earthlink Network, Digital Planet's Internet access provider, would probably beef up its security as a result of the incident. The ''Hackers'' page is located at http://www.digiplanet.com/hackers/ index.html. Copyright 1995 Pacific Press Ltd. The Vancouver Sun August 15, 1995, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. D3 LENGTH: 374 words HEADLINE: Access provider to tighten security after hackers trash Web page set up to promote movie - about hackers BYLINE: LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS DATELINE: LOS ANGELES BODY: A World Wide Web site to promote the upcoming United Artists film Hackers got a visit from some real computer bandits, the studio said. UA parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer learned of the cyberspace vandalism when a reporter called to inquire about some strange graphics and startling text on the month-old page teasing the film, due for release Sept. 15. A picture of the film's co-stars had been defaced with computer crayon scribbles. Much of the copy had been changed. For example, the line "This is going to be an entertaining, fun promotional site for a movie" was replaced by "This is going to be a lame, cheesy promotional site for a movie." "Click here for a video preview of Hackers" had been replaced by "Click Here for a Big Waste of Bandwidth." And next to the credit "Created by Digital Planet," was the claim "Hacked by ILF" -- followed by "Go see 'The Net' instead of this dog." Also included were links to web sites for Defcon, the recently concluded hacker convention in Las Vegas, and other hacker hangouts. MGM, sensing an opportunity to turn hackery into flackery, decided to maintain the site in its altered form. A prepared statement was released: "We don't approve of their trashing our web site, but are thoroughly impressed by their creativity and ingenuity." "MGM was asking for this," said Paul Grand, chief executive of Digital Planet, which creates MGM's web sites. "We created a site on Hackers, the film portrays hackers in a certain way and on the site we actually invite hackers to tell us about their favorite hacks." Trashing of commercial web sites has not been a widespread problem, but Grand said it's always a possibility, especially if contests are involved. "Anyone who's in this business and has something they want to keep private knows they better make their security tight," Grand said. He said Earthlink Network, Digital Planet's Internet access provider, would probably beef up its security as a result of the incident. Earthlink officials PAGE 47 could not be reached for comment. But Grand supported MGM's decision to keep the hacked page online. "We think it's a pretty creative hack," he said. The Hackers page is located at http://www.digiplanet.com/hackers/index.html Copyright 1995 Pacific Press Ltd. The Vancouver Sun August 15, 1995, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. C6 LENGTH: 323 words HEADLINE: Turning hackery into flackery BYLINE: YARDENA ARAR; LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS DATELINE: LOS ANGELES BODY: A World Wide Web site to promote the upcoming United Artists film Hackers got a visit from some real computer bandits. UA parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer learned of the cyberspace vandalism when a reporter called to inquire about some strange graphics and startling text on the month-old page teasing the film, due for release Sept. 15. A picture of the film's co-stars had been defaced with computer crayon scribbles. Much of the copy had been changed. The line "This is going to be an entertaining, fun promotional site for a movie" was replaced by "This is going to be a lame, cheesy promotional site for a movie." "Click here for a video preview of Hackers" was replaced by "Click Here for a Big Waste of Bandwidth." Next to the credit "Created by Digital Planet," was the claim "Hacked by ILF" -- followed by "Go see The Net instead of this dog." Also included were links to web sites for Defcon, the recently concluded hacker convention in Las Vegas, and other hacker hangouts. MGM, sensing an opportunity to turn hackery into flackery, decided to maintain the altered site. A statement was released: "We don't approve of their trashing our web site, but are thoroughly impressed by their creativity and ingenuity." "MGM was asking for this," said Paul Grand, chief executive of Digital Planet, which creates MGM's web sites. "We created a site on Hackers, the film portrays hackers in a certain way and on the site we actually invite hackers to tell us about their favorite hacks." Trashing of commercial web sites has not been widespread, but Grand said it's always a possibility, especially if contests are involved. He said Earthlink Network, Digital Planet's Internet access provider, would probably beef up its security as a result of the incident. But Grand supported MGM's decision to keep the hacked page online. PAGE 49 The Vancouver Sun, August 15, 1995 The "Hackers" page is located at http://www.digiplanet.com/hackers/index.html. Copyright 1995, The Commercial Appeal The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) August 14, 1995, Monday, Final Edition SECTION: APPEAL, Pg. 4C LENGTH: 367 words HEADLINE: Cyberbandits impress MGM by hacking Web site of 'Hackers' BYLINE: Yardena Arar, Los Angeles Daily News BODY: A World Wide Web site to promote the upcoming United Artists film Hackers got a visit from some real computer bandits, the studio said. UA parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer learned of the cyberspace vandalism when a reporter called to inquire about some strange graphics and startling text on the month-old page teasing the film, due for release Sept. 15. A picture of the film's co-stars had been defaced with computer crayon scribbles. Much of the copy had been changed. For example, the line ''This is going to be an entertaining, fun promotional site for a movie'' was replaced by ''This is going to be a lame, cheesy promotional site for a movie.'' ''Click here for a video preview of Hackers'' had been replaced by ''Click Here for a Big Waste of Bandwidth.'' And next to the credit ''Created by Digital Planet,'' was the claim ''Hacked by ILF'' - followed by ''Go see The Net instead of this dog.'' Also included were links to web sites for Defcon, the recently concluded hacker convention in Las Vegas, and other hacker hangouts. MGM, sensing an opportunity to turn hackery into flackery, decided to maintain the site in its altered form. A prepared statement was released: ''We don't approve of their trashing our web site but are thoroughly impressed by their creativity and ingenuity.'' ''MGM was asking for this,'' said Paul Grand, chief executive of Digital Planet, which creates MGM's web sites. ''We created a site on Hackers, the film portrays hackers in a certain way, and on the site we actually invite hackers to tell us about their favorite hacks.'' Trashing of commercial web sites has not been a widespread problem, but Grand said it's always a possibility, especially if contests are involved. ''Anyone who's in this business and has something they want to keep private knows they better make their security tight,'' Grand said. He said Earthlink Network, Digital Planet's Internet access provider, would probably beef up its security. But Grand supported MGM's decision to keep the hacked page online. The Hackers page is at http://www.digiplanet.com/hackers/index.html Copyright 1995 The Times Mirror Company Los Angeles Times August 12, 1995, Saturday, Home Edition SECTION: Business; Part D; Page 1; Financial Desk LENGTH: 194 words HEADLINE: OFF THE TICKER: HACKERS MAY 'NET' GOOD PR FOR STUDIO BYLINE: By AMY HARMON BODY: Let's face it, they were asking for it. Last month, MGM/UA set up a site on the World Wide Web to promote its upcoming film "Hackers." Last weekend, the site got hacked. In place of the studio publicity department's bubbly description of the film, a group calling itself the Internet Liberation Front inserted its own. It read in part: "Hackers, the new action adventure movie from those idiots in Hollywood, takes you inside a world where there's no plot or creative thought, there's only boring rehashed ideas." But the sharpest dig was at the bottom of the page, where the intruders inserted a hypertext "link" to rival Columbia Pictures' Web site for "The Net" with the suggestion "Go see 'The Net' instead of this dog." Internet surfers who clicked on the highlighted text were spirited across cyberspace to a picture of "Net" star Sandra Bullock. Not wanting to alienate the audience at which the movie is aimed, MGM/UA appeared to take pains to be good-natured about the incident. Said a studio spokesperson: "We certainly don't approve of their trashing our Web site, but we are thoroughly impressed with their creativity." AMY HARMON Copyright 1995 Star Tribune Star Tribune August 12, 1995, Metro Edition SECTION: News; Pg. 1A LENGTH: 629 words HEADLINE: Hackers hit film Web site; Cyber-pan backfires, gets disliked movie even more publicity BYLINE: Mike Meyers; Staff Writer BODY: In the Digital Age, annoying the wrong people can lead to vengeance. But vengeance can backfire. "Hackers," a movie that has yet to be shown in theaters, has raised the ire of a group of cyber-saboteurs who got a sneak preview of the script. On Friday, they electronically hijacked an MGM/United Artists site on the World Wide Web meant to spark interest in the film scheduled to be released Sept. 15. The real-life hackers transformed the studio's computer advertisement into a billboard blasting the movie as "lame" and "cheesy." A photo of the film's actors was defaced with graffiti and another publicity picture was replaced by a snapshot of genuine hackers tipping a few beers. Ironically, the broadsides may become as beneficial for "Hackers" ticket sales as two thumbs up from film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. The computer conspirators, unschooled in the wily ways of Hollywood press agents, probably have garnered more attention for the modest-budget film devoid of stars than it would have gotten on its own - a prospect not lost on execs at MGM/United Artists. The studio, aware of the free publicity that was about to come its way, took the prank in good humor, with a spokesman saying, "We don't approve of their trashing our Web site, but we are thoroughly impressed by their creativity and ingenuity." MGM/United Artists, six hours after learning of the sabotage from a reporter calling to ask questions, did not turn off its Web site computer or announce plans to remove the hackers' handiwork. The Web address for the film is http://www.mgmua.com/hackers/index.html The Web allows browsers to see, at a glance, what public information is available on a network connecting thousands of computers around the world. MGM/United Artists, like many companies (including the Star Tribune), uses a Web site to tout its wares to anyone with a PC and modem. The scuttling of the studio's Web message involved several days of effort, starting last week at a hackers' convention in Las Vegas, where many a PAGE 66 computer saboteur complained that the movie won't do them justice. And how did hackers know about a movie that's a month away from exhibition in theaters? They've read the script. Jeff Moss, an organizer of the conference last weekend that attracted 350 hackers to the Tropicana Hotel, said hackers were hired as consultants on the film and passed along copies of the screenplay to friends via the Internet. "It made hackers look too, too cool," Moss said. In the film, hackers are pubescent nerds who wear wrap-around sunglasses while at the computer keyboard and in-line skates when they're anywhere else. Though they may resent being portrayed as immature, the hackers who "revised" the MGM/United Artists Web site pose no threat to the employment of the New York Times film critic. " 'Hackers', the new action adventure movie from those idiots in Hollywood, takes you inside a world where there's no plot or creative thought, there's only boring rehashed ideas," the Web site tells visitors, in a parody of the breathless hype of film promoters. "What Kool-Aid was to Jonestown . . . 'Hackers' is to every cyberpunk movie every made," according to the new-and-reproved Web site. A film preview of "Hackers," borrowed from the original studio Web site, is incorporated in the hackers' lampoon. The clip is introduced with the warning, "Click here for a big waste of bandwidth." The hackers' improvisations end with the proclamation: "Rafael Moreau must die!!!!" And who is Rafeal Moreau? He's the guy who wrote script for the offending film. At last word, Moreau was safe and sound, waiting to cash in on "Hackers." Copyright 1995 Crain Communications Inc. Advertising Age September 11, 1995 SECTION: News; Pg. 36 LENGTH: 1214 words HEADLINE: INTERACTIVE MEDIA & MARKETING;HACKERS REVEL IN MARKETER HYPE;UNITED ARTISTS, GTE TURN CODE-CRACKERS INTO PROMOTIONAL PLOY BYLINE: Jeff Jensen BODY: A 12-year-old whiz kid reprograms a hot CD-ROM game to do all the things its makers didn't want it to. A handful of crafty Web surfers hack their way into a corporate-sponsored Internet scavenger hunt to plumb its secrets and create a virtual community within its digital infrastructure. And a Hollywood studio sets up a promotional Web site on the 'net to plug a movie about fictional hackers, only to see it get defaced by a few real-life cyberpunks. How did these companies deal with the blatant intrusions on their interactive marketing efforts? Not by covering them up, but by inviting the hackers into their living rooms. Welcome to the world of hacker marketing, where technowhizzes capable of doing serious damage to a marketer's online efforts are suddenly-and uncomfortably-his new best friends. GTE Entertainment, marketer of the ''FX Fighter'' CD-ROM, enlisted the 12-year-old whiz kid as a spokesman for the game. Vivid Studios, the San Francisco-based Web designer that created ''The Rift'' Internet hunt promotion for Silicon Graphics turned the content created by hackers into an online magazine for its sponsor. And in the most notorious example, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, marketer of the flick ''Hackers,'' is spinning its tale of victimization by virtual vandals into positive PR for the film-so successfully that some have suspected the studio of engineering the prank itself. ''It's really dangerous to say, 'Bad hacker, don't break into stuff,' but then reward them,'' said Joshua Greer, president of Digital Planet, which created the ''Hackers'' site (http://www.mgmua.com/hackers). ''Eventually, someone will push it too far and the government will respond, probably out of ignorance, by bringing down legislation on all of us.'' Still, MGM is so hot on hacking that this week it is encouraging Web users to become hackers themselves. On Sept. 12, MGM opens ''The Hackathon,'' a promotion for ''Hackers'' in which participants must complete three hacks, including the familiar ''Crack-the-school's-computer-to-change-your-grade'' hack. The contest is being conducted on the 'net and online services like CompuServe and will be touted nationwide in radio spots created by various agencies. Hackers have already had their way with MGM/UA. The movie site has been repeatedly altered since it went up several weeks ago: Its logo was changed to read ''Not Hackers'' and the site was tagged with a message linking users to the Web site for DefCon, a major hackers convention. There were other, more serious hacks, however. Links to underground hacker sites appeared at various times, and at least one link offered instructions on how to build a bomb. ''We're not surprised this happened to 'Hackers.' The name itself is like flashing a red flag in front of a bull's eyes,'' said Mr. Greer. ''The people who hacked it actually sent in an apology and told us how they hacked into it, so they actually provided us a service.'' Rather than incite the wrath of the hackers by deleting the hacked page, MGM/UA reinstated the original but left the hacked page as a link. Some have accused MGM/UA and Digital Planet of glamorizing the hacker culture and encouraging hacking, but a studio executive said the site is clearly labeled as a promotional vehicle and only seeks to provide information about hacker culture. ''I'm glad all this has worked out in a way to get publicity for the film, but it raises a lot of concerns for us and marketers, and we don't want to give these people any more incentive to do it again,'' said Mr. Greer. GTE echoes such sentiments. In June, David Sisselman of Livingston, N.J., bought ''FX Fighter,'' a ''Mortal Kombat''-like martial arts CD-ROM, took it home, reprogrammed it and then posted the hack on the Internet. ''It wasn't illegal, but I was still a bit upset,'' said Dick Larkin, VP-marketing and sales at GTE Entertainment. ''But then I got over it and was impressed. We could have taken the common tact of covering it up. But we decided to make some lemonade out of some lemons.'' GTE flew the boy out in late August for a press conference and tour of the GTE En- tertainment lab in Carlsbad, Calif., eliciting press coverage from CBS, wire services and videogame trade magazines. At Vivid Studios, one of the premier creators of Internet scavenger games, hacking became part of the game. After players began toying with ''The Rift,'' Vivid decided to put together ''The Rift Daily,'' an interactive magazine that collects all the content the hackers leave behind. Silicon Graphics even sponsored the magazine. ''Most of the time, these clever people aren't trying to hurt the system but create tools to help themselves and others and create a virtual community,'' PAGE 35 said Henri Poole, Vivid's president. ''The danger, though, is when one of these clever people crosses that line. It's tough to know if these people are suddenly going to come at you and do something bad. And what do you do then? There are no rules and laws in cyberspace. Yet.'' Despite the recent spate of hacker-inspired marketing, most of those involved say they don't want it to become a trend. Nor do they want their actions to be interpreted as legitimizing hacking. ''Is it wrong? Yeah, it's vandalism. You're tampering with content-property-that doesn't belong to you. But this is the wild West. There are no rules. And if you go after someone, who knows if and how they'll come back after you. Sometimes, it's best to keep it quiet or put a good PR spin on it,'' said a veteran Internet marketer. Said Steve Franco, data communications analyst with Yankee Group, Boston: ''It's a justifiable business opportunity to.....hire a hacker to provide security and expertise, but there is a a lot of fear that these hired guns are leaving behind back doors and holes for other hackers or even themselves.'' GRAPHIC: MGM/UA invited hackers to post their favorite tricks on its movie Web site. Tech-savvy computer users wreaked havoc instead, altering the site and changing links.;Silicon Graphics and Vivid Studios turned a hack attack on their scavenger hunt into an online magazine. Copyright 1995 PR Newswire Association, Inc. PR Newswire August 31, 1995, Thursday SECTION: Financial News DISTRIBUTION: TO ENTERTAINMENT AND BUSINESS EDITORS LENGTH: 779 words HEADLINE: MGM/UA WEB SITE CAUSES A STIR; Electronic Engineering Times Finds Links to Sites on How to Make Napalm Weapons and Lists of Stolen Credit Cards BODY: CMP's Electronic Engineering Times reveals in next week's issue that a World Wide Web site put up by MGM/UA to promote the studio's upcoming movie, "Hackers," points users to potentially dangerous content and ongoing criminal activity, including stolen credit card listings, homemade bomb construction, illegal drug use and currency counterfeiting. "A seemingly innocuous World Wide Web site on the Internet has thrown open the door to the arcane and shadowy world of computer hackers," writes Associate Editor Larry Lange in the Electronic Engineering Times article. "This week, Electronic Engineering Times found two postings there that contained threatening messages about the AT&T Corporation, with a list of over 60 stolen credit card numbers complete with instructions on how to get free international calls." Federal authorities have been alerted to the situation, according to the article. An FBI source told Lange that the site has already been submitted to the Bureaus' National Computer Crime Squad (NCCS) for potentially opening an investigation. MANHASSET, N.Y., Aug. 31 Officially, MGM/UA says that the site is for purely entertainment purposes. John Hegeman, Vice President of Marketing Administration for the corporation told Electronic Engineering Times that the Web page began as a "teaser site" with a disclaimer saying "we're not experts in hacking -- we're not saying we are. We asked people to open some dialogue -- what are your favorite hacks or what are some hacks you've done in the past, using this just for background information to make our site a little more entertaining and interesting." Once the site was up, real hackers came in and started making changes. Copy was changed and images altered in an attempt to ridicule the movie. Hegeman said the hackers "then put links to real hacking sites in there -- none of which were created by us." Leaving the hacked page on the site was a decision made by MGM/UA in order to avoid further or more severe hacker attacks, says Lange. "We weren't looking to wage a war with people who can do that to us on a daily basis," said Hegeman. "We don't have the technology or the manpower to keep re-doing our site." And while Hegeman admits to "some synergy between what they did and what the movie's about," he adds that "there is some social responsibility that any corporation has to have. If there's something that PAGE 48 crosses the line, then we'll take it off our Web site." Hegeman points out, however, that MGM/UA is not out to redefine social responsibility. "We're not looking to break new frontiers with being socially acceptable," he said. "What we're looking to do is provide promotional Web sites for our movies so people can get information about the movies in an entertaining and fun way." Indeed, the glamorization of the hacking community via popular movies and promotional materials did not start with "Hackers." Many veterans cite the 1987 release of "War Games" as their inspiration for getting into hacking. Mike Godwin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation doesn't see a problem with people, even children, stumbling upon the materials linked from the "Hackers" Web site. "Most of the people who even look this stuff up, just look it up because they think there's a thrill in knowing how to do it," says Godwin. "And an even smaller percentage of them do it." According to the article, Godwin sees no real danger of an influx of media-encouraged hacking as "people who only know how to 'point and click' are technically incapable of building a napalm weapon (instructions for which are linked from the "Hackers" movie site.) Maybe the instructions are simple, but they've got to get the raw material, hide it from Mom and Dad, and it turns out to be an incredibly complex thing." The "Hackers" site can be found at http://mgmua.com/hackers. Electronic Engineering Times, published by CMP Publications, Inc., is the only source that delivers news of both business and technology to the engineering community and technical/corporate management at U.S. OEM organizations. CMP Publications, Inc. is a leading provider of high-tech publishing, marketing and information services reaching the entire spectrum of the high-technology market. Its publications reach the builders, sellers and users of technology. All of the company's publications and a series of innovative news services are available on the World Wide Web through CMP's TechWeb (http://techweb.cmp.com), the online technology source. Larry Lange, Electronic Engineering Times' Associate Editor is available for interviews. Copyright 1995 Information Access Company, a Thomson Corporation Company ASAP Copyright 1995 Adweek L.P. MEDIAWEEK August 21, 1995 SECTION: Vol. 5 ; No. 32 ; Pg. 12; ISSN: 1055-176X LENGTH: 299 words HEADLINE: Hackers tangle the Web; World Wide Web; Brief Article BYLINE: Sacharow, Anya BODY: Online content providers who have created areas of interest to cyberspace sophisticates are getting burned--hackers are hacking up the Web sites. MGM/UA recently put up a Web site dedicated to Hackers, a cyberpunk thriller due in theaters on Sept. 15. Two weeks ago, a hacker attacked the Web site, replacing the studio's plot synopsis with his (or her) own version. "Hackers," read the new material, "the new actionadventure movie from those idiots in Hollywood, takes you inside a world where there's no plot or creative thought, only boring rehashed ideas." The cyber-scofflaw adorned the Hackers site with links to other hack sites on the Web and defaced the site with graffiti. A few days later, he (or she) sent MGM/UA an unsigned e-mail apology, with advice on how to guard against further intrusions. Other recent incidents have been less amusing. Computer News Daily, a New York Times Information Services Group Web site that went up June 13, was recently destroyed by a hacker when a posted message in the chat room expanded until it consumed the server's entire memory. The server vendor, Interactive Connection, was forced to take the server off line and remove all its content. Not even Netscape Communications, this year's Lord of the Web, is immune. A 27-year-old grad student at Ecole Polytechnique in France broke a Netscape encryption code, which secures communications so they can be sent safely across the Internet. On the up side, some of the trouble encountered by Internet sites attractive to hackers seems worth it for the publicity. The number of hits at the Times site increased from 60,000 to nearly 100,000 after news reports about the system crash. And MGM/UA certainly isn't hurting from the media exposure generated by the Hackers prankster. Copyright 1995 The Austin American-Statesman Austin American-Statesman August 18, 1995 SECTION: Movies and More; Pg. E1 LENGTH: 563 words HEADLINE: Real 'Hackers' tap into movie's Web site BYLINE: Carol Flake BODY: If the plot for Hackers, a film opening Sept. 15 about youngcomputer whizzes drawn into an international conspiracy, seems complicated and even preposterous, a subplot that has developed around the promotion of the movie has even more unlikely twists and turns. Last week, officials at MGM-UA discovered that a promotional page for the film set up on the World Wide Web by Digital Planet, a leading interactive design and marketing company, had been trashed by real hackers. A photograph of the movie's two young stars had been doodled over with crayons, complete with a mustache for the lead actress, and the hacker-improvised promotional copy had a rather decidedly nasty tone to it. ''Hackers,'' it declared, wasthe ''the new action-adventure movie from those idiots in Hollywood.'' On their revised version of the Hackers page, the vandals had inserted links to real hacker sites on the Internet, and a photograph of real hackers taken at a New York bar during a hacker convention in New York had been substituted for a still from the film. Members of the computer underground might have recognized well-known Austin hacker Chris Goggans, known as Eric Bloodaxe, in the picture, although Goggans said he was not involvedin the hack. To add insult to injury, the anonymous hackers advised viewers to see The Net, the rival film about Internet terrorism, and claimed responsibility for the prank on behalf of the ILF, the Internet Liberation Front, and signed the posting Jack Devlin, a character in The Net. In a hasty bit of damage control and spin-marketing, MGM advised Digital Planet to let the trashed site remain and issued a statement that disapproved the trashing of the Web site but acknowledged the ''creativity and ingenuity'' of the pranksters. On Monday, Digital Planet restored the page to its initial state, but included a link to the ''trashed'' site, with one change. Viewers no longer could click on an icon linking the site to a page advertising The Net. Paul Grand, owner of Digital Planet, acknowledged that the prank was ''pretty clever, as most hacks are.'' Although he was concerned about security bugs exploited by the hackers, he said he also appreciated their humor. ''After all, we've got hackers working for us, too.'' There has been considerable grumbling on the Internet by real hackers about most of the recent films about high-tech terrorism and the portrayal of the PAGE 62 computer underground. The objections are more on technical rather than aesthetic grounds. As Goggans put it, ''Hackers are sticklers for detail.'' In yet another twist to the Hackers saga, Paul Grand said on Tuesday that Digital Planet and MGM had received a note of apology by e-mail from an anonymous hacker claiming to be the Web bandit. Certain details about how the hack was done, detailing bugs in the security system and how to remedy them, have convinced Grand that the note is real. Ironically, the anonymous hacker suggested that while he's no ''ad man,'' it's ''possible you can use what I did to promote your movie.'' Of course, that was an idea that already had occurred to the folks at MGM. The film's screenwriter, Rafael Moreu, has entered the fray with his answer to the hackers on the site. ''I'm incredibly amused by the whole thing,'' he said. ''It's exactly what I would have expected after spending time in the hacker world.'' GRAPHIC: In another twist to the Hackers saga, Digital Planet and MGM recieved a note of apology this week by e-mail from an anonymous hacker claiming to be the Web bandit who did the online vandalism, left. Details about how the hack was done convinced authorities the note is authentic. The site's address is http.www.digiplanet.com/hackers/index.html.