The KGB, the Computer, and Me

[Jacob Goense]

On December 29 08:35 Brent Hilpert wrote:
> In 1985 I was setting up our new email system at CERN, and the email
> system had a security flaw that allowed the users' mail access
> passwords to be seen.
> This in of itself wasn't too big deal as there was little a hacker
> could do with it (only get access to mail pickup, and you'd need a
> system that talked X.400, which weren't prevalent).
> What made it a big security problem, of course, was that users tended
> to use their login password for their mail password, so once the
> hackers uncovered the mail password they ipso-facto often got a login
> password.
> The hacking was noticed and I was told they were networking in from 
> Germany.
> 
> Given the commonalities: time proximity (85-86), hacker source
> (Germany) and hacking targets (HEP/nuclear/research community), I
> wonder now if it was the same group of hackers.

Check https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR9HVZ8qHHo
Fast forward to 5:26 for a '87 sitelist mentioning CERN.