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DATE=2/10/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=CYBERHACKER INVESTIGATION (L-ONLY) NUMBER=2-259032 BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The U-S Justice Department is investigating what it calls the largest computer attack on the Internet in memory. For three days this week, hackers prevented millions of people from being able to reach popular Internet sites such as Yahoo, E-Bay and Amazon-dot.com. Correspondent Nick Simeone in Washington reports prosecutors are looking for the electronic trail that will lead them to the culprits. TEXT: Because anyone with a computer can gain access to the web, anyone it seems, can also shut down websites, or at least sabotage and block access to them. That means the cyber-attackers who disrupted e-commerce on several high profile websites this week could be doing it from just about any place on earth. /// FIRST HOLDER ACT /// You do not have to have a great amount of computer expertise or very sophisticated equipment in order to do this kind of attack. /// END ACT /// Deputy U-S Attorney General Eric Holder is appealing to Internet service providers to help authorities catch and prosecute whoever was responsible /// SECOND HOLDER ACT /// Internet security must be a community-wide effort. The private sector needs to take additional steps to safeguard their computer systems. /// END ACT /// But first, who ever carried out these attacks has to be found, and authorities don't even know where they are. It would be much more difficult for American law enforcement to prosecute a computer hacker, say in China than one in Kansas City. Complicating the case is the fact that investigators believe the attacks may be originating from hundreds of different computers, with hackers jamming well-known websites by deliberately overloading them. /// FIRST MALLETT ACT /// [It is] Like a million people dialing all at once, dialing into one server, and it clogged. /// END ACT /// Jeff Mallett is president of Yahoo, which saw its site attacked Monday. /// SECOND MALLETT ACT /// People can come in from so many access points that it's almost impossible to make sure this doesn't happen again. /// END ACT /// Tuesday's attacks coincided with sharp losses on the technology-driven Nasdaq stock market. Analysts say more cyber attacks on popular sites traded on the Nadaq - such as Amazon-dot-com -- could drive down the price of high-tech stocks. Internet security expert John Vranesevich thinks the culprits are not cyber-terrorists but simple trouble- makers. /// VRANESEVICH ACT /// In this case, we believe these people are what we call socially motivated. I think we are going to find in the future that these individuals are simply looking for pure recognition. If they were not trying to bring down Yahoo, they'd probably be out on the neighborhood streets tagging their initials on buildings with spray paint. /// END ACT /// No computer files were stolen or tampered with, and it could turn out that the attacks on Yahoo, Amazon-dot- com, and other popular sites are teen-age pranks. But federal prosecutors don't consider something that could cost consumers and industry millions of dollars a prank, and will recommend jail time for whoever is found responsible. (Signed) NEB/NJS/ENE/gm 10-Feb-2000 17:03 PM EDT (10-Feb-2000 2203 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .