[huridocs-tech] Cuban hackers would rather stay out of the limelight

Cuban hackers would rather stay out of the limelight
by Manuel David Orrio, Cooperativa de Periodistas Independientes
(CPI), for CubaNet

(August 20, 2001) The secret world of Cuban hackers or computer
aficionados reacted with indifference to the news that the online
version of the government daily Granma was the victim of an attack
which kept it off the web for three days.

Cuban hackers reacted with indifference at the recent attack on the
government daily's Web site.

In fact, hackers interviewed for this story hadn't heard of the
cyber-attack on the newspaper's web site.

According to an Associated Press dispatch, executives at the
newspaper said "it was the first time the site suffered an attack
since its inception in 1997," and acknowledged they didn't know who
might be responsible.

Local hackers expressed concern about what the attack might mean for
them; some even voiced suspicions that the daily might have staged an
attack on itself in order to justify a police sweep of the emerging
computer aficionados, who access computers and the Internet
illegally.

"The golden rule of Cuban hackers is not to mess with anyone who
might have the resources to detect you and hunt you down. The
principal objective of a hacker in Cuba is to obtain a password and
in a manner of speaking get a ride from a legitimate user." said
"Hernando," one hacker who agreed to talk to CPI.

Since it's almost impossible for average Cubans to have access to the
Internet or even to computers, local hackers are anonymous and
clandestine. They build machines known here as "Frankensteins"
because they are cobbled together with ingenuity and scavenged parts.
Most show little interest in politics, concentrating instead on
technical questions, sex, making contacts abroad, and the possibility
of organizing clandestine businesses with the aid of computers.


Originally published on the CubaNet Web site on August 17,
2001. Reproduced with permission by CubaNet, 145 Madeira Ave,
Suite 207, Coral Gables, FL 33134, U.S.A. Phone: +(1-305) 774-1887.
E-mail: cubanet@cubanet.org, cubanetn@aol.com. CubaNet does not
require sole rights from its contributors. CubaNet authorizes the
reproduction and distribution of this article as long as the source
is credited.

[orig] http://www.dfn.org/focus/cuba/hackers.htm





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