big brother is kibozing you

[Alec Muffett - SunLabs]

Interesting article from cypherpunks; feeding the hostname into
AltaVista seems to bear out the story...

One must wonder what it is, which it looks for? Keywords? Code?

...and I suppose we must also be thankful that the host isn't called:
"webcrawler.echelon.nsa.gov" or somesuch... 8-)

	- alec

>  From: mgraffam@mhv.net
>  Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 08:27:06 -0400 (EDT)
>  To: cypherpunks@toad.com
>  Subject: corvette.bxa.doc.gov
>
>  -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
>  This morning I was going through my logs and I saw an anonymous ftp
>  connection to my machine, which ordinarily I wouldn't care about.. I
>  distribute my RSA keys from this machine.. but the connection was
>  from corvette.bxa.doc.gov, so I looked further at the FTP commands
>  issued and it looks like a bot.
>
>  Several instances of "SIZE", even on directory names; it recursed into
>  the tree got some smaller files and that was it.
>
>  So, I went sniffing. www.bxa.doc.gov:
>
>  "		Bureau of Export Administration Home Page
>
>     The Bureau of Export Administration enhances the nation's security and
>     its economic prosperity by controlling exports for national security,
>       foreign policy, and short supply reasons. We administer the Export
>       Administration Act by developing export control policies, issuing
>     export licenses, and prosecuting violators. "
>
>  A quick web search for corvette.bxa.doc.gov brought up several "web
>  statistics pages" .. it crawls all over the place. It seems as if it
>  targets technical sites.
>
>  I just thought you guys might like to hear about it. If anyone needs
>  anymore info, or wants the sections from my logs just let me know.
>
>  Michael J. Graffam (mgraffam@mhv.net)
>  http://www.mhv.net/~mgraffam -- Philosophy, Religion, Computers, Crypto,
etc
>  "..subordination of one sex to the other is wrong in itself, and now
>  one of the chief hindrances to human improvement.." John Stuart Mill
>  "The Subjection of Women"
>
>  -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>  Version: PGPfreeware 5.0i for non-commercial use
>  Charset: noconv
>
>  iQCVAwUBNUCFIAKEiLNUxnAfAQFa0gP+LiSSMOy5kNi7nmxitrcO5xv1pbk3nWRk
>  rW984qlAr+1Y9PKAIrkSboT239RJb2L2+JYlCUvYxt7CeZMCHcjtrcbrxjiUxKeL
>  Vk6z/31BetWNkilE+fizfOHwhHnnHaJ8PgAlPGjmByjNQAHXSRBMZ1m00Z4hDl6w
>  TnM80Cds2BQ=
>  =J5FV




-- 
    alec muffett, sun microsystems laboratories, alec.muffett @ uk.sun.com
                             whistling in the dark