Risky Business
How the World Got Owned Episode 1: The 1980s
AI Summary
In Episode 1, hosts Patrick Gray and Amberleigh Jack explore the formative era of 1980s hacking, recounting life on ARPANET, the rise of the 414s, the infamous Morris Worm, and the parallel hunt for German hackers alongside Clifford Stoll’s Cuckoo’s Egg saga. Through interviews with insiders like former DEC engineer Jon Callas, Morris Worm prosecutor Mark Rasch, ex‑414 hacker Timothy Winslow, author Greg Chartrand, and former NSA operative Tony Sager, the episode reveals how early cyber‑intrusions shaped legal, cultural, and governmental responses to digital threats. Listeners gain insight into the nascent hacker community’s motivations, the emerging law‑enforcement tactics, and the internal atmosphere of agencies like the NSA during this pivotal decade.
Episode Description
In this special documentary episode, Patrick Gray and Amberleigh Jack take a historical dive into hacking in the 1980s. Through the words of those that were there, they discuss life on the ARPANET, the 414s hacking group, the Morris Worm, the vibe inside the NSA and a parallel hunt for German hackers happening at a similar time to Cliff Stoll’s famous Cuckoo’s Egg story.
This podcast features the memories of:
Jon Callas, former principal software engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation
Mark Rasch, Morris Worm prosecutor
Timothy Winslow, former 414 hacker
Greg Chartrand, author of Cracking the Cuckoos Egg and
Tony Sager, former NSA
How the World Got Owned is produced in partnership with SentinelOne.
Show notes
1988 Federal sentencing guidelines manual
Computer Intruder is put on probation and fined $10,000 | The New York Times
Computer Intruder is found guilty | The New York Times
United States of America, Appellee, v. Robert Tappan Morris, Defendant-appellant, 928 F.2d 504 (2d Cir. 1991)
The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage | Clifford Stoll
Cracking the Cuckoo’s Egg: The Untold Story of tracking and finding Karl Koch aka Hagbard of the Chaos Computer Club | Greg Chartrand
Computer Buffs Tapped NASA Files | The New York Times
Young Computer Bandits Byte off More than They Could Chew | The Washington Post
‘Hacker’ is used by Mainstream Media, September 5, 1983 | EDN
Neal Patrick to testify before congressional committee
Wargames official trailer, 1983
CBS News Segment on Robert Morris Computer Hacker
The Fall of the Berlin Wall | Sky News
I Hacked a Nuclear Facility in the 1980’s. You’re Welcome | CNN
Show Notes
In this special documentary episode, Patrick Gray and Amberleigh Jack take a historical dive into hacking in the 1980s. Through the words of those that were there, they discuss life on the ARPANET, the 414s hacking group, the Morris Worm, the vibe inside the NSA and a parallel hunt for German hackers happening at a similar time to Cliff Stoll’s famous Cuckoo’s Egg story.
This podcast features the memories of:
-
Jon Callas, former principal software engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation
-
Mark Rasch, Morris Worm prosecutor
-
Timothy Winslow, former 414 hacker
-
Greg Chartrand, author of Cracking the Cuckoos Egg and
-
Tony Sager, former NSA
How the World Got Owned is produced in partnership with SentinelOne.
Show notes
-
Computer Intruder is put on probation and fined $10,000 | The New York Times
-
The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage | Clifford Stoll
-
Young Computer Bandits Byte off More than They Could Chew | The Washington Post
-
‘Hacker’ is used by Mainstream Media, September 5, 1983 | EDN
-
I Hacked a Nuclear Facility in the 1980’s. You’re Welcome | CNN
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