[Ads-l] "Cracker" (Malicious Hacker) Not Yet in OED

Sun Mar 24 17:48:46 UTC 2024

Here's a cite from  circa 1981/2.

"No matter what its size there is little  any victim firm can
do to defend its data processing system against the expert
"computer cracker"

The Journal Of Insurance.

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Journal_of_Insurance/Qc3xAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=computer+%22cracker%22&dq=computer+%22cracker%22&printsec=frontcover

------ Original Message ------
From "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 22/03/2024 22:39:40
Subject Re: "Cracker" (Malicious Hacker) Not Yet in OED

>Here is a supplementary citation with a later date than some citations
>in my previous message. This cite closely matches the modern sense.
>The phrase "system cracker" was employed as a self-label. This WSJ
>article referred to the same event discussed in the citation given by
>Fred, but this article appeared earlier.
>
>Date: April 13, 1983
>Newspaper: Wall Street Journal
>Newspaper Location:
>Article: For Fun or Foul, Computer Hackers Can Crack Any Code
>Author: Erik Larson (Staff Reporter)
>Quote Page 1, Column 4
>Database: ProQuest
>
>[Begin excerpt]
>When their computer started talking dirty, the computer staff members
>at U.S. Leasing International Inc. knew they had a problem.
>
>The company’s typically well-behaved machine had this to say to one of
>the machine's operators: "The Phantom, the system cracker, strikes
>again, . . . Soon I will zero (delete) your disks and your backups on
>System A. I have already crashed your System B. Have fun trying to
>restore it, you (obscenity)."
>[End excerpt]
>
>Garson
>
>On Fri, Mar 22, 2024 at 5:14 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
><adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>  Interesting topic, Fred.
>>  Fred’s citation is for  "system cracker".
>>  I conjecture that "password cracker",  "system cracker", and "cracker"
>>  (with the desired sense) all evolved from "safe cracker". The OED has
>>  a citation for "safe cracker" in 1873.
>>
>>  There is some ambiguity because "password cracker",  "system cracker",
>>  and "cracker" have been used to refer to both computer programs and to
>>  the people who break computer security.
>>
>>  In 1974 the computer journal Communications of the ACM published an
>>  article about passwords which were used to control access to early
>>  time sharing computer systems. The author George B. Purdy proposed the
>>  use of a one-way cipher to store encrypted computer passwords.
>>
>>  Purdy used the term "cracker" when he referred to a person attempting
>>  to compromise the password system. Hence, this might be considered an
>>  early use of "cracker" with the desired sense. Admittedly, one needs
>>  some expertise to recognize what the "cracker" is attempting to
>>  accomplish in this computer journal article.
>>
>>  Purdy used the pronoun "he" when discussing the "cracker"; thus, Purdy
>>  was referring to a person and not a computer program.
>>
>>  Date: August 1974
>>  Journal: Communications of the ACM
>>  Volume 17, Number 8
>>  Article: A High Security Log-in Procedure
>>  Author: George B. Purdy (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
>>  Quote Page 443
>>
>>https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/361082.361089
>>https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/361082.361089
>>
>>  [Begin excerpt]
>>  We assume that the cracker has a list of all the assigned Yi and that
>>  he keeps trying values of x chosen at random from 1 to P, possibly
>>  trying the same x several times, until he finds an x for which f(x) =
>>  Yi for some Yi.
>>  [End excerpt]
>>
>>  Here is an example from January 1983 in which "password cracker"
>>  referred to a computer program and not a human.
>>
>>  Discussion Forum: Usenet
>>  Subject: PASSWD CRACKER CONTEST
>>  Newsgroup: net.general
>>  Poster:allegra!ran
>>  Timestamp: Jan 6, 1983, 3:02:37 AM
>>
>>https://groups.google.com/g/net.general/c/ZeultBaryvw/m/Y6k9WvNFRCcJ
>>
>>  [Begin excerpt]
>>  Submit your ingenious /etc/passwd password cracker program (source
>>  code) to the undersigned by January 31, 1983.
>>  [End excerpt]
>>
>>  Here is an example from April 1983 in which  "password-crackers"
>>  referred to humans who could have heart attacks.
>>
>>  Discussion Forum: Usenet
>>  Subject: HACK Magazine
>>  Newsgroup: net.jokes
>>  Poster: floyd!trb
>>  Timestamp: Apr 1, 1983, 11:48:33 PM
>>
>>https://groups.google.com/g/net.jokes/c/YqzxiyFp_LE/m/vjxlZZkvQYMJ
>>
>>  [Begin excerpt]
>>  Drive password-crackers nuts! Install a null shell that just prints
>>  prompts which gets exec'd after 5 unsuccessful password attempts.
>>  Guaranteed to cause heart attacks and early death.
>>  [End excerpt]
>>
>>  Here is an example from June 1983 in which  "sys-crackers" referred to
>>  humans. This date is later than Fred's excellent citation.
>>
>>  Discussion Forum: Usenet
>>  Subject: Unix Security & Randoms
>>  Newsgroup: net.unix-wizards
>>  Poster: edhall%r... at sri-unix.uucp
>>  Timestamp: Jun 20, 1983, 8:00:00 PM
>>
>>  [Begin excerpt]
>>  In my experience most sys-crackers are 18 or under, and are out to
>>  'prove' themselves or to engage in a cat-and-mouse game with an
>>  'authority'. Many are very intelligent and talented; I can only shake
>>  my head over the incredible waste of their mis-directed efforts.
>>  [End excerpt]
>>
>>  Garson
>>
>>  On Fri, Mar 22, 2024 at 6:29 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>>  >
>>  > The word "cracker" in its meaning of a malicious hacker is not yet in OED.  Below is the earliest citation I have found in a few minutes of research.  I am sure that people on thie list can push it back further.  Is Hugo still on the list?
>>  >
>>  > cracker (malicious hacker)
>>  >
>>  > 1983 _Albany_ (Ore.)  _Democrat-Herald_ 1 June 8/3 (Newspapers.com)  When a computer operator tried to check on company investing, the terminal replied only, "The system cracker strikes again."
>>  >
>>  > Fred Shapiro
>>  >
>>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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