FBI Hunts ÔMaster HackerÕ 
ÒIf these systems are so important to the federal government, why isnÕt 
someone paying attention to patch the security?Ó 
Ñ Hacker known as ÒAnalyzerÓ
By Richard Cole
The Associated Press
S A NÊF R A N C I S C O, March 7 Ñ In a high-stakes game of Internet cat 
and mouse, the FBI is hunting an Israeli master hacker who orchestrated 
the penetration of military and university research computers.
ÊÊÊÊ Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre said last month that although 
the intrusion appeared to have been aimed at systems that contained 
unclassified personnel and payroll records, it was Òthe most organized 
and systematic attack the Pentagon has seen to date.Ó
ÊÊÊÊAnd computer experts noted that because information is shared within 
any organization, classified data could be available even on 
unclassified systems. And even unclassified data could be changed or 
erased.
ÊÊÊÊThe computer whiz, who uses the Internet name ÒAnalyzer,Ó boldly 
gave an interview with an online magazine. 
Coached Two California Teens 
And Analyzer supporters have threatened retaliation if the FBI cracks 
down on the hackers responsible for the electronic break-ins.
ÊÊÊÊThose threats should be taken seriously, warns computer expert Dane 
Jasper, a partner in Sonic, a Santa Rosa Internet provider. He helped 
the FBI track down two Sonoma County teen-agers who Analyzer allegedly 
coached through the series of military computer raids.
ÊÊÊÊMost government and university computers are woefully unprotected, 
he says.
ÊÊÊÊÒIf these systems are so important to the federal government, why 
isnÕt someone paying attention to patch the security?Ó he asks.
ÊÊÊÊAnalyzer and the two teens penetrated computers in February using a 
weakness that already had been identified by computer security teams. 
The teams provided a quick software patchÑbut the hacked systems didnÕt 
use it.
ÊÊÊÊThe first report came Feb. 3 from the Massachusetts Institute of 
TechnologyÕs plasma energy lab, followed by break-ins at a series of 
military locations, including the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. They 
were followed by reports from NASA and other universities.
ÊÊÊÊOne of the teen-agers has claimed 200 institutions were hacked.
ÊÊÊÊIn the interview with the Internet magazine AntiOnline, Analyzer 
says the penetrations were innocent and even helpful to their targets.
ÊÊÊÊÒI always kinda help the servers I hack,Ó Analyzer said.
ÊÊÊÊHe claimed he patches the holes he finds, but hints that a malicious 
hacker could have done much more. 
ÊÊÊÊIn NASAÕs computer, he boasted he found Òthe name of the guards. . 
.and in what times they do their patrolling.Ó 

Inspires Copycat Hackers 
And Analyzer and the two teen-agers he coached planted Òback doorÓ 
program instructions in some computers that could be used in the future 
by anyone knowing their codes.
ÊÊÊÊÒThey could delete everything on the hard drives, the file systems. 
They could insert false data,Ó Jasper says.
ÊÊÊÊAn unknown ally of the hackers has already done some damage. The Web 
site of Internet service provider NextDex was taken over by someone 
purporting to be Analyzer who defended the teen-agers in what amounted 
to a warning shot.
ÊÊÊÊÒIt would have been a lot easier to remove everything on their hard 
drives than it was to change their Web pageÑthatÕs frightening,Ó Jasper 
says.
ÊÊÊÊIt was Jasper and his Sonic experts who identified the Sonoma 
hackers and discovered the existence of Analyzer. 

FBI Raids TeenÕs Homes 
After receiving a warning from MIT that someone using Sonic had 
penetrated the plasma labÑand a court order obtained by the Air Force 
demanding data on the penetratorsÑSonic monitored all calls coming 
through its system from the Sonoma County town of Cloverdale.
ÊÊÊÊThe Israeli hacker had frequent online communications with the 
teen-agers, Jasper says.
ÊÊÊÊÒAt least two of those were step-by-step tutorials on how to 
penetrate servers,Ó he says.
ÊÊÊÊOn Feb. 25, FBI agents raided the boysÕ homes and carted away 
evidence.
ÊÊÊÊIn an interview with AntiOnline, one of the boys, a 16-year-old 
Cloverdale High School student who uses the code name ÒMakaveli,Ó gave a 
simple explanation for their deeds:
ÊÊÊÊÒItÕs power, dude. You know, power.