Fuel protest hacker Herbless quits

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.vnunet.com/News/1111333?&_ref=233393570

[Check out the last part of the story. Thoughts to deface by! :) -WK]

By Ian Lynch and Andrew Craig
[21 Sep 2000]

Herbless, the hacker who defaced the websites of HSBC, Legoland and
450 others as part of the fuel protest in the last month, has
announced his sudden exit from the hacking scene.
Speaking exclusively to vnunet.com, Herbless said: "For various
reasons that may or may not become apparent, I have left the hacking
scene for good. You won't hear of any more defacements by Herbless.
Let's just say that it is the price of freedom, and is worth paying."

Yesterday, Herbless attacked HSBC's UK website and three of its
international sites as part of an ongoing campaign in support of the
fuel protest.

Although no customer data was accessed during the attack, because it
is stored on different servers, experts said the incident cast doubts
over the company's security policy.

Other sites defaced by Herbless included those run by Specsavers and
eight local authority or UK government agencies including Sheffield
City Council.

Herbless has always maintained that he was an "ethical" hacker who was
not interested in causing any long-term damage. Among a peer group who
often post juvenile or offensive messages onto their targets, Herbless
said he had not altered the data of any website he attacked, and
always explained to the relevant administrator how each vandalised
website could be easily restored.

In what will now be known as his last post, he set out the following
guidelines for fellow hackers:


* Don't hack charity or small business websites
* Don't delete data
* Try to target widely used or very profitable sites
* Try to make sure it is very easy to see why the hacked sites have
  been hacked

* Try to make the hack 'stick' as long as possible
* Don't steal confidential information
* Check your hacks for spelling and grammar

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