cannabisnews.com: Hacker Opposes Gov.'s Drug Stance Hacker Opposes Gov.'s Drug Stance Posted by FoM on March 12, 2000 at 07:14:43 PT By Brendan Smith Journal Staff Writer Source: ABQjournal Gov. Gary Johnson's controversial views on drug legalization apparently was one motive for the hacking of his Web site two times over the past week. In an e-mail response to a Journal inquiry Friday, an individual claiming responsibility and using the name Nemesystm, leader of the Delinquent Hacking Corporation, explained his reasons for crashing the governor's Web site. "(The first hacking was) just to point out that not even the government has enough knowledge to simply password their site," Nemesystm wrote. "Second time because (Johnson) wanted to legalize drugs. I'm against that, but there's no way (I'm) telling my friends that." The FBI is investigating the hackings. During both hackings, all of the information about the governor and his recent action on bills from the Legislature were replaced by DHC messages and a link to the DHC home page. The second incident included some violent statements, said the governor's press secretary, Diane Kinderwater. "It was a message of violence and against students," she said Friday. "Their behavior is totally inappropriate." The site at governor.state.nm.us has since been restored but is still experiencing problems accessing some pages. The site should be completely restored by Monday, Kinderwater said. The computer vandalism also prevented the Governor's Office from using its e-mail system and has cost "about $20,000 in manpower and to put in the additional security, the firewalls," Kinderwater said. The Governor's Office didn't have time to increase computer security before the second hacking occurred Wednesday, Kinderwater said. Nemesystm agreed in his e-mail. "What increased security? I walked right on in again," he said of his second hacking. Johnson began a national campaign last year -- including a trip to Washington, D.C., at state taxpayer expense -- to push for the legalization of drugs including marijuana and heroin. Johnson has said the war on drugs isn't working. DHC already has defaced at least 18 other Web sites since Jan. 1, placing it fourth in the world this year among hacking groups, according to the computer-security Web service attrition.org. The DHC home page claims the group has defaced or hacked more than 160 Web sites. In his e-mail Friday, Nemesystm wrote that he originally was a "member of a kind of lame group. We called ourselves hackers, but we were just a bunch of kiddies." "I decided to make my own group with a special formula: self-made, self-written, self thought-up and found stuff," Nemesystm wrote. "So I started with my best friend and all as a member and we now have 14 members. We are quite close to each other." The Governor's Office has transferred its Web site to the state General Services Department, which has better firewalls against hackers, Kinderwater said. It will take weeks or months for the FBI to investigate the hackings of the governor's Web site, said Doug Beldon, spokesman for the FBI office in Albuquerque. "The perpetrator may not be just an individual," Beldon said Friday. "The governor's Web site may not be the only site targeted." Under New Mexico's Computer Crimes Act, Nemesystm could be guilty of a third-degree felony punishable by up to three years in prison and $5,000 in fines. But Nemesystm wrote that he feels he is helping the hacked sites identify computer security problems. "I think I put (hacking) to good use because when I just email a site about a security problem, nine out of 10 times they don't fix the security," he wrote. "Whereas with me defacing the site, nine out of 10 do." Published: March 11, 2000Copyright © 1997 - 2000 Albuquerque JournalCall the Journal: 505-823-3800Related Articles & Web Site:Governor Johnson's Home Pagehttp://www.governor.state.nm.us/Affidavit Lays Out Electronic Trail To Hackerhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5045.shtmlHacking Charges Brought Against Teenhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5009.shtmlThe End of Anonymity? - Wired Magazinehttp://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,34874,00.html CannabisNews Articles on Governor Gary Johnson:http://www.google.com/search?q=cannabisnews+Johnson&num=10&sa=Google+Search Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on March 12, 2000 at 08:02:37 PT: Something funny here Let's see: a hacker cracks his way into the DARE site, and is captured within days - by the FBI. A pro-reform State Governor get *his* site hacked and the same FBI says it's going to take weeks to apprehend the villain. Hmmm. Seems a little strange, doesn't it? A question of priorites, perhaps? If so, then *whose* are of greater importance? The economic livelihood of an organization that seeks to aid the usurpation of the democratic process by lobbying legislators aginst the public weal? Or the website of a State Governor doing his honest, level-best for his people? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: