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AOL's Merlin Compromised?
Neophytus writes "The Inquirer reports that AOL's central customer database, Merlin, may have been been compromised by crackers. This, even though it required 'a user ID, two passwords, and a specialized ID code' to gain access to. That's 35 million user's names, addresses, emails and credit card details - a goldmine for spammers and fraudsters alike. As they they put it, 'AOL can now add another accomplishment to its list: Biggest security disaster in ISP history.' The Register is also running a story explaining why this is not particularly likly, though."
Here's the
original Wired story.
At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The
camomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now
reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he
liked camomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind
off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about
him too much her asthma started acting up again. So camomile was out
of the question.
Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack
squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think
about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie
with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris
to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar
orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he
could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a
hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent
him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.
He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he
felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman
who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its
pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4.
"Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel."
Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously
excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her
youth -- when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with
no newspapers to read, no television to distract her from her sense of
innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one
lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.
Little did she know, but she has less than 10 seconds to live.
Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched
the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy
peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty
through Congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien
empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two
hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for
Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With
no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The
lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The
President,in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean
floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which
vaporized Laurie and 85 million other Americans. The President slammed
his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to
veto that treaty! Let's blow'em out of the sky!"
All about chastity belts
Yep, they're still made, and people still wear them. Here.
You, sir, are a scholar and a gentleman, and I salute you.
This guy has decided that even if you unsubscribe to their mailing lists they will spam you anyway. Please take the appropriate action.
David Intersimone "David I"
VP, Developer Relations
Borland Software Corporation
davidi@borland.com
GPL: Free as in Herpes
Tell me, what license do you use for the software you write?
And yes, I realize my post is Offtopic, but your sig is Flamebait (which, IMO, counts as part of the message).