Famous Hacker Magazine Shuts Down

Phrack, the infamous online magazine published by underground hackers, is shutting down.

The e-zine, notorious for publishing controversial security-themed articles on phreaking, reverse engineering, cryptography spying and electronics, ends a 20-year run with a hardcover edition scheduled for release at the end of July.

In a note posted on the Phrack Web site, the publishers said they will keep the site up and running for at least two years after the final edition.

Phrack, a freely available online magazine, was first published on November 17, 1985 by two hackers known online as “Taran King” and “Knight Lightning.”

First released on the dial-up BBS (bulletin-board system), Phrack is widely considered to be the first electronically distributed magazine.

/zimages/3/28571.gifRead more here about the state of modern hacking, according to the director of the SANS Institutes Internet Storm Center.

The popular Hacker Manifesto was released in the seventh issue of Phrack and has served as a rallying cry for young hackers ever since the mid-1980s.

/zimages/3/28571.gifVendors join forces to “fingerprint” hacker attacks. Click here to read more.

Another article on the inner workings of the Enhanced 911 emergency response system landed the publishers in trouble with the law. The editors were indicted in 1990 but the case ended without a full trial when the government asked that all charges be dismissed.

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