Hacker Hits Internet Provider

An Internet provider with about 3,000 subscribers shut down after a computer hacker defeated security measures on the system.

The electronic intruder entered the system through an Internet link in North Dakota, but his actual location is unknown.

“He could be in the office next door, or he could be in Finland … that’s the beauty, and the danger of Internet,” said Jimmie Farmer, a technical support worker with the provider, Eskimo North.

The service was struck last Thursday and Friday by the hacker, who erased the personal files of Eskimo North administrator Robert Dinse. He also deleted accounting data and gained access to a list of passwords used by Eskimo North subscribers, Dinse said.

“This is extremely sophisticated, and it means major grief for us,” Dinse said. He said the hacker telephoned him to taunt him after the attack.

Farmer said the hacker sent messages saying he was angry at an Eskimo North user who violated accepted etiquette in an “Internet relay chat” area. Farmer said the offending user is no longer a subscriber and was dropped for just such violations of etiquette.

Dinse said the FBI took a report on the incident but he could provide them few leads.