phreaks
Telephone system exploiters
Phreaks are people who explore and exploit telephone systems, especially to make free calls.
The term blends "phone" and "freak," emerging in the 1970s when enthusiasts discovered they could manipulate switching systems with specific audio tones.
Phreaking was a precursor to computer hacking, and the communities overlapped: The phreaks figured out how to whistle their way into long-distance lines.
The word now applies more broadly to anyone who tinkers with telecommunications infrastructure.
Manipulating people for information
- dumpster divingSalvaging from discarded refuse
- pretextingDeceptive identity manipulation
- exploitsNotable daring actions
- passwordsSecret authentication strings
modem · dial-up · POTS · telco · Ma Bell · AT&T · security · vulnerabilities
Antagonist team organization
- BBSEarly online message system
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- zinesAmateur self-published booklets
- handlesGrasping parts or manages
pseudonyms · meetups · conventions · warez
- switchingChanging from one to another
- crossbarHorizontal bar between uprights
- step-by-stepIn sequential stages
- trunk linesPrimary telecommunication circuits
PBX · ringback · diverters · wiretapping · black boxing
Rejection of mainstream values
- rebellionDefiance of established power
- antiestablishmentOpposed to dominant institutions
- civil disobediencePeaceful refusal to obey
- underground networksHidden interconnected systems below
Desire to learn
- tinkeringCasual, unskilled adjusting
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- discoveryAct of finding something
- reverse engineeringAnalyzing something to understand construction
technical mastery · learning · hobbyist · enthusiast · obsession · dedication · knowledge sharing
social engineering
Manipulating people for information
- dumpster divingSalvaging from discarded refuse
- pretextingDeceptive identity manipulation
- exploitsNotable daring actions
passwords · modem · dial-up · POTS · telco · Ma Bell · AT&T · security · vulnerabilities · reconnaissance
Legion of Doom
Antagonist team organization
- BBSEarly online message system
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- zinesAmateur self-published booklets
handles · pseudonyms · meetups · conventions · warez
Captain Crunch
- switchingChanging from one to another
- crossbarHorizontal bar between uprights
- step-by-stepIn sequential stages
trunk lines · PBX · ringback · diverters · wiretapping · black boxing
counterculture
Rejection of mainstream values
- rebellionDefiance of established power
- antiestablishmentOpposed to dominant institutions
- civil disobediencePeaceful refusal to obey
underground networks · anonymity · pseudonymity · resistance
curiosity
Desire to learn
- tinkeringCasual, unskilled adjusting
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- discoveryAct of finding something
reverse engineering · technical mastery · learning · hobbyist · enthusiast · obsession · dedication · knowledge sharing