Keay's story (hitting the street as we speak)

[sfexaminer@aol.com]

Posted to relevant usenet groups:

This story will appear on the front page of the San Francisco Examiner today
(4/12/94) in the 3-star and later editions.

Keay Davidson is writing a follow-up story for tomorrow: if you were involved
or can offer other assistance, please call (415) 777-7793 collect or e-mail
sfexaminer@aol.com.

Hackers retaliate by leaking manual

By Keay Davidson`
EXAMINER SCIENCE WRITER`   

Computer hackers waging what they say is a war against government electronic
snooping have distributed over international computer networks a copy of the
supersecret U.S. National Security Agency's employee manual.
   The NSA manual, which was sent to dozens of news organizations Tuesday,
was distributed ""to embarrass the NSA'' and prove that even the U.S.
government's most covert agency can't keep documents secret, said Grady Ward,
a software designer from Arcata in Humboldt County.
   Ward said the document initially appeared on a Texas-based hackers network
late last week, and he helped redistribute it over other electronic networks.
   ""The intent is to embarrass the NSA and demonstrate that even their own
security manual can be distributed,'' Ward said.    NSA officials said the
document is an unclassified employee handbook. Anyone seeking a copy of it
would need to file a Freedom of Information Act request, said NSA spokeswoman
Judi Emmel.
   The identity of the person who initially obtained the document and how it
was obtained was not clear.
  The manual warns employees to safeguard the document: ""While you may take
this handbook home for further study, remember that is does contain "FOR
OFFICIAL USE ONLY' information which should be protected. ... Appropriate
administrative action will be taken to determine responsibility and to apply
corrective and/or disciplinary measures in cases of unauthorized disclosure.