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Level Seven "Going Down"
11/9/99
Mike Hudack
Editor-in-Chief
Attrition.org "credits" them with exactly sixty Web site defacements. The FBI credits them with more, as does Level Seven. A group with defacements in such number -- albeit a group of script kiddies (as many refer to them) -- has been caught in a very unusual way.
"I spraypainted `Level Sevenī on a Ramada," said Vent, co-founder of Level Seven. The local police caught him and brought him downtown. The FBI was already aware that Level Seven was mostly based in New Jersey and had notified local police to look out for them. At this point, the local police called the FBI.
One Level Seven member was apparently found somehow and "ratted everyone out," according to Vent. He is currently being threatened by the other members of Level Seven. "We were waiting for them with .45s but he didnīt show up," said Vent -- who is often prone to hyperbole.
One member of Level Seven has already been arrested and is currently out on bail, although wearing an ankle bracelet.
Why Level Seven?
Everyone agrees that Vent and the rest of Level Seven are "just script kiddies," as one FBI agent put it. On the other hand, they have defaced over sixty sites, high profile or not.
"Theyīre from root lists," said one source close to Level Seven. Be that as it may, Level Seven was still responsible for the defacements.
The public opinion of Level Seven is relatively commensurate with what the FBI and Level Sevenīs friends think. Cyrus, a security consultant in #OSAll said "L7īs a bunch of idiots," echoing the opinions of most of the people in the room.
In response, Vent says "level seven, might be seemed as a bunch of script kiddies.. but we arent, were a bunch of semi-adults that like to have a good time on the computer ..were not nerds, were not script kiddies, were just normal people like you.. but all we have thats different is that we know about technology more then you."
Catching Level Seven
The job itself shouldnīt be too difficult. Vent routinely connects to EFNet using his own cable modem and even hosts Vent Soft (a pseudo Web design company) off it. How the FBI couldnīt use that IP to find him is beyond many people.
"That vanīs been parked there for two weeks," Vent said. A black van has been parked across the street from him for that time, presumably conducting surveillance. Furthermore "thereīs a tap on my line," he said, having detected it via normal phreaking techniques.
The FBI wouldnīt comment on whether they had found Vent, but when he was first arrested one agent wanted to know where. "I havenīt been told yet," he informed OSAll. On the other hand, this agent was in Connecticut and not in New Jersey.
The Future of Level Seven
Every single Web defacement can carry up to two years in Federal prison. This is because the Internet is considered to be interstate commerce -- as is everything on it. With this alone Vent could be facing 120 years in prison. This is obviously not going to happen, however.
The United States Embassy in China could carry even more time as Level Seven "stole some documents" from the Web server. This could, theoretically, carry up to ten years in prison.
In reality, however, crackers generally plea bargain and donīt get jail time. Given Ventīs attitude, his lack of attention, his drunkenness and his shoplifting (all according to Vent) sentences may be different. Vent has admitted he was stupid in the past, and says he will no longer deface, just as Flipz has.
Related Links:
Interview with Level Seven
Flipz Interview
Fuqrag Interview
More Defacements
FBI Talking |
