Nerds are useful.

"Secret Geek A-Team Hacks Back, Defends Worldwide Web"
Joshua Davis
11/24/08
From Wired.com

This article documents an internet security issue that was discovered a while ago. The flaw was discovered by a man name Dan Kaminsky, a middle-aged computer consultant who was messing around trying to get free internet at a local coffee shop. He used it by rerouting the path his computer took through the DNS (domain name system) to get to a specific website. According to the article, the DNS works like "directory assistance for the Internet." After injuring himself and playing around with his DNS hack while recovering, Kaminsky discovered that his little work around could be used to a much greater extent. He could effectively access anyone's emails, anyone's bank accounts, anything he wanted that was on the Internet.

Deciding to take the higher moral path, Kaminsky contacted Paul Vixie, one of the people who are continually updating the DNS. Vixie used his connections to pull together a huge, multinational effort to "fix" the Internet. An unprecedented, multi-platform patch was released which has temporarily fixed the issue. The article ends by warning that this was just a token measure, and that something much greater is needed in the near future to fix it completely.

ANALYSIS:

The story itself is written in a very compelling prose, jumping back and forth in time, and showing the different reactions of the various people involved. It's written almost like a spy novel or movie, starting off with the slob who unwittingly stumbles over something golden and then becomes thrust into the middle of a huge, international crisis. Being an article on Wired, there is some technical jargon, however the writer does a good job of defining it all so it doesn't overpower the story.

However, on the negative side, the author does tend to sensationalize the story a bit, and use a little bit of that neophyte, the-Internet-is-evil, scare tactic to create drama.