
Newspaper Article Titled   ON THE 6TH DAY DAN CREATED SATAN
Author                     David Bank
Newservice		   Knight-Ridder
Date of Issue		   Saturday April 8 1995

Silence equals Death.  That stark aphorism sums up Dan Farmers philosophy
of security on networks as well as his views on sex and mortality.
 
So the renegade computer programmer made sure the slogan was visible 
across his sleeveless T-shirt in a photograph to publicize SATAN the
computer security software program some fear could wreak havoc on the 
Internet.   He said he hoped people understood the double meaning.

I am bisexual.  In am into s&m.  I am into security.   I'm into good wine.
Why should I hide.  Farmer said as he prepared SATAN for release last 
Wednesday, his 33rd birthday.  The whole idea that what is not normal
should be kept secret... thats really distateful to me.

Famers ideas and his fashion sense - long flowing red hair, black leather
pants, marine dog tags, a pierced right eyebrow and a left nipple adorned
with a grinning skull are as provocative as his software

By making SATAN easy to use and then releasing it free and without 
copying restrictions, farmer and his co-author are giving even those with
limited techniccal skills the ability to scan and infiltrate the computer
networks.
 
Now the bad guys can pull it down and use your own tools against you, said
Jim Settle, former head of the FBI's computer crimes squad.

Satans supporters say Farmers eccentricities are irrevelant.  They said his
contribution wil make computer networks more secure and thus more useful
by spurring lazy or stupid network administrators to correct problems.
 
He might be a little closer to the fringe then the rest of us but technically
hes solid, said William Cheswick, a senior researcher at AT&T Bell Labs, I
don't care who he is in the hot tub with - his code is good.   As a net
security guy, that is all I care about.

The controversy has already cost Farmer his job at Silicon Graphics Inc,
Colleagues in the computer security establishment have launched vicious
attacks over the internet and in the media.  He has received telephone
threats of lawsuits.

The furore has not silenced Farmer, who has calm confidence in the 
rightness of his actions.  It is consistent with everything he has
learned in a decade in computer security.

And he said his course is consistent with the rest of his life.

His interest in Zen Buddhism, his fascination with death, the consientiuous
objector status that kept him out of the Persian Gulf war, his bisexuality,
and his passion for sadomasochistic sex.

These things exist, they are part of the world.  If you don't want to 
deal with them, find, but don't hamper other people from dealing with
them., said Dan.

Famer hopes SATAN will force computer hardware and software vendors along 
with network administrators to finally deal with security flaws.  He said
the software is a product of his frustration with what he considers
secretiveness and shoddiness in the computer security field.

Growing up as the son of a university professor in Indianna, Farmer was
a voracious reader who had few friends.  He had little interest in 
computers - which were scarce and hard to use.  He wanted to be an
astronaut.

At Purdue University, Farmer preferred pool halls to classrooms.  he
dropped out to join the Marines at 22,  he said recruiters tried to 
steer him into administration or engineering.

I said, No I want to go and learn how to kill people.  I was interested
in implements of mass destruction - from an academic point of view.  Being
able to blow somebodies head off at 500 meters with an M-16 that an
interesting skill to have.

After basic training at Camp Pendleton and infantry training, Farmer 
spent six years in the reserves.  By the time of Desert Storm in 1991 he
was already put - but was called up for active duty.  But his views had
changed.  He applied for objector status nd received an honourable 
discharge.

At Sun Microsystems, Farmer learned that most security problems are the
result of HUMAN factors.  He said Sun's corporate network of 25,000
computers was hacked repeatedly.   He eventually grew tired of making
recommendations for changes - only to have to fix problems when his
suggestions were ignored.

Thats where the idea for SATAN was fueled.  You have this enormous network
and NO ONE knows what is out there.

Farmer said that last year the National Security Agency became interested
in his work on SATAN.  He said he was negotiating a $1 million per year
deal for himself and three other researchers - including TSUTOMU
SHIMOMURA, the San Diego computer expert who helped track down fugitive
Kevin Mitnick earlier this year.

As a condition of the deal, he said he insisted that he be allowed to
give away SATAN for free.

A spokesman for NSA would not confirm the offer or comment on the SATAN
software.

I think in general the NSA is SCUM. he said.  Still, if they offer me a
good job under my conditions - which is that I can do anything I want -
then sure.  The NSA is not going to change me.

Tired of waiting for the federal funding, Farmer joined Silicon Graphics
in December as Network security czar.  But as SATAN began attracting
publicity last month.  SGI executives became concerned about the
companies association with Farmer.  He left two weeks ago after he 
refused to abandon the project.

Famer says he has employment offers, once the furore over SATAN's release
dies down - probably within a few weeks.

He will be monitoring that furore from inside his San Francisco apartment
at the computer work station he calls DEATH.

People don't watn to talk about death, just like they don't want to
talk about computer security.  he said.  Maybe I should have named my
work station FEAR - People are so motivated by fear.

-------  end of article --------

Unmentioned facts related to this article.   NSA officials approached
Silicon Graphics and threatened that company with a lost of all future
government contracts if they did not put pressure on Farmer to stop the
SATAN project.   When Farmer refused to concede to their demands, the
SG executives FIRED Farmer under pressure from NSA.   Farmer is right
about NSA being SCUM  !     There should be a Senate committee 
to investigate why NSA exerted such influence on a citizen of the United
States that would lead to the loss of employment by a citizen of that
country.   



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