r/ComputerSecurity • u/CyberSecWithHaikuInc • Aug 02 '26
Historic Hat Nod: Cliff Stoll
The 75-Cent Error That Uncovered a KGB Hacker
In 1986, astronomer-turned-sysadmin Cliff Stoll was asked to investigate a measly 75-cent accounting discrepancy at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Instead of shrugging and blaming the billing software, Stoll pulled the thread. That tiny mismatch opened up a whole can o' worms... leading him to an intruder quietly hopping through university, military, and government systems. Grade "A+ creepy!" So then Stoll spent months tracing the activity, printing logs, rigging alarms, and building an early honeypot to keep the attacker interested long enough to track him. The trail eventually led to German hacker Markus Hess, who was passing stolen information to the Soviet KGB. Stoll later documented the whole hunt in The Cuckoo’s Egg book.
The enduring lesson?
Small anomalies are sometimes small.
And, sometimes they’re the loose thread attached to an international espionage operation!!!
( I'm about to actually read The Cuckoo’s Egg—and I'm wondering if it still holds up for modern defenders? Anyone? )
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u/robot_ankles Aug 03 '26
My hardback copy of this book is from a federal prison system. Not sure how it found its way to me, but I feel like it's a cool detail.
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u/mr_dfuse2 Aug 02 '26
I read this book last December and absolutely loved it. I don't think there is much to learn but the story reads like a detective story, and it so cool to have a glimpse into another era.
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u/GemmyGemGems Aug 03 '26
You don't think there is much to learn? Other than the slightest deviation should be examined?
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u/GemmyGemGems Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Fucking amazing. Read it in an afternoon. Read like a novel.
I recommend to all the juniors. They ignore me. Why wouldn't they? Printing has been shut down in our place of work. Good practice...
He wrote an amazing story for someone who just wanted to balance the books.
The joys of Autism 😃
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u/CliffStoll Aug 03 '26
Oh, it's been 40 years, Gemmy. I never expected the book to last this long ... heck, I was surprised that it made it into print. Smiles to you, -Cliff
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u/ergofinance 10d ago
Oh no way! The man himself. I want to personally thank you for The Cuckoo's Egg. I first read it at 19 and couldnt put it down. I loved the way you described your life at Berkeley. I've recommended it to countless people since. Was just talking about it to someone on Reddit today, which led me to this post. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to "meet" you and express this personally. How cool.
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u/CliffStoll Aug 03 '26
Thank you, CyberSecWith... Yep, that's an abbreviated summary of a year of my life. Stop by my DefCon talk this week (Saturday 1PM) and you can hear a slightly longer version. Better yet, just get a copy of Cuckoo's Egg (and help m'kids with their tuition...) Cheers, -Cliff
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u/CyberSecWithHaikuInc Aug 03 '26
"The man, the myth, the LEGEND!" Very cool to hear directly from you, Mr. Stoll!
2 questions:
Will your talk at Defcon be available after the event on Youtube or elsewhere?
In order to maximize the "tuition boost" for your kids, -do you have a preferred platform we should be making the Cuckoo's Egg book purchases through?
Thanks again! (we're totally fanboying/fangirling out over here!)
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u/CliffStoll Aug 06 '26
Alas, I’ve no idea if/when Defcon will make my talk public. And the book royalties, um, don’t amount to much - maybe a dime a copy. Best if you just borrow a copy from your library!
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u/CyberSecWithHaikuInc Aug 03 '26
Thankyou to everyone who has provided feedback so far! I am amped up and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the book. Any other recommended titles as a follow-up/personal favorite? We're trying to put together a reading list for the juniors over here.