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News reader:
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And now the weather. Today
will be hot and humid with the chance of thunderstorms later
this evening.
That's all from 7news Tonight.
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Sophie:
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$8 million! How did she do
it?
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Mathew:
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I'm sure everybody wants to
know the answer to that question.
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Keith:
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Yeah, I'm amazed that she
was able to breach security. E-businesses and banks are always
claiming to have the best security around.
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Mathew:
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Well, in general that's true,
but with these computer crimes, maybe businesses ought to be
paying more attention to security.
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Keith:
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Yeah, I guess passwords and
firewalls aren't enough.
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Sophie:
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What's a firewall?
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Keith:
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Firewalls are barriers that
prevent unauthorised people from accessing a computer network.
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Sophie:
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Hmm ... but how do they work?
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Mathew:
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Well, think of the Internet
as a series of hallways. Firewalls are the security doors through
which some people may pass and others may not.
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Sophie:
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OK, so she managed to get
through the firewall. It doesn't sound so difficult.
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Keith:
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That's true, but usually companies
use encryption methods, too.
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Sophie:
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Encryption methods?
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Keith:
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Yes, when data is translated
into a secret code before it is sent. To read the code you must
have a secret key or password. Then you can decode the data.
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Mathew:
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So I guess she must have got
through all of the security measures to get other people's money.
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Keith:
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Mmm. It could
never happen where we work. We're not even allowed to keep the
same password for more than two weeks. But what I don't understand
is why she did it! She seems to be fairly well off.
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Sophie:
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I guess she just got greedy.
But she hasn't really done any harm. No one got hurt, not like
that other news story about the poor old man who died.
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Keith:
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You're right, Sophie. Nobody
was killed. But she did steal a lot of money. It was definitely
a crime and she should be punished.
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Mathew:
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I agree, Keith, but in a way
it's the e-business company and the banks that should pay. They
should have had better security.
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Keith:
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Yes, but you know it won't
be the banks, it'll be their customers who have to pay for her
crime.
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Sophie:
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Maybe, but it's the woman
who will really suffer. She had a comfortable lifestyle and
she has thrown it all away for her greed. I'm sure she'll regret
it.
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Mathew:
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Mmm, I don't know, Sophie.
But I'm sure she will have moved the money into places where
it can't be found. That's what usually happens.
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Keith:
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Mmm. She'll probably get a
short sentence, too, and will soon be out of jail, spending
again.
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