2600 - The Last HOPE (2008) - The History of Phone Phreaking (1960-1980).mp4

Phil Lapsley

This talk will give a brief history of phone phreaking from 1960 to 1980 the Golden Age of the analog telephone network. After a quick introduction to the then-modern long distance network and "operator toll dialing," you’ll see how the first "blue box" came to be, look at why organized crime loved the technology, and see how AT&T and the Department of Justice reacted to this fad in the 1960s. You’ll then follow the phreaks into the 1970s as their hobby hit the mainstream in 1971 with the publication of "Secrets of the Little Blue Box" in Esquire and the founding of YIPL, the first phone phreak newsletter. As a bonus, you'll get to listen to some sounds of the old network! If you've ever used a blue box, this will be a phun trip down Memory Lane - and if you haven't, you'll get to listen to some great examples of hacking with tones!