The KGB, the Computer and Me (TV 1990)

In 1986, astronomer turned computer scientist Clifford Stoll had just started working on a computer system at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory when he noticed a 75-cent discrepancy between ... See full summary »

Director:

Robin Bates

Writers:

Robin Bates, Clifford Stoll (book)

Stars:

Clifford Stoll

Cast

Credited cast:
Clifford Stoll	...	Narrator

Storyline

In 1986, astronomer turned computer scientist Clifford Stoll had just started working on a computer system at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory when he noticed a 75-cent discrepancy between the charges printed by two accounting programs responsible for charging people for machine use. Intrigued, he deduced that the system was being hacked, and he determined to find the culprit. This is the re-enactment of how he tracked down KGB cracker Markus Hess through the Ethernet to Hannover, Germany, as is told in his best-selling book _ The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage_ (1989). Stoll has become a celebrity for being, as he terms himself, "a computer contrarian."

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Plot Keywords:

computer | espionage | internet | technology | hacker | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der KGB, der Computer und ich

Company Credits

Production Co:

WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The other side of the story (the hacker's) is told in the German movie 23

User Reviews

Best movie I ever watched in school...

The KGB, CIA, Computer and Me tells the true story of a computer nerd, Cliff, who is brought in by a company to find a hacker who's been using a companies computer. One thing leads to another and Cliff finds himself on the hunt for a hacker with the CIA.

I believe this was a short created for the TV series "Nova". The acting isn't very good at all but the story is pretty good and the film is overall pretty funny. I can honestly say this is one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever got to watch in school.