CD-ROM databases, like InfoTrac and News-Net, are computerized listings of periodical articles, updated monthly. Other databases are available with slants toward business news, census data and the like. Some libraries have CD-ROM encyclope-dias, and many government depository libraries will have databases
listing government publica-tions available.
In a similar vein, I've seen libraries with com-puters (usually Macintoshes) set up with user-friendly programs designed to teach patrons how to use the library and to dispense other helpful advice. All of these computers are useful to the hacker only for the information they carry, due to the fact that they are set up on independent
ma-chines, without modems, and without access to telephone lines. They usually serve the single pur-pose of dispensing information on their specific topic.
Finally - this is rare and a bit odd - but occa-sionally you will see a computer being used as a register". As people walk into the computer room, office, or wherever, they sign into the computer with a name and ID number, and perhaps answer a few questions about themselves. The purpose of this sort of computer setup is to keep a timed and dated record of who uses the public facilities. Of course, unless a light pen or graphics tablet is used, signatures can not be collected and so their use for security purposes is lost.
Unlike databases and tutorials, there is a bit more you can do hacker-wise with a guest record computer, though not much more. One application might be to use the computer to see who else has been using the facilities. This information could be helpful if the facility in question is a computer room. You might be able to find exploitable patterns in computer usage by certain individuals, or an overall tendency for less people to be in the room at certain times, both of which are helpful to know, as we will see.
If the guest register program itself doesn't let you see who was there before you, try exiting out to the operating system and checking for relevant data files. This will be discussed in the upcoming section on general-purpose micros.
Access to CD-ROM databases and information computers is not usually of much use to the hacker. There are exceptions of course, and it's well worth investigating any computer of this kind that you find.
