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#1 acquired more urgency. The agents now knew that somewhere out there was a computer freak – or perhaps a gang of freaks – with the ability and inclination to plant bombs in the telephone system. It could happen again, and next time there might not be any warning. The agents probed Hacker #1 about his contacts in the Legion of Doom, particularly those Legionnaires with access to the compromised phone companies.

From Hacker #1 the Secret Service learned of The Urvile, The Leftist and The Prophet. It seemed the three had the expertise; what's more they were all based in Atlanta, the home of BellSouth.

The prospect of more computer bombs was enough for the Georgia courts to authorize the placing of DNRs (Dialled Number Recorders) on the three hackers’ phone lines. The DNRs were installed on 11 July. From then until 21 July the Secret Service monitored every call and recorded the hackers looping around the country to gain free telephone service and to avoid detection.⁴ The Atlanta hackers often started their loops by dialling into the computer system at Georgia Tech, using IDs and passwords provided by The Urvile, a student there. From Georgia Tech they could tour the world, if they felt the inclination, hopping from one network to another, wherever lax security or their own expertise permitted. With the evidence from the DNRs, the Secret Service executed search warrants on the three LoD members. The raids took place on 21 July.

The investigators uncovered thousands of pages of proprietary telephone company information, hundreds of diskettes, half a dozen computers and volumes of notes. It seemed the three Legionnaires and their fellow hackers had been dumpster diving at BellSouth, looking for telco manuals. With the information gleaned, they developed techniques for accessing over a dozen of BellSouth's computer systems; from these they downloaded information that would allow them to get into other computer systems – including those belonging to banks, credit bureaus, hospitals and businesses.

When The Leftist was interviewed, he nonchalantly agreed that the Legionnaires could easily have shut down telephone services throughout the country.

Among the masses of information that the hackers had collected were files on computer bombs and trojan horses – as well as one

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