The State : Elusive Hacker Pursued

Computer security experts and law enforcement officials are conducting an electronic manhunt in search of a sophisticated hacker who has broken into dozens of university and business computers around the country. The intruder, who uses the password “Pink Floyd,” has been eluding authorities and taunting them since the break-ins began Aug. 25. The hacker has used telephone connections to break into computers at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Illinois and several companies in the Silicon Valley in Northern California. He did not change or steal any information, authorities said. They said the hacker may just be trying to make a point about computer systems that are particularly vulnerable to break-ins. The intruder has called Stanford officials and carried on phone conversations with them while breaking security protection on the school’s computers.