Bernd Fix
Encyclopedia
Bernd Fix is a German
Hacker
and Computer Security Expert.
in 1981, Bernd Fix studied Astrophysics
and Philosophy
at the universities of Göttingen
and Heidelberg
. He received his diplom
for a work in the field of theoretical astrophysics in 1989.
From 1987 to 1989 Fix was one of the spokesperson for the Chaos Computer Club
and author for the "Hacker Bible 2".
After the death of his friend Wau Holland
(co-founder of the Chaos Computer Club
) in 2001 Fix helped to establish the Wau Holland Foundation
and serves as a founding member of the Board of Directors ever since.
Since 1998 Fix is living and working in Switzerland
; he currently resides in Zürich
.
(CCC) in Hamburg
and started to work on computer security issues, focussing on computer virus
research. He published a first demo virus (Rushhour) in Fall 1986 in the Datenschleuder
#17, the hacker magazine edited by the CCC. He also contributed results of his research to the book "Computer Viruses" by Ralf Burger.
In 1987 he devised a method to neutralize the Vienna Virus; this event marks the first documented antivirus software ever written.
Fix is also the author of several research viruses; among them the VP370 virus for IBM mainframe computer
s. The VP370 source code was allegedly stolen by the Bundesnachrichtendienst
(Federal Intelligence Service in Germany) in 1988 to be used in attacks against East Block
and NATO mainframe computer systems in the so-called "Project Rahab".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
and Computer Security Expert.
Biography
After final secondary-school examination from Gymnasium HankensbüttelHankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel is a municipality in the Samtgemeinde Hankensbüttel in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Uelzen, and 30 km north of Gifhorn.-History:...
in 1981, Bernd Fix studied Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the universities of Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. He received his diplom
Diplom
A Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
for a work in the field of theoretical astrophysics in 1989.
From 1987 to 1989 Fix was one of the spokesperson for the Chaos Computer Club
Chaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club is an organization of hackers. The CCC is based in Germany and other German-speaking countries.The CCC describes itself as "a galactic community of life forms, independent of age, sex, race or societal orientation, which strives across borders for freedom of...
and author for the "Hacker Bible 2".
After the death of his friend Wau Holland
Wau Holland
Herwart Holland-Moritz, known as Wau Holland, cofounded the Chaos Computer Club in 1981, one of the world's oldest hacking clubs. The CCC became world famous when its members exposed security flaws in Germany's "Bildschirmtext" online television service by getting a bank to send them DM 134,000...
(co-founder of the Chaos Computer Club
Chaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club is an organization of hackers. The CCC is based in Germany and other German-speaking countries.The CCC describes itself as "a galactic community of life forms, independent of age, sex, race or societal orientation, which strives across borders for freedom of...
) in 2001 Fix helped to establish the Wau Holland Foundation
Wau Holland Foundation
The Wau Holland Foundation is a nonprofit foundation based in Berlin, Germany.It was established in 2003 in memory of Wau Holland, co-founder of the Chaos Computer Club...
and serves as a founding member of the Board of Directors ever since.
Since 1998 Fix is living and working in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; he currently resides in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Work
In 1986 Fix joined the Chaos Computer ClubChaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club is an organization of hackers. The CCC is based in Germany and other German-speaking countries.The CCC describes itself as "a galactic community of life forms, independent of age, sex, race or societal orientation, which strives across borders for freedom of...
(CCC) in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and started to work on computer security issues, focussing on computer virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
research. He published a first demo virus (Rushhour) in Fall 1986 in the Datenschleuder
Datenschleuder
, literally translated as The Data Slingshot: The scientific trade journal for data voyagers, is a German hacker magazine that is released in irregular intervals by the Chaos Computer Club ....
#17, the hacker magazine edited by the CCC. He also contributed results of his research to the book "Computer Viruses" by Ralf Burger.
In 1987 he devised a method to neutralize the Vienna Virus; this event marks the first documented antivirus software ever written.
Fix is also the author of several research viruses; among them the VP370 virus for IBM mainframe computer
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
s. The VP370 source code was allegedly stolen by the Bundesnachrichtendienst
Bundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
(Federal Intelligence Service in Germany) in 1988 to be used in attacks against East Block
East Block
The East Block is one of the three buildings on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing offices for parliamentarians, as well as some preserved pre-Confederation spaces.Built in the Victorian High Gothic style, the East Block is, along with the Library of Parliament, one of only...
and NATO mainframe computer systems in the so-called "Project Rahab".