The KGB, The Computer and Me - The Cuckoo’s Egg Story
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as a documentary telling the early hacking and spy-hunting story, with the original people involved.
What it is
A 57-minute account of Clifford Stoll's tracking of a KGB-linked hacker through Lawrence Berkeley Lab computers in 1986, the story of The Cuckoo's Egg. It covers the FBI and Chaos Computer Club involvement.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2024 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Recommends dosman33 · 2024-02 · on “Acme Klein Bottle”
Here here. I love Cliff and have my own Acme Klein bottle, a wedding present from my wife. I read the book ages ago of course, but I just discovered the NOVA documentary last week. It's quite amazing to see the original people involved recreating events just a few years after they took place (docu was released in 1990). So... I can't believe Cliff's wife agreed to do a shower scene as part of a recreation for the documentary... Just sayin. [this video]
Recommends mrlatinos · 2025-06 · on “Klein Bottle Amazon Brand Hijacking (2021)”
His NOVA episode on the same subject is worth a watch as well [this video] I think most younger readers will be familiar through his videos on the Numberphile YouTube channel.
Recommends 29athrowaway · 2025-12 · on “”
If you like this then you will probably like "The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage", a 1989 book by Clifford Stoll. Also available as audiobook, and a documentary ("The KGB, The computer and Me"). [this video]