An age ago. Or two.
"it occurred to me that the engineer interface into the exchange would have been a prime hacking target for obtaining free calls and anonymity on the phone network."
Yes, it was. That's why sensible people had it locked down unless it needed to be opened for a short time ... and then locked it down again immediately the need passed. Sometimes this was as simple as unplugging the modem attached to the executive port ...
"Times were a bit more innocent 20 years ago."
No, no they weren't. That kind of innocence and naivety was lost by the early 1980s ... The Morris Worm of 1988 was a boot to the head of those who hadn't got the picture quite yet. Any hold-outs with this kind of open system by the year 2000 were idiots whistling past the graveyard.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
