Phreaking has since become closely linked with computer hacking. Yep. These days I think you could say that there is a discrete field of "phreaking" but as a s

Phreaking has since become closely linked with computer hacking. Yep. These days I think you could say that there is a discrete field of "phreaking" but as a subset of "computer hacking" in general. From what I know of it coughnot muchcough it mostly means messing around with the SS7 network[1] using SCTP[2] endpoints, or getting SS7 access from a low-budget / fly by night telco somewhere. Or maybe finding a machine that's on the standard TCP/IP based Internet that also has an SS7 connection, hack that and use it as a bridge or whatever. There's probably still some cell-phone hacking stuff going on as well, but AIUI, that's gotten a lot more difficult over the years as well. That said, a very small amount of old skool phreaking "stuff" still works to a point. If you find a business or a home with a POTS landline you can still use a beige-box at the demarc point and tap their line, make calls, etc. And in theory, a red box would still work on one of the 2 or 3 telco run payphones (not COCOTS) that probably exist somewhere in the world. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signalling_System_No._7#Protocol_security_vulnerabilities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signalling_System_No._7#Protoc... [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_Control_Transmission_Protocol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_Control_Transmission_Pr...