For these wireheads, L0pht is a cyberdream come true: completely wired for Ethernet and a computer in every room. With their passion for hacking, the seven men (sometimes accompanied by their wives) have even furnished and decorated the place with castoffs of the computer age -- like a shrine, Our Lady of the VAX, which was once the cabinet o f an old mainframe, or walls made of discarded circuit boards.

All the equipment in the clubhouse was obtained by "dumpster diving" in the trash bins of nearby high-tech companies. The companies happily toss out old computers, keyboards and other perip herals, but they resent the L0phters' rescue and recycling missions. Not wanting to cause a scene, however, the companies are willing to look the other way if the dumpster divers do their work at night.

Once salvaged, the benign hacking begins. The com puter remains are brought back to the clubhouse, gutted, then rebuilt into functioning units to simulate the systems of larger companies and corporations. The L0phters then run mock security break-ins on these simulated systems, find security loopholes, a nd then contact the manufacturers to offer advice.