Hacker illegally activates Brunswick emergency sirens

[Franz?]

I hate to interrupt this pants pissin contest, BUT I'm going to.

If the system has any age to it, chances are all anybody needs do is visit WWW.SELECTONE.COM and they can easily get the encoding equipment.

How difficult is it to figure the system out, well go to Citifreq.com and look up the transmit frequency. Listen to your bearcat and you know the activation mode if the system is tested regularly. From there it's cheap money to duplicate a transmitter or even a HT to do the job.

Penalty, all the crapola in the papers and on web sites is just another civil servant's wet dream he's going to scare the culprit out of doing it again. Beyond that, actually catching the doer in the act is a friggin nightmare.

The FCC will tell the municipality to piss off, their budget for such things is about 1 welfare check every year, and they'd much rather deal with technical violations than actually get off their arse and find a transmitter that is on air less than a minute at who knows when. Fact is I doubt if they even have a dozen locators left in the entire Fediral Cookie Company.

How this fool will get caught is simple, he will brag and he will get caught. When he does the municipality better hope he trys to cut a deal, and or isn't smart enough to keep his device assembled at home. If the equipment came from ePay, catching the culprit is fairly not happening. Chances are the local radio shops are being looked at with a microscope, if there is a lot of public pressure. No public pressure, nobody will care beyond their ability to get face time on local media.

The Big Bad Penalty, best the FCC can do is a forfeiture of $750.00 for each incident of unlicensed transmitter use. The law was written in 1934, and hasn't changed. Forfeiture is a civil procedure, and if the offender doesn't pony up the FCC has to get the US Attorney to argue the case in Federal Court. Chances of that happening are pretty damn slim.

[michael2572]

Tis' the problem with radio activation. It's convenient and all but there's a bit too much at stake IMO. Would be better to activate by hard-wiring.

[bwillcox]

Could be something as simple as enhanced propagation bringing in another radio signal with the correct tones from elsewhere in the region or the country. If they're using VHF highband or lowband, that's quite likely.

If it doesn't happen often, they need to change their tones and squelch codes and see if it happens again.

If it happens again after that, they probably do have an intruder and need to DF the guy and put him into JAIL. Preferably with a T-135 pointed into his jail cell that randomly gets set off early in the morning.

If they have hams there that will transmitter hunt, they can help.

Oh, and for all you kiddies out there even considering doing this yourself... Don't. Not only will you be looking at a hefty Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture from the Friendly Candy Company, the locals will ensure you have a nice long stay at the Grey Bar Hotel.

[Justin]

You don't even know what I mean, quit whining and be quiet.

There is absolutely no need to snap like that. Just like you have your opinion, I have mine, both of which are inevitable.

I understand that the person did a serious crime, but saying that overwriting a government system is NOT. I meant overwriting systems in general, not in this situation. It shows how powerful man is, in ANY class of authority.

A 'governement system' is not.. what? Not a serious crime to break into a 'governement system' and 'overwrite' it? Your not very clear. If your going to say something: don't dance around the bush, jump on it. Assume people who are reading your post are complete idiots and draw out your explanations.
I'm currently reading a book (one of many, unfortunately) for my psychology class for my policing degree, entitled: "The art of deception" by Kevin Mitnick, who's name might be familiar to a few here.
In it, one of the topics is how people can be tricked into handing over very sensitive information without even realising it. It's extremely scary and starling stuff if you read it, over what 'power' anyone can have over another; regardless of whether they're an authoritative figure or not and just how easy it is.
My point still stands (going back to the comment you made before): it's not cool for anyone to have that sort of power, whether it be control over a siren system or someone's bank account details. One thing we were taught in another class the other day: Police are pretty much the most powerful figures in society: they have the choice (discretion) of whether to apply the law or not, and to what sorts of information they are privileged to. As well as the all-too-well-known powers of arrest and so on and so forth. That's one reason why a recruit has to bend over backwards to join any law enforcement agency: it's because of the amount of power associated with the job. And to integrate that with my point: it's these checks and verifications that ensure that the powers that will ultimately be given aren't going to be abused, even though it's not one hundred percent effective. Giving that sort of power (or any sort of potentially damaging power) to just anyone could be considered to be signing societies death certificate.

I don't need you to tell me whats dangerous, I bet I know much more about incidents than you, lighten up.

I was merely voicing my opinion and not "telling you [what is] dangerous". That sounds like a challenge to me, your on.
If you were to meet me in person, you'd notice that I'm one of the more easier-going types. I don't believe that arguments solve matters at hand, just educated discussion.

Quit acting like an old hag born in the 1940's and allow me to have my freedom of speech in this God-forsaken country.

Last time I checked, I am not female, nor was I born in the '40s, according to my birth certificate. Exactly where was I inhibiting your right to free speech? Believe me, you're very lucky to have a right like that. Over here, free speech is not one given by law: only implied, so I wouldn't take it for granted. Not to rag on Robert Gift, but you certainly don't have the right of free speech in countries like China (again, in my opinion).

Let's try not to turn it into one of these discussions. Like I said: it's just an opinion, not necessarily fact.

Does anybody on this board personally know anyone who would really "panic" because the sirens are going off? It's more of an annoyance than anything else.

I'll agree it's an annoyance, but not everyone knows that. I know a few that would panic (including myself, but have more sense than to call the emergency services), then again: we're not accustomed to such warnings...

You would put this guy in the same league as some jacka$$ who would fly airplanes into buildings? You have to be kidding.

Not exactly, but given the severity of what's happened, it could be likened to such an act. Not necessarily causing death, but at least some panic/confusion. I think we're all pretty much in agreement that the perpetrators are complete idiots and should be locked up.

[thunderbolt1003]

Justin, yes a government system. By government I mean local governmant, not state ot federal. There are different classes in governments. Again, I'm not talking about the crime, but in general about these situations. It's not that I'm not clear in what I am saying, it's that you misunderstand the things I say. Because alot of my friends read my message and understand completely by what I mean.

[NFRANGA]

This kind of brings up a interesting story that happened in Newark once.

I was on campus at our highschool when all of our thunderbeams went off in January. I remember just standing there hearing all these sirens blaring in their attack mode, wondering why they are testing on a Tuesday and at 9:00 in the morning.

I guess something went haywire and signals were sent to our mechanical sirens only, our two Vortex sirens staying silent during that escapade.

Hehe fun story

[TSMaster5150]

The Big Bad Penalty, best the FCC can do is a forfeiture of $750.00 for each incident of unlicensed transmitter use. The law was written in 1934, and hasn't changed. Forfeiture is a civil procedure, and if the offender doesn't pony up the FCC has to get the US Attorney to argue the case in Federal Court. Chances of that happening are pretty damn slim.

You make a really good point.

[Daniel]

That's the main reason I've always been inclined toward a hardwired, telephone-based system rather than a radio system.