Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Military on Alert for Killer Coke Cans

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the your-tax-dollars-at-work dept.

DigitalLogic writes "There's a new security threat at some of the nation's military bases -- and it looks uncannily like a can of Coke. All I can think of is that a furby with a coke can must be the military's worse nightmare."

6 of 338 comments (clear)

  1. Is this really that bad? by jrj102 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As usual, the post kind of misrepresents what the article is about... but that's just standard /.

    I think they are being reasonable, if a bit silly. The contest-winning Coke cans (which are clearly visually distinct from a standard Coke can) have an integrated cell phone and GPS device. About this, the spokesperson was quoted as saying "In the remote possibility a can were found in one of these [secured] areas, we'd make sure the can wasn't activated, try to return it to its original owner and ask that they activate it at home..."

    Why is this unreasonable? It's funny, sure... but not the example of misguided paranoia that it's made out to be.

    --
    jrjBlog
    1. Re:Is this really that bad? by gl4ss · · Score: 5, Insightful

      and then again, you took just the most sensible part of the article.

      "We've taken measures to make sure everyone's aware of this contest and to make sure devices are cleared before they're taken in" to restricted areas, she said."

      so they're telling to people that should know not to bring a phone into the areas that don't bring coke cans before you have made sure that it's just a coke can.

      it's a potential eavesdropping device, in the sense that it's a phone, but a quite much less than anything intentional could be. basically they're creating a big fuss over something that didn't need the pr(because now it's easier to intentionally smuggle something in, just put a can of coke next to it..).

      and further:
      **
      "But Bruce Don, a senior analyst at the Rand Corp. said the military's concern is rational and appropriate.

      "There's a lot of reason to worry about how that technology could be taken advantage of by a third party without Coke's knowledge," he said.""**

      so what it boils down to is some security firm pumping once again money from the gov(and paving the way for future pumping)...

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  2. Their complaints are justified. . . . by OverlordQ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    *tinfoilhat*
    What's to keep some other spy agency/group from disguising a coke can that looks just like the innocent 'outgoing call only + gps' with a 'bi-directional + gps + other nasty goodies' can?
    */tinfoilhat*

    --
    Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
  3. Not *that* funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't really find this funny. I mean it's funny, but in the back of my mind
    I just know that this is the tip of a big scary iceberg.

    In the future I bet almost all devices, maybe even ALL soda cans, will contain
    miniature computers with wireless capabilities. And troublemakers (evildoers?)
    will be able to hack into them.

    You chuckle now but did you think 10 years ago that there would be such a
    thing as a smartphone? Bluejacking? Nokia phone viruses? MP3s, PDFs, or PNGs
    that could exploit your computer?

    So yeah, like TFA says, it's just common sense, nothing to get excited about,
    but definitely something to think about.

    Do you believe Coke when they say "it can only call us" and "there's no way to hijack it"? I sure don't.

  4. yes, this is a security concern by Doppler00 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are many government agencies that have a zero tolerance for wireless devices, devices with data ports, microphones, cameras, or whatever being taken into secure areas that deal with classified material. When you're talking about something regarding national security, you can never be to safe about what is allowed in a secure area.

    And how would one automatically know that an unopened 12 pack case of soda had one of these devices in it? They wouldn't which is why the Military simply wants people to be aware of this. And who is to trust coke anyway?

    Here's a scenerio: let's say some people were having a top secret conference and they had a 12 pack of sodas sitting in the back somewhere for refreshments aftwards. What if the device is accidently activated during this time and it starts recording the conference? What then happens if some unscrupulous employeee at Coke thinks it's an interesting conversation and releases it on the internet? Sure, all this could be very, very, rare, but given the nature of some information it's absolutely not worth the risk.

  5. Dolts by crmartin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Get a grip, folks. The sort of environment they're talking about is extremely sensitive: like, the definition is "revelaing this information could lead to critical danger to the US and its citizens."

    This isn't a joke. A few years ago, some member of Congress (Orrin Hatch is what I recall) proved how much an Insider he was, and what Good Stuff He Knew, by telling a reporter that we were intercepting Usama bin Laden's satphone calls. The reporter, also being a moron, reported this. Soon enough, UbL stopped making open satphone calls.

    Some time later, 9/11/2001.

    Quibble if you like about the absurdities to which this leads -- like the books I wrote twenty years ago which I can no longer legally read -- but if you look into the history of bugs, subversions, and general espionage, you'll find that worrying about someone bringing an unexamined cellphone into a classified facility is pretty reasonable.