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South Pole Research Station Hacked Twice
Marda writes "It's been known for a while that Romainian cyber extortionists cracked the computer network at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station last year. Now SecurityFocus is reporting that another computer intruder penetrated the station just two months before, and cracked the data acquisition system for the Degree Angular Scale Interferometer (DASI), a radiotelescope that measures properties of the cosmic microwave background. It turns out the station was insecure 'purposely, to allow for our scientists at this remotest of locations to exchange data under difficult circumstances,' according to internal reports."
Why can't they just leave our unsecured network alone? Next we'll have to secure that WiFi network so the Australians stop leeching.
all your base belong to us!
Must be the penguins out tehre.
That's cold, man... that's cold!
I almost had FP, but the latency out here on the south pole is horrible.
Obviously that's because they're saying that now in a sad attempt to save face. Uh, we got hacked, quick, act like we let it happen.
Purposefully insecure? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. And I've heard it often. :)
There must be SOME technology (VPNs, as previously mentioned, perhaps) that can make it both easy and secure?
Heck, if they'll buy me the books and fly me down there, I'll fix it myself.
See! Rush Limbaugh was right .. this global warming "evidence" is all the work of hackers!
that pure blocks of ice a firewall does not make.
Come on, physical location means nothing now!!!
--
# Canmephians for a better Linux Kernel
$Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.net";
This is obviously going to be blamed on Tux.
In a computer sense, or in a pristine wilderness sense?
If the latter, then I'd like to point out that there's a great deal we can learn about the Earth's climate and biological history, as well as contained ecosystems. (Lakes under the ice with more than just bacteria? Who knew there'd be enough O2 for animal life?)
If the former, well, you know those haxxor guys...
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
How difficult are we actually talking about here? As far as I know, an international battle frontline can be the most difficult circumstance for system administrators to work in. But again, the military networks are the most secure. Needles to say, the hackers should know that destroying computer networks in an isolated place such as the Antartica could even go to the extent of costing lives, and it is high time the Amunden-Scot admins secured their networks.
This is my sig. There are thousands more, but this one is mine.
In other news, an electronically enhanced volleyball within the vicinity of the Cook Islands was claimed to have been pwn3d. When asked for comment, the response we got was "Wiiillsooooon! Wiiilllsooooon! What are we going to do now, Wilson?!"
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
there's bound to be major shrinkage if you have just been outside.
CowboyNeal! You have just slashdotted an insecure server running the lifeline of dedicated scientists, far far away in Antartica! You insensitive clod!
This is my sig. There are thousands more, but this one is mine.
South Pole. Chilled. Check.
I guess, there goes my next security device project named, "icewall". I've just lost credibility.
Next project, "building cheap disposable X Plane". It's so cheap, if it crashes, I can build more! BRILLIANT!
"Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."
Would some Slashdotter with some spare time please hack their network and install SSH and a firewall? Thanks!
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
1. They wouldn't have been 0wn3d so easily
2. It would keep them toasty warm!
Best Buy can have you arrested
You'll never be a real hacker with that opinion.
Ah! So maybe they are South Pole honeypots then. Put up some non-secure machines with interesting data, and let the script kiddies think they've hacked the south pole, when in reality the real machines are nice and safe.
"I'm not impatient. I just hate waiting." - My Dad
arent these scientist smart?
not if they are having 'brain freeze'
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
back in, oh, 1994 or so, sending finger requests to their machine and using the VMS equivalent of talk(1) (can't remember what it was called...) to send text messages to the folks logged on. I don't remember ever getting a response, though. It was also kind of fun to do traceroutes and pings to the machine. The network path was insane...apparently it went over satellite
So, you were one of those guys? Where you the one who told all his friends about us? Back then we only had a 64bps (yes, that's right 64bps not 64kbps) link and it was always getting clogged up with tourists trying to check out our machine and see who was on. Lots of kids sending us silly "phone" requests, for a couple of months there nobody could get any work done at all. Thanks a lot dude!
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
What they need is more ICE!
Is "cracking" cold computers easier (like ice)?
John Kerry is a Joke!
Can you really call it "cracking" if there was no security in the first place?
It's like in Fahrenheit 9/11 where the cops "infiltrate" the peace group whose membership is, uh, open to the public.
Macro biology is concerned primarily with MS Word macro viruses.
"Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
Persons like this might as we be dyeing. How can they sabotage the nature of our future. This is evil. I am disgusted to be an humman.
(5:30am South Pole)
Bob:"Mornin' Joe"
Joe:"Hey Bob"
Bob:"I think I froze my ass last night. Did we get those new heaters in last night?"
Joe:"I Don't know. I heard a plane, but I think it was that horses-ass Lumbergh with the corporate jet dropping by again."
Bob:"What a prick."
Bob:"Would you hurry up and get that coffee made?"
Joe:"Chill dude, my fingers are half friggin froze too."
Bob:"Any new stuff on the schedule this morning from Corporate Overlord ?"
Joe:"Heh.. you mean Massuh?"
Bob:"*lol*"
Joe:"Nah, just more bitching and whining about budget cuts.. insurance cuts.. pay cuts.."
Joe:"..oh, and that hottie from accounting sent you email."
Bob:"No shit!? What did she say?"
Joe:"...Here, check it out" (passes laptop to Bob)
Bob:"....Click here, huh?..."
Joe:"....what the hell?" (hard drive churning sounds)
Bob:"oops...shit.." (hard drive really churning)
Joe:"Hit the power, dude!!"
Bob:"I am! I gotta hold that fucking switch for 5 seconds"
Joe:"Pull the power cord!"
Bob:"aw shit.. batteries!"
Joe:(knocks over hot coffee)
Bob:"Oww!...coffee's finally hot.."
Joe:"Dammit.. anyone see you come in here?"
Bob:"No, I don't think so."
Joe:"Wow look at that telescope spin!"
Bob:"I didn't know it could revolve that fast!"
Joe:"It can't!"
Joe:"Hit that friggin screensaver and lets bail!"
*click*
*panicked rustling sounds*
*hurried footsteps fade out*
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ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA ^H^H^H^H^H the south pole
ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS^H^H^H^H^H^H^H pwnings THERE
-the black obelisk
..........FULL STOP.
Romainian cyber extortionists
Look, here's some free advice. If you want to make people care about the problem, you need to call them "cyber-TERRORISTS".
Many people don't know what extortion really means, but they know that terrorists can hurt their children.
Geez, its a good thing you guys are mostly libertarian/democrat/green, because you'd make crappy republicans.
Great job...
...
:)
Mission : go to Antartica, maintain email services. Duration 6 months.
Week 1 : upgrade and patch all machines.
Week 2 : make snowman, look at machines, plat solitaire.
Week 3 : blizzard, look at machines
Week 4 : play solitaire, start drinking beer
week 5 : remember about the pinball game, install pinball game play pinball
week 6 : Got lost for 3 days in the blizzard when making a snowman
week 7 : can't play pinball because of bitefrost bandages, drinking bourbon, watching blinkenlights on hub
week 8 : poured bourbon in file server so I had something to fix, got scolded by director of base who saw me
week 9 : tried drinking kerosene
week 12 : woke up in infirmary when doctor was about to start autopsy
It seems doctor had been smoking joints, asked him if he had any left
week 13 : shagged a penguin. Finished last of bourbon
week 14 : damn pengion follows me everywhere 11 more weeks to go. Found an AOL cd in the mailbox yesterday, no idea how it got there.
Great job indeed.
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
...Never mind