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Connecting To Unsecured Bluetooth Car Systems To Monitor Traffic Flow
New submitter TheTerseOne writes "The Columbian, the local newspaper of Vancouver (not BC), Washington (not DC) is reporting that local county traffic officials plan on spending $540k of government money to monitor traffic by connecting to vehicles' Bluetooth systems (whose owners/drivers have left them discoverable). The county claims that, although this sounds 'creepy' and 'like Big Brother,' there is no cause for concern. The specific brand of the system is not mentioned, but similar systems have already been the subject of security alerts."
County officials note that they are stripping out part of the MAC, and the system is intentionally designed not to be useful for law enforcement to locate specific devices.
Halifax just did the same thing (though only spent 43k). Only release was the tender process, and no acknowledgement after repeated requests for information.
County officials note that they are stripping out part of the MAC (of course they will), and the system is intentionally designed not to be useful for law enforcement to locate specific devices (of course it won't).
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Connecting to a computer system without the consent of the owner is still a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and a felony the last time I checked.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law - Aleister Crowley
If you don't want to be discovered with Bluetooth, don't leave your devices in discoverable mode!
It should be noted that they are not "connecting" to these devices, just cataloging the ones which announce their own presence. It's pretty fricking passive.
For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
Won't this introduce sampling bias, as non-Bluetooth cars are excluded from traffic monitoring? Highways with richer travelers will get more funding than the poor parts of town.
on the other hand, reading the daily newspapers, maybe it's about time.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
This seems really complicated. Why not just track the RFID signature generated by the various parts of the car which are tagged? Tires, replacement parts, items in the trunk, ID badges on the passengers....
Great. Install it in every politician's car.
No need for concern, right? Or... got anything to hide?
Personally, every time someone comes up with some "no need for concern" bull, I say let the politicians in charge be the first to use it. No need to be concerned about the power plant? Great, have the town council move in next to it. No need to be concerned about food? Great, put it on the menu for them. No need to be concerned about surveillance? Great, move politicians to the front row to be under scrutiny.
If it was required to be used on them first, I'm pretty sure we'd have a lot fewer things not to be concerned about.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Since it seems to meet the criteria of RCW 9A.52.110, I'd say every attempt to connect is a Class C Felony. However, at the very least, it's a misdemeanor.
RCW 9A.52.110
Computer trespass in the first degree.
(1) A person is guilty of computer trespass in the first degree if the person, without authorization, intentionally gains access to a computer system or electronic database of another; and
(a) The access is made with the intent to commit another crime; or
(b) The violation involves a computer or database maintained by a government agency.
(2) Computer trespass in the first degree is a class C felony.
[1984 c 273 1.]
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RCW 9A.52.120
Computer trespass in the second degree.
(1) A person is guilty of computer trespass in the second degree if the person, without authorization, intentionally gains access to a computer system or electronic database of another under circumstances not constituting the offense in the first degree.
(2) Computer trespass in the second degree is a gross misdemeanor.
[1984 c 273 2.]
******************
RCW 9A.52.120
Computer trespass in the second degree.
(1) A person is guilty of computer trespass in the second degree if the person, without authorization, intentionally gains access to a computer system or electronic database of another under circumstances not constituting the offense in the first degree.
(2) Computer trespass in the second degree is a gross misdemeanor.
[1984 c 273 2.]
"Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"