Re: Is this "Kooky?"
Christian Weisgerber (naddy@mips.rhein-neckar.de)
4 Mar 1999 10:19:52 +0100
In article <36DB6572.10CA2AB0@ibm.net>, Spike Jones <spike66@ibm.net> wrote:
> It's emitting massive bogon flux Terry. Changed the course of a satellite?
> That means the hackers took over the attitude control system and
> the orbit adjust system? I think not.
Recognizing bogosity requires some familiarity with the issue at hand.
Spike, you may know enough about satellites to have an informed opinion.
I certainly don't. That said...
How old is that satellite? What is involved in controlling it?
A few years back, when I read about American phreaks re-programming the
switches of the telephone company, I was awed. What incredible abilities
must these people have to do something that should by all rights be
impossible? Well, my respect collapsed when I read _The Hacker
Crackdown_. The telcos had left maintenance modem ports on-line, without
password protection, and anybody who stumbled over the number could dial
in and--after figuring out the system from the online help or manuals
found in the trash dumpster at the telco's building--take control. No
extraordinary abilities required. How could anybody in his right mind be
so incredibly stupid to set such a system up?
So, maybe you only need to send a carrier on certain ("secret")
frequencies to control the satellite or some such thing? Something that
should be well in the ability of a radio amateur.
Also, it isn't required to do something meaningful with the satellite.
They just need to interfere with its operation.
--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.rhein-neckar.de
See another pointless homepage at <URL:http://home.pages.de/~naddy/>.