Turns out I was right
The GO Transit hacker probably used a wireless remote to modify the text of the display to read "Stephen Harper eats babies".
Looks like I was pretty close to right about the technology and the means of getting into the GO Transit LED system to create the "Stephen Harper Eats Babies" prank:
GO Transit's Edmund Shea explained the "Stephen Harper Eats Babies" LED message to me as follows: "This was electronic vandalism. We assume it was a hacker and we apologize if anyone was offended, including the Prime Minister."
One passenger car was affected between Thursday and Friday; three Monday morning. As for future assaults, Exclusive Advertising (EA), the company responsible for advertising aboard the GTA's GO Train's, has disabled the signs and will be implementing a 'password protected solution.'
According to EA, the hacker obtained a wireless remote which allowed the signs to be modified within a distance of six-feet. [emphasis added]
As I noted, the system was probably designed wireless updates using short-range low-power equipment, which means the a hacker would need a small transmitter of some kind, something that is easily hidden.
Of course, my uncanny ability to guess the how of the crime makes me suspect #1.
Seriously, though, is Exclusive Advertising saying one of their own handhelds to make the changes, or a homegrown solution was used? Is all of their equipment accounted for? Exclusive Advertising has an official response, and they are hoping anyone with knowledge of the people involved will come forward.
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Comments
I think its a comspiracy. I don't think it was you and I don't think it was me, so who was it? OMG! Al Queda!
Posted by: steve d. at May 1, 2006 08:27 PM
That's pretty hi-tech. I didn't even know that was
possible. No Steve I don't believe it was you. It was somebody who voted liberal no doubt. So that's
almost half the Country. Almost. lol.
Posted by: Allan Carty at May 1, 2006 10:59 PM
Hi-tech? Sorry. We had a similar sign at work back in the 1990's: a LED display with a remote for programming it. Heck, I built something similar back in 1989 for a school project, although my lab partner and I never did get the remote working the way we wanted to. And the technology has only become easier to come by since then.
Posted by: Paul O at May 2, 2006 07:43 AM
It was somebody who voted liberal no doubt. So that's
almost half the Country. Almost. lol.
No, its 1/3 of the country. Didnt they get 34% in the last election?
I liked the ctv.ca quote:
Meanwhile, when asked about his time with Harper at the National Citizens Coalition, Nicholls said: "I worked with Stephen Harper for five years and never once did he, in that time, eat a baby."
Shows that they have a sense of humour, something the MSM often accuse conservatives of lacking.
Posted by: Curtis at May 2, 2006 12:14 PM
"It was somebody who voted liberal no doubt."
Oh, no doubt at all! Those pesky progressives are responsible for all our problems!
How much do you want to bet the perpetrator isn't even old enough to vote?
Posted by: Angryflower at May 2, 2006 01:27 PM
Not to encourage any illegal acts or anything, but in my opinion this was a pretty clever hack, and although the sentiment expressed was a little childish, all in all it's pretty funny. The hacker could have said a lot worse but instead picked something that is harmlessly amusing.
Truth is, I'm not convinced that this wasn't the work of a conservative trying to making a parody of the anti-Harper ads prevalent during the election.
Posted by: Ade at May 2, 2006 03:53 PM
Above, read "conservative making a parody", not "trying to making a parody".
Posted by: Ade at May 2, 2006 03:54 PM
Methinks Ade is on to something. Imagine what the blackguard might have written on an electronic road sign:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U51A23D0D
Posted by: Drained Brain at May 3, 2006 12:30 AM
Baby eater or not, the polls apparently look good for Harper.
Tories Outpolling Separatists In Quebec
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/006895.php
Posted by: Regis at May 3, 2006 01:54 AM
Speaking of technology, no real damage to Harper and the cause...but this could hurt!
I think the UN would ruin the Internet,..no no no!
================================
The U.S. government has reportedly indicated it wants more disclosure rather than less.
But according to the Journal, Rotenberg says the government is in a "delicate political position” because it wants ICANN to retain control of the Internet rather than the United Nations, as some countries have proposed. So it is crucial for ICANN to function as an independent body – even if it sometimes goes against U.S. policy.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/4/28/173258.shtml?s=et
http://tinyurl.com/nlyr2
Two stories in one… No no no to this too!
==========================
Friday, April 28, 2006 5:26 p.m. EDT
Move Toward Web Site Anonymity
The organization that runs the Internet is considering a rule change that would prevent corporate and government investigators from finding the owners of fraudulent Web sites.
Don*t be fixin* what ain*t broke. Puleeze!
Or, It may not actually be advantageous to implement these faulty proposals. TG
Posted by: TonyGuitar at May 3, 2006 03:14 AM
DrainedBrain,
Do you think tinyurl.com makes shorter links? TG
Posted by: TonyGuitar at May 3, 2006 09:03 AM
Me thinks the ultmate joke is that reportely this message floated along for 4 days!!!! Proving no one reads these stupid signs. As for the perpetrator, some left wing computer nut decided to have a giggle. Lets face it, when the trendy Libreals that ran this country for so long said that Harper eats babies or worse for so long, some dope might actually believe them.
All in all, a tempest in a very small pot and I too got a chuckle.
Posted by: Mark in Bowmanville at May 3, 2006 12:28 PM
Why cant I get to Small Dead Animals comment section?
Posted by: ronrob at May 3, 2006 10:34 PM
Re ronrob's question, "Why cant I get to Small Dead Animals comment section?"
I can't either, and note that just after noon yesterday, all communication pretty much stopped at SDA. Kate asked for help from some tech savvy reader...and hopefully, the "technical glitch" will be ironed out soon.
Reading this post, though, it has occurred to me--well, actually, it occurred to me a few seconds after it became evident that posting a comment on SDA was KAPUT--that there could easily be some ideologically motivated technological hanky panky going on here--as in the "Stephen Harper Eats Babies" signs.
SDA had some great comments on the new budget, as always skewering the ridiculous and groundless criticisms of the Librano$ and Dippers; 'any chance, I wonder, of someone having a political motive for shutting down SDA comments?
tony the media moley certainly sounded like a happy camper on a post a few days ago, quite uncharacteristic of him. Might he know something we don't know...? 'Just wondering...
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