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/>.