A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer • Hacker News Board

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#21

Post by ska » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:29 PM UTC

aaomidi wrote: post #13

Shivetya wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well in Georgia we have had a few reports from the prison system about what they confiscate from prisoners. [0]. Look at what they are finding just among the prisoners so imagine how much easier it is to smuggle into the staff areas anything you want. Nearly two thousand cell phones, four times that number in make shift weapons, and of course drugs. Cell phones are a particular problem because it has been shown that…

Is it wrong that I find it a terrible thing that people aren't allowed computers with internet or cellphones in prison? How do we expect people to join back to society when they can't use literally the number one most important thing? Maybe give them phones with no cameras and monitoring of use, but just nothing seems very inhumane.

In the US sometimes the evidence isn't clear that facilitating "join back to society" is an actual goal (it's often a stated goal). It often doesn't seem to be a policy priority.

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#22

Post by eganist » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:29 PM UTC

swiley wrote: post #15

Shivetya wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well in Georgia we have had a few reports from the prison system about what they confiscate from prisoners. [0]. Look at what they are finding just among the prisoners so imagine how much easier it is to smuggle into the staff areas anything you want. Nearly two thousand cell phones, four times that number in make shift weapons, and of course drugs. Cell phones are a particular problem because it has been shown that…

I understand wanting to surveil prisoners but denying them access to the outside world completely is wrong and a waste of everyone’s time. Maybe require only open source software and no crypto except for authentication but confiscating phones is stupid and lazy.

> I understand wanting to surveil prisoners but denying them access to the outside world completely is wrong and a waste of everyone’s time.

Counter-argument: seeing the world pass you by is a good way to become suicidal, and the state (at least here in the US) has an obligation to protect those in their custody.

Receiving broadcasts e.g. radio signals etc. is fairly low risk (exceptions include coded one-way transmissions), but bidirectional communication is a good way to increase the risk that a prison may face a life-critical challenge at some point.

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#23

Post by timwis » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:34 PM UTC

Anyone interested in this stuff should check out the Darknet Diaries podcast for similar stories. They’re great!!

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#24

Post by maerF0x0 » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:35 PM UTC

This also demonstrates an uncomfortable situation. There are certain types of bias in favor of women that help out with these kinds of situations. His mom likely was benefitting from a positive bias that she was harmless and fulfilled the presumption about what an inspector may look like... Something like this "Women are wonderful effect"[1].

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_are_wonderful_effect

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#25

Post by opless » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:37 PM UTC

swiley wrote: post #17

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is such a demand for phones in prisons that there are companies that manufacturer "prison phones" that easily fit into a prison wallet.

Where do you find these?

eBay 'smallest mobile phone'

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#26

Post by nkrisc » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:37 PM UTC

himlion wrote: post #18

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is such a demand for phones in prisons that there are companies that manufacturer "prison phones" that easily fit into a prison wallet.

Does prison wallet mean what I think it means?

Ugh, I hadn't thought about that, but I'm sure it probably does.

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#27

Post by throwaway55554 » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:38 PM UTC

> In 2016, Rita died of pancreatic cancer; she never had a chance to do another pen test. Strand declined to say which prison his mother infiltrated, only that it has since shut down.

After reading the rest of the story, that was a gut punch!

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#28

Post by milesvp » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:42 PM UTC

aaomidi wrote: post #13

Shivetya wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well in Georgia we have had a few reports from the prison system about what they confiscate from prisoners. [0]. Look at what they are finding just among the prisoners so imagine how much easier it is to smuggle into the staff areas anything you want. Nearly two thousand cell phones, four times that number in make shift weapons, and of course drugs. Cell phones are a particular problem because it has been shown that…

Is it wrong that I find it a terrible thing that people aren't allowed computers with internet or cellphones in prison? How do we expect people to join back to society when they can't use literally the number one most important thing? Maybe give them phones with no cameras and monitoring of use, but just nothing seems very inhumane.

I saw a youtube video recently about the extensive use of cell phones to play old school runescape. Like it’s everywhere in every prison in the last couple of years. People not only play it but also use it’s currency for real world trading. Apparently violent behavior is down wherever people are playing.

I’d love to find corroborating evidence for this, because I find it completely facinating.

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#29

Post by oceanghost » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:46 PM UTC

maerF0x0 wrote: post #24

This also demonstrates an uncomfortable situation. There are certain types of bias in favor of women that help out with these kinds of situations. His mom likely was benefitting from a positive bias that she was harmless and fulfilled the presumption about what an inspector may look like... Something like this "Women are wonderful effect"[1]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_are_wonderful_effect

This is absolutely a thing.

I worked at a fortune small-cap where the IT department was absolutely insidious. They would undermine anyone who they didn't like, or who opposed their nonsense. I wrote a lot of backend stuff, and they would spend far more effort and money denying us servers and resources than it would have taken to simply get those things for us. They'd tell us developers we couldn't use the OS's our products targeted, and yet they'd be using them.

They undermined their own CIO time after time; most lasted about 18 months.

Then, the company hired a sociable, intelligent, woman as CIO.

Within six months, she'd (rightly) fired the ENTIRE department. They just didn't see it coming.

Re: A hacker's mom broke into a prison and the warden's computer

#30

Post by brohee » Thu, Feb 27, 2020, 5:48 PM UTC

swiley wrote: post #17

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is such a demand for phones in prisons that there are companies that manufacturer "prison phones" that easily fit into a prison wallet.

Where do you find these?

Shenzen have you covered : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BlfAMitMf4