Of all the messages they could have sent they chose the most boring.
lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"
FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT
Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
31–40 of 142 posts
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"
The world needs more confusing positivity. "You are beautiful and wonderful - keep going! (unlike this systems security)"
Keep on keeping on.
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#33Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#34misantropia é um perigo rapaziada
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#35Of all the messages they could have sent they chose the most boring.
lets play a game HN, what would be the best alert to send? mine would be something scifi, like "ALIENS HAVE LANDED" or "PLUTO DECLARES WAR"
"Due to deteriorating economic conditions, we have decided to abolish currency altogether. The Real is now worth nothing. All trade will henceforth be performed exclusively in gold."
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#36TBH phones in Poland allow to call you "from" an arbitrary number (i.e. display it on your phone). Also send SMS with arbitrary source. This is being used by scammers who call you and tell they are from police bank etc
I've worked a bit on the app which calls major telco provider directly. It was a basic web service call, and sender could be entered as anything. This is basic property of cellular networks, no more safety than say standard email.
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#37There was a Larry Niven story where if you tried to call a certain guy, every phone in South America would ring instead. Anyone remember which story it was? The phone thing was just a throwaway line, not a significant plot point.
It might have been the Ringworld "Well?"Nessus began to pace the floor. "Many disqualify themselves by obvious bad luck. Of the rest, none seem to be available. When we call, they are out. When we call back, the phone computer gives us a bad connection. When we ask for any member of the Brandt family, every phone in South America rings. There have been complaints. It is very frustrating." https://www.naneahoffman.com…
“ When we ask for any member of the Brandt family, every phone in South America rings.”
That sounds like the computer had a bad solution to “find a Brandt.”
The comment with the request to find this reference had me thinking it would be a single phone number misconfigured to call a large population.
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#38"The message sent was of the ‘Extreme Alert’ type and contained the word ‘misanthropy’ – which means hatred towards humanity. It is probably a hacker attack,” the agency’s statement said."
As this happens whenever there is an intrusion reported in the press, the word "hacker" is often misused:
"There is another group of people who loudly call themselves hackers, but aren't. These are people (mainly adolescent males) who get a kick out of breaking into computers and phreaking the phone system. Real hackers call these people ‘crackers’ and want nothing to do with them. Real hackers mostly think crackers are lazy, irresponsible, and not very bright, and object that being able to break security doesn't make you a hacker any more than being able to hotwire cars makes you an automotive engineer. Unfortunately, many journalists and writers have been fooled into using the word ‘hacker’ to describe crackers; this irritates real hackers no end.
The basic difference is this: hackers build things, crackers break them."
Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#39Re: Unauthorized alert sent to cell phones across Brazil
#40"The message sent was of the ‘Extreme Alert’ type and contained the word ‘misanthropy’ – which means hatred towards humanity. It is probably a hacker attack,” the agency’s statement said." As this happens whenever there is an intrusion reported in the press, the word "hacker" is often misused: "There is another group of people who loudly call themselves hackers, but aren't. These are people (mainly adolescent males)…
Cracker News was taken