LLS
Well, I want to know who made the decision to set this thing up so it is connected to the internet.
I find it hard to believe that it’s necessary for scientists to have remote access to these systems.
As an IT person, I know just how stupid management can be, even smart people in management, when it comes to system security.
You would not believe the arguments and outright disdain people have for even the simplest security measures.
More than likely, the IT team was well aware of the potential for something like this to happen and warned against setting the computer systems up the way they are.
Unfortunately, they’ll probably get in trouble or be fired for being right.
I don’t agree. They committed a crime, of course, but hackers are right about one thing—they indirectly do a great service by demonstrating the futility of most security systems and they help to make them better. If a couple kids can do this, imagine with a thousand dedicated hackers with unlimited resources (Russian, al-Qaeda, Chinese) can do. I say they should hire the hackers.
WW3 has already begun—it started several years ago when the Russians started massive attacks on US military websites and against sites of allies. al-Qaeda and China have also been doing enormous levels of attacks on security systems. I’m not suggesting these guys are on the same side—if anything, there’s a thousand sides in the war. But it is going on and we need all the help we can get.