Hacking bids on S'pore car bidding system

The system took off last month, for just one category of vehicles. Open bidding shows the last successful price "live" during the bidding. The other COE categories adopt the closed system, where bidders do not know the prevailing successful price during the tender period, and are only given the successful price, which determines the price for that category for the month.

According to an article in The Business Times, the Land Transport Authority has lodged a police report for "attempted unauthorized access to computer material."

An unidentified source told the paper that both individuals and companies had tried to hack into the system. However, the authorites claim that none of the break-in attempts were successful.

Stratech Systems, which devised the system, built in various security features, and in fact is paying penalties because ensuring the security of the software delayed the launch of the system from May 2000 to last month.

"The system doesn't just jump to conclusions. It records all activities and tracks every single function. The moment you try something funny it's very obvious." said one Stratech source. "We'd even know who (the suspects) are."

If caught, the culprits will be charged under the Computer Misuse Act, and would face S$5,000 (US$2,725) or two years in prison, or both, for first-time offenders, and S$10,000 (US$5,450) or three years' imprisonment, or both, for repeat offenders.