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Topic: Software Development

Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

Summary: Anonymous has struck back against BART again, but this time it's personal.

Rachel King

By for Between the Lines |

Anonymous has hacked into police and government websites before, and it has also illegally obtained the personal information of innocent bystanders before.

This time, the self-proclaimed "hacktivist" group has taken things to a new level that makes things very dangerous for the culprits should they get caught.

Anonymous claimed on Wednesday that some of its members hacked into the website of San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police, releasing personal information about 102 BART police officers. That information, which is still on PasteBin as of 12:25PM PT, includes home addresses, e-mail addresses, and passwords.

The hacker group, which has claimed responsibility for hacking into Sony's PlayStation Network and a website belonging to the Spanish national police force earlier this year, got involved with this situation after controversy brewed when BART shut off cell and wireless service in four downtown San Francisco subway stations (but not outside the stations) amidst another protest over a fatal shooting involving a BART police officer.

Thus, Anonymous did what it does best and hacked into BART-related websites. The group also wrangled followers together and called for another protest on Monday that effectively shut down three downtown BART subway stations. The protest lasted approximately 90 minutes during rush hour, preventing hundreds (if not thousands) of people from being able to get anywhere in a timely fashion. (I, myself, was grudgingly stuck in between stations as they closed while simply trying to go home.)

Anonymous is calling for yet another round of protests on Monday, August 22. The FCC is also launching an investigation as many are questioning the legality of BART's move to prohibit cell phone service within its stations.

BART officials say they were still within their legal rights and acted proactively to prevent the situation from getting out of hand after BlackBerry Messenger (as well as Facebook and Twitter) was used in a similar fashion during the riots in the United Kingdom last week.

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36 comments
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  • So Anonymous does a PR spin claiming "they're doing it for us"

    then they let everyone know where officers live so maybe people can stop buy and hurt or kill their families.

    Yet Anonymous makes sure nobody knows where they, or their families live.

    They're a bunch of freakin' liers, hypocrits, and if somebidy get hurt because of this, hopefully put to death when caught for accessory to murder.
    William Farrell
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

      @William Farrell
      They were hypocrites when they hacked mybart.com and released user emails and stuff at the end of last week.
      pmfjoe
      Reply Vote

    • Agreed

      nt
      spdragoo@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

      @William Farrell

      How does exposing public goverment members for corrupt behavior, while maintaining their own deserved anonymity have anything to do with hypocricy?

      Government workers are given their charge by the public and thus must answer to that public when they do wrong. Shutting down communications of anyone without a warrant is illegal and unconstitutional. Not only this, but there is no inherent anonymity associated with any government job. If you choose to work for the government, many details of your life are publicly available. Go ask congress or the president if you believe otherwise.
      liquidify
      Reply Vote

      • That is utter nonsense

        @liquidify
        So you are implying that the officers who are there to protect you and others from harm are the ones who control the communications?

        Then let it be as you say: BART should not offer thecell service for the convenience of their riders, they should shut it down completely forever.

        They should also immediately pull all officers and monitoring equipment from the subway, as why should their families be at risk because they choose to safegaurd yours?

        If you do not like the world in which you just helped design, then you could always take a bicycle to all of your future destinations.

        :|
        Tim Cook
        Reply Vote

      • Wow. So much wrong with your post.

        @liquidify <br><br>Let's take it from the top...<br><br><i>Government workers are given their charge by the public and thus must answer to that public when they do wrong.<br></i><br><br>...surely you aren't talking about "doing wrong" when the Officers shot someone for trying to attack a cop with a knife. Uh... remember, that's what started this whole fiasco.<br><br>I'll presume you're talking about the "trampling of everyone's free speech by BART turning off <b>their own</b> wifi/cell equipment"<br><br><i>Shutting down communications of anyone without a warrant is illegal and unconstitutional.</i><br><br>Absolutely wrong. First, they didn't shut down communications to anyone, they simply turned off the devices they installed in the first place to offer convenience to paying patrons. If those lazy A$$es would have gone up to the street, their mobile device would have worked as well as it could have (Let's not forget we're talking about SF)<br><br>Also, remember we're talking about a maze of underground concrete tunnels. If BART hadn't installed the devices they did, this point would be moot, because no-one would have service anyway. <br><br>Now, as to "illegal and unconstitutional"... Nowhere in the constitution is a method of communication protected. Free Speech is, yes, but not a method of communication (such as wifi or 3g). Illegal? According to the FCC, it would only be illegal if someone uses a jammer to kill a connection between a handheld and the source owned by another agency. Seeing as BART was the owner of the devices and real estate, they were well within their "rights"<br><br>By your rationale, when Starbucks closes at the end of a business day, and turns their public wifi service off, they're making an "Illegal and unconstitutional" act? What about their new business plan of limiting wifi access so people can't squat all day using their wifi? is that "illegal and unconstitutional"? Thought so.<br><br>Now, as to <i>If you choose to work for the government, many details of your life are publicly available. Go ask congress or the president if you believe otherwise. </i><br><br>Wrong again. There's a big difference between the President and the nice lady at the counter of your local revenue office, or transit authority booth, or post office, etc. There are levels of disclosure involved depending on the job level, pay grade, etc.<br><br>Moreover, I'm 100% confident that Anon didn't just post the "102" officers' info who were involved with policing the "protest"... I'm sure at least a few secretaries, dispatchers, administrative, clerical or some other type workers info got posted... <br><br>Please tell me how these government members deserve to be publicy exposed for their "corrupt behavior"? I'd be willing to bet my house that your blanket, idiotic statements also included some 30-something, single mother, who goes to work at BART everyday and answers phones and puts up with BS like the rest of us, just to pay her mortgage and try to put food on the table for her kids.<br><br>The fact that you (and many others) can't make any of these distinctions is the most infuriating thing about this whole mess.
        UrNotPayingAttention
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

        @liquidify <br>They did not expose public government behavior. They took it upon themselves to expose men and woman just doing their jobs, and these good people may be hurt by CRIMINALS. You obviously have authority issues. I think a good couple months of bootcamp could serve you well. Think about it you could go to war and maybe even die the hero you think you are.
        partman1969@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

        @liquidify If they have to answer the public you file a lawsuit. You dont go around being the judge yourself and expose private information. "Anonymous" (and related) is nothing more then a bunch of shortsighted, anarchist, hypocryte, cybercriminals. And i am glad that the most ppl i know think exactly the same about them.
        abbos@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

        @liquidify So all 102 officers that had their information leaked were guilty of doing wrong to the public? Anonymous just made that determination, made judgment and then rendered out the punishment? They need to be squashed by the FBI like the little cockroaches that they are.
        mepallow
        Reply Vote

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  • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

    To be, or not to be, that is the question:
    Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
    The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
    Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
    And by opposing end them? To die, to sleep,
    No more; and by a sleep to say we end
    The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
    That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation
    Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep;
    To sleep, perchance to dream ? ay, there's the rub:
    For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
    When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
    Must give us pause ? there's the respect
    That makes calamity of so long life.
    For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
    The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
    The pangs of disprized love, the law?s delay,
    The insolence of office, and the spurns
    That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
    When he himself might his quietus make
    With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
    To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
    But that the dread of something after death,
    The undiscovered country from whose bourn
    No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
    And makes us rather bear those ills we have
    Than fly to others that we know not of?
    Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
    And thus the native hue of resolution
    Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
    And enterprises of great pith and moment,
    With this regard their currents turn awry,
    And lose the name of action. Soft you now,
    The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
    Be all my sins remembered.
    MLHACK
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

      @MLHACK
      Hamlet?s soliloquy on death??? I don't understand the relationship.
      Bill4
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

        @Bill4
        MLHACK doth protest too much, methinks, that something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
        ITOdeed
        Reply Vote

      • Hamlet about treason and revolution iirc

        @Bill4 Same problem the founders of our country had. Reasonable, thoughtful people do a lot of soul searching before resorting to violence to change their political environment.

        Personally, I think Anonymous is in the wrong on this one. They should not have outed the transit police's PII for the shooting, they should have outed BARTs managers who broke the law shutting down the communications.
        Dr_Zinj
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

    It is high time these people (anon, lulsec, and others) were taken down a couple of notches. I will be over joyed when the FBI bust down their doors and drags these idiots into waiting squad cars at 2am.

    I am still ticked some moron hacked Bethesda's user forum again last week and stole info.
    pmfjoe
    Reply Vote

  • Lies.

    If the author of this post had even glimpsed into the IRC channel, they would have noticed that Anonymous has not, and still is not claiming responsibility for the action. Anonymous not Unaminous. Anonymous is an idea, rather than a centralized group. Also, most people in OpBART were against any form of cyber attacks.

    "The group wrangled together..." No. It was a well organized protest, not something wrangled together. Terrible word choice.
    You are just a disgruntled person who has the right to voice your opinion, but please try not to spread lies. (:
    Intrigued_bystander
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

      @Intrigued_bystander +1 Some so-called Anonymous communication channels have issued statements disclaiming and deploring these actions.
      huntm856
      Reply Vote

  • Interesting situation

    In a free society, the government is not allowed to shut down communications of the people. And although I will not ever state publicly that I believe that its right to endanger individual lives, I do believe there are circumstances where extreme actions are called for. Take the foundation of this country for expample. Whoever is responsible for these hacks certainly was doing what they were doing for a just cause, even if what they were doing was specifically wrong.

    It is up to all of you individually to decide if the ends justifiy the means. I know where i stand. Do you the sheeple know where you stand?
    liquidify
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

      @liquidify<br>The government did not shut down communications!! A private service which made internet accessible to subway passengers (READ AGAIN: A PRIVATE SERVICE) as a convenience was shut down to prevent ANARCHIST, JUVENILE, LOONEY LIBERAL, behavior from disrupting the people who try to maintain normal, reasonable, responsible, non-criminal, non scum, LIVES !!! If I shut my router off prevent people receiving internet service I pay for, so be it. TOUGH SH*t !!!! NOW GO CRAWL BACK UNDER THE LIBERAL UNEDUCATED ROCK YOU CAME FROM !!!! Sheesh, I can't understand how these liberal freaks associate lawlessness with a free society !!
      partman1969@...
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Anonymous hacks BART police website; publishes officers' info

        @partman1969@...
        Since BART is public transportation, I'd hazard a guess that it's a Public entity that shut down communications. And they didn't only shut off internet, they shut off ALL cell communications.

        Let's look at a very possible scenario, should they do it again. BART shuts off cell towers; Rider waiting for train has heart-attack; Nearby passenger recognizes emergency and calls 911; But with cell towers down, call doesn't go through; It now takes 15 more minutes (approximate time it takes to get out of most underground train stations) to call for help; Heart-attack victim couldn't wait additional 15 minutes and dies from the infarction. Who's responsible? Is BART not partly culpable in this person's death?

        It's a weighing of probable risks (medical emergencies) versus possible risks (protests tuning violent). And I don't know about you, but I think BART over estimated the possible over the probable; and therefore were in the wrong.
        reziol
        Reply Vote
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