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This sounds as ridiculous as when Kevin Mitnick wasn't allowed to use a phone whilst incarcerated because it was rumoured he'd set of nuclear missiles by whistl

This sounds as ridiculous as when Kevin Mitnick wasn't allowed to use a phone whilst incarcerated because it was rumoured he'd set of nuclear missiles by whistling at certain frequencies. Edit: Slightly tongue in cheek.

tptacek 12y ago
It's clearly not as ridiculous, as there was no basis whatsoever to believe that Mitnick could do anything like that.
- tinco 12y ago
  I get the idea that it's pretty certain that he actually couldn't, but at that time I don't think you could be certain of anything he might be able to do. Maybe not set of nuclear missiles, but destroying evidence perhaps? Or some other scheme that would only require a simple digital initiation? As I'm sure you are well aware there actually were hackers at the time who taught themselves to whistle at 2600hz. Who knows if someone you have just caught and otherwise know nothing about could do something similar?
hawkice 12y ago
It's worth saying, as hackers we're familiar with the quotes about, if some old expert says something is impossible, be much more skeptical than when a young person says it is possible. Things like: "It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." - Robert Goddard Are perfect quotes for hackers. Maybe we should ease up on mocking people for believing the whistling nukes thing. The reasons it couldn't have happened involve details more specific than "sounds on phones can't do things on computers", notably because that wasn't true at the time. And experts probably told him that people only have to be clever enough to find a single flaw in a security system to compromise it, and having one insight the creators of the system didn't could lead to compromising it. So the judge hears some seasoned professional say it's impossible... and the same person says when you hear some old professional say something is impossible you should be extremely skeptical. When faced with Armageddon? Let's cut the people involved a little slack.

tptacek 12y ago

It's clearly not as ridiculous, as there was no basis whatsoever to believe that Mitnick could do anything like that.

tinco 12y ago
I get the idea that it's pretty certain that he actually couldn't, but at that time I don't think you could be certain of anything he might be able to do. Maybe not set of nuclear missiles, but destroying evidence perhaps? Or some other scheme that would only require a simple digital initiation? As I'm sure you are well aware there actually were hackers at the time who taught themselves to whistle at 2600hz. Who knows if someone you have just caught and otherwise know nothing about could do something similar?

hawkice 12y ago

It's worth saying, as hackers we're familiar with the quotes about, if some old expert says something is impossible, be much more skeptical than when a young person says it is possible. Things like: "It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." - Robert Goddard Are perfect quotes for hackers. Maybe we should ease up on mocking people for believing the whistling nukes thing. The reasons it couldn't have happened involve details more specific than "sounds on phones can't do things on computers", notably because that wasn't true at the time. And experts probably told him that people only have to be clever enough to find a single flaw in a security system to compromise it, and having one insight the creators of the system didn't could lead to compromising it. So the judge hears some seasoned professional say it's impossible... and the same person says when you hear some old professional say something is impossible you should be extremely skeptical. When faced with Armageddon? Let's cut the people involved a little slack.