Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uupsi!rodan.acs.syr.edu!isr
From: isr@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Michael S. Schechter - ISR group account)
Subject: Re: Techno Terror
Message-ID: <1991Apr30.211635.8083@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Organization: Institute for Sensory Research
References: <9517@suned1.Nswses.Navy.MIL>
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 91 21:16:35 GMT

In article <9517@suned1.Nswses.Navy.MIL> lev@slced1.nswses.navy.mil (Lloyd E Vancil) writes:
...
 >Basically, such a system would involve computer guided autos, and a network
 >of machines that control the network under the roadway.  This would mean that
 >a network of computers (non-motile) would be controling and "conversing"
 >with a large number of moving computers.  All in all, a much considered
 >concept, nothing new here.
 >I wonder, however, if these designers have given any thought to the potential
 >for techno terror.  A "dick dastardly" finagles the computer in one
 >sector of the system to change the destination of each vehicle passing throug
 >its control. The contollers would have to be able to re-route traffic around
 >problems.  Or a High-tech assasin targets one car and sets a program that
 >alters its destination every few seconds/minutes.  The victim car becomes the
...
 >How would we react to such techno terror?
 >How would we combat it?
 > | suned1!lev@elroy.JPL.Nasa.Gov | * S.T.A.R.S.!   .       +      o       |

As far as this and terrorism goes, i see it broken down into too areas:
attacking the car computers
and attacking the control computers

As regards the control computers, I'm not worried. Worring about this
is like worrying about terrorists modifying the control programs on
airliners, train routers, or ATC stations. It would be of the same difficulty,
both technically and security-wise.

The mobile computers are something else. Yeah, i could see a problem if
a car kept changing it's destination every second if it's in a local-control
zone, but i'm under the impression these systems are meant for highway use.
So what if the destination changes? if it's not an immeadeately upcoming
exit it doesn't matter. And if it is, it's either in the "exit window" or
it's too late.

Another way mobile cmputers could be modified is to not pay attetion
to the remote controls - but i imagine the controllers would sense this
and be able to account for it. The worst case would be if the vehicale
telltales were removed completely, but again, i imagine roadway sensors
would pickup that -something- was there that didn't belong and in thge
worst case, all traffic in that sector would be halted while the highway 
patrol or it's equivalent came out (most likely they'd be using helicopters
with vehicle lift capability).
If you to achieive similar results now, it's easy - get a pair of night
goggles and go out driving at night with your lights off on highway
interchanges.

The worst thing would be terrorists making up fake central controllers,
but again, this hasn't happened with airline instrument landings, why 
assume it would happen with cars?

I see no particular problem, other than some people LIKE to drive.
(personally i would HATE this system, i enjoy zipping thru traffic)

I mean if terrorists wanted to cause massive traffic jams and accidents
they could simply use the traffic light strobe controllers.

Mike schechter
Mike_Schechter@isr.syr.edu
-- 
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