Three students have been sued by MBTA over research that was to be presented at Defcon this weekend. The complaint by the MBTA lists over (7) counts for damages including “affect[ing] a computer system used by the government entity for national security purposes”.
What is unclear is whether or not the researchers provided or attempted to provide the MBTA with access to the research first. According to the article at the Register they did. The complaint alleges otherwise.
One of the more amusing parts of the complaint is (61) where the MBTA says that Ron Rivest (a professor of these students) and the undergrads are bound by the MITnet Terms of Service and those apply to “key systems in the Commonwealth, such as the MBTA computerized Fare Media systems.”
More on this to come.
Post a Comment