SCADA Vulnerabilities In Prisons Could Open Cell Doors 134
Orome1 writes "Many prisons and jails use SCADA systems with PLCs to open and close doors. Using original and publicly available exploits along with evaluating vulnerabilities in electronic and physical security designs, researchers discovered significant vulnerabilities in PLCs used in correctional facilities by being able to remotely flip the switches to 'open' or 'locked closed' on cell doors and gates."
U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
It's very telling that U.S. has one of the highest percentages of their people in prisons. That system clearly isn't working.
The more people in jail, the more money the private companies running the jails make. The system is working as designed.
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:3, Insightful)
"News for nerds, stuff that matters". I'd call prisons "stuff that matters". And nowhere did you attempt to refute any of the perfectly valid points made in the parent. You're simply complaining because he has a different opinion.
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:2, Insightful)
The United States is not Norway. Norway does not have violent illegal immigrant gangbangers. If they did, they would have to create a real prison system.
Look what happened when there was that shooter at the kids' camp. The police did not even know how to respond.
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
The purpose of the U.S. system isn't to rehabilitate criminals, it's to generate profits [wikipedia.org].
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
Look what happened when there was that shooter at the kids' camp. The police did not even know how to respond.
Yes they did, but the shooter had planned it well. First bomb in city center and then go to an island to shoot kids. It would had been disaster everywhere in world.
The United States is not Norway. Norway does not have violent illegal immigrant gangbangers. If they did, they would have to create a real prison system.
Which is mostly caused by the stupid war on drugs. If you just let your people get high there wouldn't be any reason for such violent immigrant crimes that mostly come from Mexico. There was lots of crime involving bootleg alcohol when it was banned too. All that went away when alcohol was legalized.
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
You can't solve that problem by making jail more inviting,
It's not about making jail more inviting. A prison system that is civilized and actually _actively_ tries to help prisoners gives them fewer excuses to say that "They are against Us" and more reasons to feel part of the Main Tribe, to leave their current gang (their old tribe) and rejoin mainstream society (the "main tribe").
If you feel part of the tribe you are less likely to go against it than if you feel like you're in a different tribe. After all when they're in their gang it's not just fear of punishment that keeps them in compliance with their gang traditions and rules.
It doesn't make noncompliance impossible, but it seems more likely than if you keep reinforcing the "Us vs Them" thinking - e.g. humiliating them, treating them with contempt, not even allowing them to vote (very common in the US), etc.
It's different to be still considered part of the tribe and merely being in a "time out" for committing crimes, than to be considered a "prisoner" and a member of a different tribe - just POWs waiting to get out and continue their war against mainstream society (who is conducting a war against them).
Most (not all) humans are social creatures. Yes such stuff won't work on a few but maybe nothing is likely to work on them[1]. But when you have people who are members of gangs following gang rules, why can't you make them members of "Our Gang" and follow our rules?
[1] Even so you could still keep two prisons, one more open and one more for those who have proven to be a persistent danger to society and really need to be kept away for safety reasons (but not completely isolated!) for a legally limited amount of time.
Re:U.S. prison system is flawed (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is a fundamentalist, puritanical desire to render retribution from prisoners instead of addressing the real underlying issues. The current system is disaster to the guilty it warehouses and an obscenity to the innocent people wrongly convicted. Its just easier to blame people, have public lynchings and dispose of the bodies, than actually look at the issues of organized crime, drug abuse, violence in our culture and what is quickly becoming a nation which criminalizes its poor. Growing studies show that there is no justice in the justice system. Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in Texas this year, with what amounts now to a mountain of evidence that he was innocent of any crime. Confronted with either looking soft on crime or doing the right thing, Governor Perry chose instead to have an innocent man executed. Capital punishment is the new coliseum. There isn't a single sane argument that supports capital punishment.
Prison's should be divided into those who can be rehabilitated and those that can't or shouldn't be. Both sides of the prison can do useful work, earn a wage that provides for their families, restitution to victims and pay their own cost of living. For those in the side supporting rehabilitation, giving them job skills and real life skills, that will serve them when they leave will dramatically reduce recidivism. Separating career criminals from young people who made a mistake, is a vital step in ending the criminal cycle. Keeping the most dangerous and violent offenders separate, and ensuring that they aren't in a position to do harm, will immediately enhance the security for both guards and inmates.
I was in prison (Score:5, Insightful)
I did the crime. Did I deserve punishment for what I did? Definitely, I hurt a lot of people through my actions, not just my victim. However, while I cannot speak for the system in other countries, the system here is very flawed. It gives lip service to rehabilitation, but does very little to actually produce it. In my experience, most of the teachers and counselors in prison are there for two reasons. One, they could not hold a real teaching or counseling job because they were incompetent, lazy, or both. Two, the prison system gives them a place where they can sit, collect great benefits and have inmates do most of the work. I tutored in a Software class for 7 years while I was inside and the the teacher could not even be bothered to learn windows XP (her mind was stuck on DOS and didn't know that well). She was well meaning, but also ignorant and clueless. There are exceptions to this, but it is largely the rule.
The system is hugely exploitative. In the Virginia system you have Virginia Correctional Enterprises. In the Feds you have FPI, and other states have similar programs. They pay more than any other job in prison (I made
The system is corrupt. I am not just talking about low level corruption of correctional officers accepting bribes or smuggling contraband, which havens daily. But on and up to the top. From administrative staff skimming commissary funds to hold officer parties, to buying equipment for a band room on state funds, never opening the band room then selling the equipment. I saw the latter one happen myself. Hell in VA the state code gives the director of DOC the permission to take bribes and kickbacks! [virginia.gov]
5. To accept, hold and enjoy gifts, donations and bequests on behalf of the Department from the United States government and agencies and instrumentalities thereof, and any other source, subject to the approval of the Governor. To these ends, the Director shall have the power to comply with such conditions and execute such agreements as may be necessary, convenient or desirable, consistent with applicable standards and goals of the Board;
I have to give a view (somewhat) from the other side as well. I have seen posts recommending separating the 'bad' criminals from the ones who can be rehabilitated. How do you propose to do that? Based on the crime? Their behavior while imprisoned? I spent ten years inside and there are people who are so good at gaming and manipulating ANY system it would make your jaw drop. I personally am not good at manipulating people and don't want to be, but in order to survive there were many times I had to bend and break the rules. For me, it was making my own soldering gun and tools and collecting contraband parts to repair other inmates electronics. (Most people don't want to fuck with the guy who can fix their TV for them cheaply when it breaks). For others it might be stealing supplies or running a gambling pool. Finding the right way to classify and group prisoners is an exceedingly difficult prospect, and to be quite frank, most of the staff and administration at these facilities (at least in my exp