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Anonymous hacks into Bay Area Rapid Transit website

August 15, 2011

The amorphous hacker group known as Anonymous attacked a Bay Area Rapid Transit website Sunday in retaliation for BART’s decision to cut cell phone service to prevent a flash mob protest against San Francisco police. [San Francisco Chronicle]

BART scrambled to protect its websites as infuriated riders protested leaked personal information. The attack came as the hackers also called for a 5 p.m. protest today at BART’s Civic Center Station, where a police officer fatally shot a knife-wielding man on July 3.

BART, which ignited a debate about technology and free expression when it shut down cell phone service last Thursday, has not ruled out blocking it again tonight, agency spokesman Jim Allison said.

“We’re going to take steps to make sure our customers are safe,” Allison said. “The interruption of cell phone service was done Thursday to prevent what could have been a dangerous situation. It’s one of the tactics we have at our disposal. We may use it; we may not. And I’m not sure we would necessarily let anyone know in advance either way.”

The hackers took information from myBART.org, a site run by an outside vendor, then published it on another website. The leak contained 2,001 names of people — along with their passwords — who use the myBART service, which notifies riders of contests, discounts and events. In many cases, addresses and phone numbers were published as well.

“We are Anonymous, we are your citizens, we are the people, we do not tolerate oppression from any government agency,” the hackers wrote in an online posting. “BART has proved multiple times that they have no problem exploiting and abusing the people.”

Marsha-Ann Sebay, a Vallejo woman whose personal information was released, said she was furious with the hackers.

“To be honest with you, I’d like to kick their ass,” said Sebay, 61, who works in the UC Davis registrar’s office. “If you have a problem with someone, you resolve it with that person. You don’t punish other people because you don’t agree with something.

“There’s other ways to protest,” she said.


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We are Anonymous, we are your citizens, we are the people, we do not tolerate oppression from any government agency,” the hackers wrote in an online posting. “BART has proved multiple times that they have no problem exploiting and abusing the people.”


I love this quote coming from a group that calls themselves “your citizens” yet publishes our personal information and passwords for the world to see and potentially exploit. Oh wait….they are doing the same thing that they are accusing BART of…exploiting and abusing. You go Anonymous and call that kettle black!


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Maybe they could crash into the A-Town system and wipe out Wade McKinney’s phony 90K of accrued vacation pay! Maybe they could fix the CA GUB employee pension plan system while they were at it and bring it into line with the same plan that the private realizes. Anonymous has a lot to do for everyone before they start working for the GUB.


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More BART news:


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/08/bart-protest-san-francisco.html


People were encouraged by Anonymous’ message to protest…and protest they did!


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GO Anonymous Go, LMAO at Bart, Scientology and a few others. The IRS, that would be fun!


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Imagine waking up and discovering everyone in the IRS computer data base owes no taxes or, better yet, gets a refund! The mess that would ensue…


I am amused by their actions, admittedly, but realize they are a threat of substantial magnitude. Did you ever see the move “Sneakers”?? If not, please do so. It is kinda scary and dead on to what Anonymous and hackers like them can really do. And it doesn’t hurt that the handsome Robert Redford is in it…


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“Sneakers”, I’ll have to watch it…


I’m not concerned that Anonymous will do any real harm, they have a sense of humor and loyalty to what our great nation is supposed to be all about. Their antic’s I’m sure are slated as innocuous to the mass and the security of the nation. They are more about putting a few “hot shot’s” in their place in my opinion. That makes them the gang that the people love and the gubment will have a symbiotic love/hate relationship with. In other words, love their creative skill set and hate that they have no control over them. Eventually they’ll be working for the gubment. All’s well that ends well and until it does, I’ll be very amused.


November 5th and they bring down Face Book. That is something I’ve gotta see. They must be very sure of themselves to give FB all that notice!


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Oh, be easy on Facebook…. it is a lot of fun to keep up on family and buds. BTW, Get over it, privacy is an illusion.


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WOW, This group is gaining quite the name for themselves. I heard the group is going to attack Face Book in September. They said something about FaceBook gathering too much private information on the users and not deleting it from their files, not even when users opt out of the service. They are right about “snoopy” FaceBook which is why I ignore the invitations to join. I wonder what Anonymous is going to do to the FB network?


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Attack Facebook? Puhleeze! Finding a hole in a lame government agency web site is orders of magnitude different than mega-huge Facebook (which is evil). Best of luck to these big-talking amateurs.


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I believe they plan to attack FB on Nov. 5th and will “take it down”. They also recently attacked Fullerton police dept. computers and published info on the officers, staff members, etc. that work there. So far, they have hacked the CIA, FBI, NTSA, and SONY. I am waiting for them to hack the IRS….imagine what would happen there! They are intent on showing vulnerabilities of such organizations. Recently, the FBI has hired hackers to help combat against hackers…go figure!


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they have massive cajones


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I love this stuff, I’m sitting here with a big grin on my face. I guess I’m a radical at heart.


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chuckle > black fax attacks.


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