British Tabloid Folds in Hacking Scandal

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

My link

One of the news people on CBC showed how easy it is to hack a phone's answering system. The ease of cracking is facilitated by the stupidity of the user in not changing the e-mail access code. Amazing how naive people are about that. I always set a personal pin on all phone system.

With all the hurrah in the U.K. about this, I wonder if more people will change their default codes.

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

My link

One of the news people on CBC showed how easy it is to hack a phone's answering system. The ease of cracking is facilitated by the stupidity of the user in not changing the e-mail access code. Amazing how naive people are about that. I always set a personal pin on all phone system.

With all the hurrah in the U.K. about this, I wonder if more people will change their default codes.

Regardless of that, hacking into somebody's phone or e-mail etc. is a criminal offence. To have the cheek to erase their messages is beyond the pale.

Sadly though, shutting the newspaper will not do anything to punish the people involved, it will just put the innocent workers out of a job. This is a sinicle plot by Rupert Murdoch to stem his financial losses (as lots of advertisers are pulling their advertising) and open the way for him to buy BSkyB (as it removes the plurality which the government would have considered in allowing his purchase to continue).

[Eʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ 273]

My link

One of the news people on CBC showed how easy it is to hack a phone's answering system. The ease of cracking is facilitated by the stupidity of the user in not changing the e-mail access code. Amazing how naive people are about that. I always set a personal pin on all phone system.

With all the hurrah in the U.K. about this, I wonder if more people will change their default codes.

They probably will for a few months. After the hype, people will stop changing it. Personally, I think its the latest thing to be afraid of. The fact that literally you have higher privacy risk searching or using google compared to people reading your answering system sort of makes it into the latest "scare trend". Anyways, no sources to back it up. I just assume there are higher privacy risks with Google than the risk of people using your answering machine.

Anyways, if you were to analyze the current liberalization of the internet and various systems its almost common knowledge that there is a growing problem in terms of privacy risks. It has actually become quite profitable for businesses to sell personal information to other organizations for 'market research' and such. Just take a look at Facebook. Anyways, I guess I'm just wondering what the future will hold. You can definitely see there is a growing problem with hacking.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I am beginning to think that hacking is the wrong term. In my small, computer-oriented world, hacking means breaking into a program for nefarious purposes. Cracking someone's password seems trivial by comparison when you know you are dealing with security ignoramuses and only have to guess the right four digits.

One of the features of the bank I deal with is that you can have a PIN of arbitrary length, minimum four digits. In this case, it depends on your level of masochism.

When I first opened my accounts with them they were very careful that I set my passwords at a terminal out of their sight. They don't use default passwords on anything, which leads one to believe that they have been burned before. They also change the URL of their on-line gateway, but have another page that always knows where it is. I like their idea of layered security.

For all our hoohaw about privacy, we aren't very good at it, now are we? Who is supposed to look after it, if we don't?

[Easy Bakes 253]

wow you can run a 2.8M circulation news paper with 200 people?

I'm very suspicious of Mr Murdoch's motives in just shutting the thing down.

  Edited July 8, 2011 by Easy Bakes  

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

wow you can run a 2.8M circulation news paper with 200 people?

I'm very suspicious of Mr Murdoch's motives in just shutting the thing down.

Isn't automation wonderful? Murdoch was looking for an excuse. His bid for Sky News will probably now go through.

[jim 546 43]

Isn't automation wonderful? Murdoch was looking for an excuse. His bid for Sky News will probably now go through.

The news guys are saying that the bid is in jeopardy due to the scam regardless of NotW closing. It looks like another of Murdoch's UK brands "The Sun" will take the old paper's place and that the closing was really just to get rid of a tarnished band.

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

Isn't automation wonderful? Murdoch was looking for an excuse. His bid for Sky News will probably now go through.

The news guys are saying that the bid is in jeopardy due to the scam regardless of NotW closing. It looks like another of Murdoch's UK brands "The Sun" will take the old paper's place and that the closing was really just to get rid of a tarnished band.

He needs to get rid of the journalists responsible and the editor at that time.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Isn't automation wonderful? Murdoch was looking for an excuse. His bid for Sky News will probably now go through.

The news guys are saying that the bid is in jeopardy due to the scam regardless of NotW closing. It looks like another of Murdoch's UK brands "The Sun" will take the old paper's place and that the closing was really just to get rid of a tarnished band.

He needs to get rid of the journalists responsible and the editor at that time.

There seem to have been some arrests by Scotland Yard. We'll see if they got the right guys.

[Munchiez 74]

Hmm...so they hacked into the answering system of the phone. Thats horrible. I don't think that I have to worry about that here in the US.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Isn't automation wonderful? Murdoch was looking for an excuse. His bid for Sky News will probably now go through.

The news guys are saying that the bid is in jeopardy due to the scam regardless of NotW closing. It looks like another of Murdoch's UK brands "The Sun" will take the old paper's place and that the closing was really just to get rid of a tarnished band.

"Best investigative reporting on the planet"

K

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

It is alleged that they have deleted millions of e-mails to disrupt the police investigation.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

It is alleged that they have deleted millions of e-mails to disrupt the police investigation.

Which implies that the cops are not much good a picking PINs either. What are they using, Bobby's birthday? They'd be better off with 0420 (Hitler's birthday). What hacker would try that one?

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

It is alleged that they have deleted millions of e-mails to disrupt the police investigation.

Which implies that the cops are not much good a picking PINs either. What are they using, Bobby's birthday? They'd be better off with 0420 (Hitler's birthday). What hacker would try that one?

Last time they investigated this they said in was only involing a few people, now it seems to be about 4,000 people.

[EyeofMobius 27]

I am a bit wary of what the English Government will do with this since I am a little bit of a paranoist with governments as it is. This may open doors to more government control over the media there eventually leading to full government decisions of what is acceptable to be shown.

Although the way I remember the media had very little if any form of independant programming on TV and Radio.

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

I am a bit wary of what the English Government will do with this since I am a little bit of a paranoist with governments as it is. This may open doors to more government control over the media there eventually leading to full government decisions of what is acceptable to be shown.

Although the way I remember the media had very little if any form of independant programming on TV and Radio.

British Government not English.

You're right TV and Radio are controlled to a certain extent, yet the BBC is world reknowned and respected for it's news.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Controls need to be wrapped in kid gloves to be acceptable. I doubt there is much interference with the fourth estate in the U.K.

[Duke87 1,070]

Oh look, a tabloid was involved in despicable news-gathering practices.

Wow, that's never happened before. Shocking!

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

Oh look, a tabloid was involved in despicable news-gathering practices.

Wow, that's never happened before. Shocking!

Some journalists broke the law, it seems the paper covered it up. Looks like we will need to build a new prison to house those culpable. Also to hack into a murdered girls phone listen to her messages and delete some is unforgivable. It has today been said that they bribed a royal protection policeman to get the phone numbers of royalty.

[Barbarossa 51]

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  Edited September 8, 2012 by Barbarossa  

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

Rupert's shutdown of this sad face of journalism is just an example of what he does when he gets caught.

Barbarossa

But is this a crafty move?

Sales of newspapers are declining, profits in BSkyB are rising. Having the News Of The World (Britain's best selling) newspaper could have stopped him getting the rest of BSkyB (he owns 39% already).

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Rupert's bid for BSkyB has been shelved. It was referred to a Parliamentary Committee, which will take months and months. Meanwhile, the scandal broadens as old skeletons are found in the closet, Seems absolutely everyone in the world was targeted at whim.

  Edited July 12, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

Rupert's bid for BSkyB has been shelved. It was referred to a Parliamentary Committee, which will take months and months. Meanwhile, the scandal broadens as old skeletons are found in the closet, Seems absolutely everyone in the world was targeted at whim.

Yes but Murdoch has time to wait if he can eventually get his way. The only thing that will stop him is if he gets declared unfit to own the broadcaster.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Rupert's bid for BSkyB has been shelved. It was referred to a Parliamentary Committee, which will take months and months. Meanwhile, the scandal broadens as old skeletons are found in the closet, Seems absolutely everyone in the world was targeted at whim.

Yes but Murdoch has time to wait if he can eventually get his way. The only thing that will stop him is if he gets declared unfit to own the broadcaster.

Considering the ethics of the gentleman(?) in question, a thorough security check should find him with feet of clay up to the neck. The question that seems to be around right now is does he own the government?

[Barbarossa 51]

.

  Edited September 8, 2012 by Barbarossa  

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Rupert's shutdown of this sad face of journalism is just an example of what he does when he gets caught.

Barbarossa

But is this a crafty move?

Sales of newspapers are declining, profits in BSkyB are rising. Having the News Of The World (Britain's best selling) newspaper could have stopped him getting the rest of BSkyB (he owns 39% already).

Crafty? Yes. Smart? No. I have a sneaking suspicion that Murdoch (or his delegates) expected "honor amongst theives", but didn't really think it through.

Barbarossa

I suspect he doesn't own one faction or the other of the coalition government. He will learn that while honest politicians are supposed to stay bought, sometimes you just can't pay enough when their butts are in a crack.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Rupert's bid for BSkyB has been shelved. It was referred to a Parliamentary Committee, which will take months and months. Meanwhile, the scandal broadens as old skeletons are found in the closet, Seems absolutely everyone in the world was targeted at whim.

Yes but Murdoch has time to wait if he can eventually get his way. The only thing that will stop him is if he gets declared unfit to own the broadcaster.

Considering the ethics of the gentleman(?) in question, a thorough security check should find him with feet of clay up to the neck. The question that seems to be around right now is does he own the government?

mabey not all of them but enough in the right places to get his way.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

EB. Don't bet on it. The U.K. has a coalition government. Do you think Rupert has his hands on Nick Clegg? He wasn't important until the last election.

[Merlin of Flyote 8]

EB. Don't bet on it. The U.K. has a coalition government. Do you think Rupert has his hands on Nick Clegg? He wasn't important until the last election.

I think this is the polititons wake up call. Any links they had with Murdoch & co. they will drop like a ton of hot coals.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

EB. Don't bet on it. The U.K. has a coalition government. Do you think Rupert has his hands on Nick Clegg? He wasn't important until the last election.

I think this is the polititons wake up call. Any links they had with Murdoch & co. they will drop like a ton of hot coals.

When the smoke settles, you might be able to tell the sheep from the goats. However, watch out for the Wile. E. Coyote (Eatimus Anythingus) faction.

Update: 1206 hours: So there!

Things got a little hot, I guess.

  Edited July 13, 2011 by A Nonny Moose