OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

According to this story:

http://www.cdi.org/blair/permissive-action-links.cfm


...from the 1960's through 1977, the high-security 8-digit launch code for minuteman ICBM's was:

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif


EDIT: forgot to add the "OT" to the subject

[ June 03, 2004, 14:56: Message edited by: alarikf ]

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

It's a good thing no one set their coffee on the zero key, then!

PvK

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

rather scary than funny...

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

The series of zeros wouldn't have been enough to launch the missles. There were switches and keys and whatever that had to be thrown in the proper order. It wouldn't be something where you bumped into the desk and accidentally nuked Vladivostok. But this did mean that if a base was overrun by hostiles or a missle crew went wacky they could make a deliberate action and launch without the proper authorization. I guess the military figured their security and training was sufficent to prevent this. Pretty scary, I agree.

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

Yeah, that's scary. If someone were to try to guess the password, and if they knew it was 8 digits, they might start with 00000000, then try 00000001, 00000002, and so on.

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I am ill...... just ill.

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Or if we were really lucky they would have started at 99999999 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

I can only imagine if aliens out there do exist and receive the Last news broadcast from earth, somehow decypher it and believe it will be of monumental discovery.

Then they discover we wiped ourselves out by setting a VERY important 8 digit security code at 00000000 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

It's not the sort of way i'd like this race be remembered for all time...I might go write an empire description simmilar to this http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

And to think, these people were the smartest folks on the planet and they held our lives in their hands yet they choose a code system that you could basically dial like a phone number..... yes indeed this is very scary and NOVA or 60 minutes should do a story on it.

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think it's more human ignorance. You'd be surprised on the network at school how many students still keep their accounts password as "password" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

If you read the article, it's not just that it was a simple code that someone might guess, but that they also told everyone at the facility what it was, because they didn't ever want to have it holding back their ability to fire.

The page follows with silo security analyses which many gamers (especially, smart tactical roleplayers such as I've often played RPG's with) would be able to devise simple and cheap plans which could overcome the security. Apparently we've been lucky so far that there have not been more determined and capable madmen around, trying. And that's just the nuclear weapons system in the USA...

PvK

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Not to mention that few people had any type of hardware that could send the 8 bits of code. Also, they would need to know the transmission method, the client, the service, and the protocol. Based on the time frame, it was prolly a set of hand driven switches/relays that had to be set on site, and had to be input on site. Actually, IIRC there were cards kept in a safe that had switch settings on them. The operators would use the cards to set a series of rotary switches before they turned the keys. Those settings would then be converted to a binary instruction set for the systems on the delivery system. So, while the final output was 8bit binary, the input would have been 8 times the number of positions on the rotary switches.

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

Just great, GP think of this for a second, WWIII started by a kid hacker breaking into the militaries most advanced war computer because the GD military was too stupid to change the firewall codes from defualt. I wonder if we can make a movie out of this or not? I think Mathew Brodrick would make a great 14 year old kid... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I LIKE it! Write it up and send it it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

I can see this degenerating into "no you do it, no you do it, no you do it". At one time I would have written it up and sent it in but nowadays, making a movie that says the military leaders are idio....88 22 349*@ &&@*.........(click)

[ June 04, 2004, 21:07: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

Hummmmmmmmmm what to call it now? I know.. WARGAMES. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: OT: Funny in a really scary way
 

They might have done it thinking that no one would try 0000000 as a first guess. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

But the part that scares me is that someone showing the system to a big wig might also put in 0000000 figuring there is no way it could possibly be the right code.

Chances are that there was no thinking. They are nothing but a bunch of Windows Users. 0000000 was the default that the software installed with and it was years before anyone bothered to even consider changing it.

[ June 04, 2004, 12:56: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]