Aren't emergency messages to cellphones a bad idea?

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com>]

Here's a thought experiment.  Let's say a teenager blasted out 10,000 fake
SMS messages to area code 617 warning of an anthrax attack in downtown
Boston and that everyone should get out of the area at once.  How bad would
be the mess?  Do we really want a emergency warning system that anyone can
use to send out messages of their choice?
 
Part of the problem here is that email addresses of cellphones are
predictable and easy to generate in bulk (eg. 6175551234 () vtext com).
 
Richard
 
  _____  

 
Crime alerts at your fingertips in Boston 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060620/ap_on_hi_te/computer_crime_alert_1

By KEN MAGUIRE, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 20, 4:27 AM ET 

BOSTON - Phil Carver may never see the white Maxima stolen near his
neighborhood, but the description e-mailed to him by the Boston Police
Department will be in the back of his head when he goes for a walk with his
kids. 

Boston has become the latest - and largest - U.S. city to launch a crime
alert system designed to get the word out about murders, bank robberies and
other crimes to residents and businesses via e-mail, text messaging and fax.

"This is stuff I can tell my neighbors," Carver said. "At the very least it
keeps people on their toes and aware of what's going on. The more people are
aware and involved, the less crime you'll have."

Carver, who lives in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, is among an estimated
1,000 people who have registered since early June shortly after the program
was launched in Boston, which has seen a spike in crime over the past 18
months.

Alerts are sent not only about various violent crimes, but also about
trends, such as car break-ins. Specific types of businesses, such as pizza
shops, can be warned of robberies. Alerts also can be sent about fugitives
and missing persons.

The program is designed to both disseminate and solicit information, at a
time when prosecutors complain that witnesses too often remain quiet. The
program allows anonymous tips.

"The idea of this is to close cases," said Joseph Porcelli, civilian
community service officer with the Boston Police Department. "What gets sent
out is information that the community needs to know, or can take action on."

The department's first alert was about a May 30 bank robbery in South
Boston. A young woman wearing dark sunglasses and a Gap sweat shirt made off
with an undetermined amount of cash.

An alert was sent after two men were fatally shot outside a Dorchester store
on Wednesday afternoon. None of the cases have been solved, but officials
say there are success stories in other cities using the technology.

...

Citizen Observer:
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_hi_te/storytext/computer_crime_al
ert/19406053/SIG=11036i2s0/*http://www.citizenobserver.com>
http://www.citizenobserver.com

_______________________________________________
Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts.
https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec
Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.