IP: wonder when automatic toll-taker transponders will be cracked?

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> X-Sender: jwarren () mail well com
> Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 13:28:20 -0700
> To: farber () cis upenn edu (Dave Farber),
> From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com>
> Subject: wonder when automatic toll-taker transponders will be cracked?
>
> As some people know, various states' Transportation Departments and various
> toll-bridge and toll-road jurisdictions have begun to deploy various kinds
> of automated toll-collection systems.  These involve having some kind of
> transponder in or on the vehicle.  This may be a small device the the
> driver places near the front windshield when approaching a toll plaza.
> Other systems require that the device be mounted on the vehicle, usually
> inside the front grillwork.
>
> As the vehicle approaches the toll plaze, equipment installed in the toll
> plaza can sense these transponders, identifying the vehicle (or, at least,
> the unique transponder) without the driver ever needing to stop or hand
> over cash.  Typically, drivers using these systems deposit funds, from
> which the toll fees are automatically deducted as the transponder passes
> through the toll-plaza sensor.
>
> The question is:  When will these devices be cracked and cloned -- just
> like the massive cloning racket that is done with cell-phones?
>
> Think it's not worth it?  Think again!  Remember -- Capt'n Crunch was one
> of the first who was caught, prosecuted and convicted of cracking [San
> Franciso] Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) magstripe tickets, 10-20 years ago!
>
> Of course, the risk will be greatly increased for those toll systems that
> require that the transponder be permanently turned on -- rather than
> turning it on only as one nears the toll plaza.  Then, any cracker sitting
> on any approach leading to a toll plaza should be able to trigger it and/or
> pick up the transponder's id, for later cloning.
>
> The safest toll systems will allow the driver to completely shield, or
> otherwise turn-off, their transponder -- except when they are almost
> actually inside the toll-plaza's vehicle-slip.  (But of course, this makes
> the transponders useless for law enforcement that may want to be able to
> sense the transponder, far distant from the toll plaza ... for speed
> enforcement and other possible covert surveillance purposes. :-)
>
> Just another [paranoic] thought about crackers, law enforcement and the
> "wonders" of technology.  (Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that ...
> :-)
>
> --jim, Jim Warren, jwarren () well com, GovAccess 
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