Crooks Cause Chilean Car Chaos

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,52114,00.html

By Ricardo Sametband 
2:00 a.m. April 26, 2002 PDT 

New Yorkers think they have traffic jams, but sorting them out is
child's play compared to what Chilean commuters awoke to on Thursday
-- a morning of mayhem and chaos.

In Santiago de Chile, 800 of the city's 1,800 traffic lights went
haywire after thieves stole 15 PCs and 2 servers from the Unidad
Operativa de Control de Tránsito (UOCT), the office that manages the
traffic flow of the city.

Without the computer system, the traffic lights continued working but
at their own pace, losing all synchronization between one crossroad
and the others. Five million citizens were in fear of crossing the
streets, whether on foot or by car.

The thieves that broke into the offices of the UOCT, late at night
last Wednesday, seem to have had a good knowledge of the place. They
entered the building through the kitchen in the backyard, deactivated
the alarm system and disconnected security cameras.

But while stealing the goods, valued at US$90,000, they took their
time. According to police reports, these peculiar robbers smoked some
cigarettes, ate a snack, and drank a few cups of joe, taking it easy
before leaving the scene of the crime.

The motives behind the theft remain unknown.

It was a thorough job: After they loaded the computers into a van, the
alarm was also taken. The only equipment they left in the UOCT were
the live cameras that show the way the traffic moves - or, rather,
does not move.

Although police are re-routing vehicles around the city, traffic is
far from becoming organized.

Long queues of cars were observed all over Santiago, especially in the
wealthy neighborhoods of the southern and western parts of the city,
where most of the derelict traffic lights are installed.

Patricio Tambolini, subsecretary of transportation, told the local
media that drivers should not expect a normal green light until
Monday, when things may be straightened out. About half of the 800
derelict traffic lights were operational by Thursday evening, thanks
to a backup version of the software that controls the lights, but no
word on when the job will be completed.

Luckily, this will occur during the weekend, so Santiago should not
expect even more trouble as the traffic lights synchronization
software is tested.

"We thought we had deployed all normal security measures," Tambolini
said. "You never know if you've covered all security holes until this
kind of thing happens." He also pleaded to the almost 1 million
befuddled drivers for some patience and understanding.

In an effort to lower the number of circulating cars and calm down
bewildered drivers, the authorities are urging citizens to take public
transportation and the subway, even when buses now take three times as
long to complete their journey.

Local newspaper La Tercera reported that Javier Etcheberry, minister
of transport and telecommunications, announced that even though
installing a back-up traffic control system would be expensive, the
government is giving the proposal some serious thought.



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