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Hackers break into Large Hadron Collider

Create their own black hole
Monday, 15 September 2008, 10:59

HACKERS claim to have broken into the computer system of the Large Hadron Collider.

The Greek Security Team left a rogue webpage mocking the technicians responsible for computer security at the giant atom smasher as "schoolkids".

The Greeks said they will not disrupt the experiment at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on the Swiss-French border.

They said that they were pulling CERN's pants down because they didn’t "want to see you running around naked looking to hide yourselves when the panic comes. "

We agree that would be a terrible thing if when you encounter your first black hole you have the urge to take your clothes off. We are surprised that Steven Hawking has not noticed this effect.

The same group tried to gain access to the computer system of the Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment, one of the four detectors that will be analysing the progress of the experiment.

James Gillies, a spokesman for CERN, told The Times that there was no harm done and the group appeared to want to prove that CERN was hackable. Now that is done perhaps they would like to prove the existence of God to 15 decimal places. µ

L'Inq
AP

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Comments
What?

I'm surprised why no criminal offense was filed against these guys. THE LHC is not a toy.

posted by : ronch, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
We need a black hole!

We need a black hole to put all the dumbass politicians around the globe, as well as all the sheepish population that support them!

Suck up a few loser hackers as well!

posted by : thelmores, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
Not a toy?

We'll, it's kind of a toy but for grown-ups! ;)

posted by : erikss0n, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
Pot 'n Kettle...

Funny that the infantile schoolkids who pulled this stunt would be using the term schoolkids as derogatory.

And surely Hawking has noticed the effect but he was unable to pull his own pants down, thus leaving him exasperated and frantically puffing on his tube.

Now one might think that CERN might at least have been smart enough to keep their web server safely off in a DMZ, making this a mere tempest in a teapot. Or at least we can hope...

posted by : Brad, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
Focus on science and the facts

Why do all of your articles about LHC have to include religious nonsense?

posted by : Kern, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
Duh!

There should be no criminal offense. If anything is criminal it is the fact that there were billions of dollars spent developing and implementing this collider and that its computer systems could be compromised. Yes the LHC is not a toy, which is why those hackers are trying to prove a point. You don't let a multi billion dollar piece of equipment go unsecured and unprotected. If someone really wanted to cause some harm, it would be a great loss to the scientific community.

posted by : LHC Lover, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
Hmmm... Pensively thinking...

Wonder what it would be like if you really did break INTO the LHC? I imagine those beams of protons zipping through your body thousands of times a second would provide a cheap thrill.

posted by : Rich Wargo, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
Snot Nosed Punks

Every time I hear of yet another bunch of punks hacking into something I just want to shoot somebody (preferably them). If they're so bored that they have to go mess with Billion dollar projects to get their jollies off they need to go hack into a Swiss bank account and go buy themselves a life (or at least put their skills to good, preferably legal use). 

Instead of screwing with people, they should be helping them, like hacking into Bush's computers and finding the truth behind Iraq or something helpful like that. Only it will have come several years too late but at least we'll put that crook behind bars for manufacturing a war.

posted by : Uggh, 15 September 2008 Complain about this comment
With all the cpu and bandwidth they should see if it can run

Crysis with all the settings max'd.

Or use it as a faster HD version of youtube.

posted by : interested_party, 16 September 2008 Complain about this comment
common courtesy

to those that want to slate this group of people who hacked in...

if, when leaving your house in the morning, someone points out to you that you have left your front door or a window wide open, would you not be gratefull that you now know about, and can fix, the problem?
that passer by could have come back later and burgled your house
this is a digital version of the same thing, be thankfull there was no damaged caused because these were decent people. 
taking it one stage further, the person in charge of security at the collider should be reprimanded and some thanks given to the people who raised this loophole to the attention of the staff at the LHC

posted by : Hopo28, 16 September 2008 Complain about this comment
sweet relief!

well said thelmores! 
the LHC does have a practical use after all!

posted by : d l blonkerward, 17 September 2008 Complain about this comment
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