Hackers release BART workers data

HACKERS HAVE RELEASED the details of 120 Bay Area Transit workers in the wake of the peaceful protest at transit stations.

Earlier this week, in response to a cell phone shutdown in San Francisco Anonymous called for a protest. This went ahead peacefully, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) authority, although it had shut down mobile service in the past, left cell phone signals live in the area. The protest by all accounts was a success.

However, BART has been revisited by hackers and has seen the personal details of a number of its staff taken from the BART police union web site and leaked to the internet.

Some organisations are crediting Anonymous with the hack, but according to accounts linked to the loosely knit organisation it might have been the work of a lone hacker, or worse, the Feds.

The leak was reported by an Anonymous account on Twitter with a healthy dose of sceptisicm. "The leak today of BART officer data could be the work sanctioned by those who truly support anonymous, or agent provocateurs. Stay skeptical," it said.

Another account, this one tagged @Anon_central, added, "Hackers Post #BART Police Names & Addresses Online (link) hurrdurr", while @Operationleaks made the distinction between the group and the hacker ever clearer when its author tweeted, "On my behalf of #Anonymous i do not support the hacking of Bartpoa.com it was a 16 year old female hacker codename Lamaline_5mg acting alone."

There is some anger in the US about the cell phone shut down and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has criticised the actions on its web site. In an impassioned post the ACLU said that it was contrary to fundamental rights.

"Shutting down access to mobile phones is the wrong response to political protests, whether it's halfway around the world or right here in San Francisco," it wrote with a link to an article about Research in Motion and its possible role in the suppression of UK riots.

The ACLU concluded, "You have the right to speak out. Both the California Constitution and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protect your right to free expression." µ