Hackers target MSP radios

As published in the Flint Journal, December 18, 2004

The Associated Press

Lansing, MI - An Oceana County fire chief and three other men were
charged Friday (December 18, 2004) with scheming to illegally tap into the
state police radio system.

The radio system is supposed to be used by law enforcement or other
public service agencies that have been authorized to access it.

Attorney General Mike Cox said it's crucial that first responders be
able to communicate on the system without others eavesdropping.

Andrew John Felde, 41, of Grand Rapids is accused of obtaining stolen
or illegally manufactured Motorola radios. James Benjamin Brunk, 44, of
Cadillac and James Edward Werner, 38, of Rockford, who were state police
civilian employees, allegedly helped Felde program the radios to access the
800-megahertz system. They gave him computer software and templates for the
radios so they would work on the system, Cox said.

Walkerville Fire Chief Jerry Lee Frick, 63, then bought three of the
radios at half price, Cox said, in part with grant money by submitting a
fraudulent invoice to a local 911 system.

The men face various felony charges. Frick faces up to 14 years in
prison if convicted, and the other men face up to 5 to 10 years.

Maybe I'm missing something, but WHY? What on earth would someone want
to be able to use the system for? There are scanners capable of
listening to the system. I assume the guy would want to transmit. But
WHY? If this was a kid, I could see the "just for kicks" motive. This
guy is 41. Hmmmmmm.

Scott

There has to be more to this story, than what is mentioned here. Attorney
General Mike Cox has been seriously misled, and needs to get out more, if he
really believes civilians, outside the MSP system are unable to monitor
(eavesdrop), on MSP communications!

As most all of us in this newsgroup know, off the shelf police scanners
manufactured by Uniden, and GRE (Radio Shack), are available to anyone who
wants to purchase them. These are fully capable of monitoring MSP, as well
as many other digital communications systems. For that matter, you can
legally purchase Motorola digital radios, even on eBay!

Now, granted, if they were in fact, able to program them to actually access,
and transmit, via the MSP system, (not just monitor it), that is a different
story...but I doubt they did. Monitoring could be viewed as illegal, if
they were able to decipher, encrypted modes. If Motorola's digital system
is that insecure, that it can not monitor, and detect, unauthorized radios
connecting to their network, from outsiders, then maybe MSP should be
talking to Motorola ASAP!

Maybe this is a conspiracy to get Michigan to switch to M/A-Com OpenSky,
like Oakland County wants to use. They probably just wanted them for deer
hunting! Too bad, because from what I hear, cheap, FRS (Family Radio
System) walkie-talkies, from Wal-Mart work better than Motorola's digital
system! What a quagmire!

Bill Crocker



"tomcatgbmi" wrote in message
...
Hackers target MSP radios

As published in the Flint Journal, December 18, 2004

The Associated Press

Lansing, MI - An Oceana County fire chief and three other men were
charged Friday (December 18, 2004) with scheming to illegally tap into the
state police radio system.

The radio system is supposed to be used by law enforcement or
other
public service agencies that have been authorized to access it.

Attorney General Mike Cox said it's crucial that first responders
be
able to communicate on the system without others eavesdropping.

Andrew John Felde, 41, of Grand Rapids is accused of obtaining
stolen
or illegally manufactured Motorola radios. James Benjamin Brunk, 44, of
Cadillac and James Edward Werner, 38, of Rockford, who were state police
civilian employees, allegedly helped Felde program the radios to access
the
800-megahertz system. They gave him computer software and templates for
the
radios so they would work on the system, Cox said.

Walkerville Fire Chief Jerry Lee Frick, 63, then bought three of
the
radios at half price, Cox said, in part with grant money by submitting a
fraudulent invoice to a local 911 system.

The men face various felony charges. Frick faces up to 14 years in
prison if convicted, and the other men face up to 5 to 10 years.

"tomcatgbmi" wrote in message
...
: Hackers target MSP radios
:
: As published in the Flint Journal, December 18, 2004
:
: The Associated Press
:
: Lansing, MI - An Oceana County fire chief and three other men
were
: charged Friday (December 18, 2004) with scheming to illegally tap into the
: state police radio system.
:
: The radio system is supposed to be used by law enforcement or
other
: public service agencies that have been authorized to access it.
:
: Attorney General Mike Cox said it's crucial that first responders
be
: able to communicate on the system without others eavesdropping.
:
: Andrew John Felde, 41, of Grand Rapids is accused of obtaining
stolen
: or illegally manufactured Motorola radios. James Benjamin Brunk, 44, of
: Cadillac and James Edward Werner, 38, of Rockford, who were state police
: civilian employees, allegedly helped Felde program the radios to access
the
: 800-megahertz system. They gave him computer software and templates for
the
: radios so they would work on the system, Cox said.
:
: Walkerville Fire Chief Jerry Lee Frick, 63, then bought three of
the
: radios at half price, Cox said, in part with grant money by submitting a
: fraudulent invoice to a local 911 system.
:
: The men face various felony charges. Frick faces up to 14 years
in
: prison if convicted, and the other men face up to 5 to 10 years.
:

Idiots.

After reading the actual article, it sounds like the only crime committed
was how they obtained the radios, and how they intended to pay for them.

We have the legal right, to monitor the MPSCS / MSP. Can anyone prove me
wrong here?

Bill Crocker


"tomcatgbmi" wrote in message
...
Hackers target MSP radios

As published in the Flint Journal, December 18, 2004

The Associated Press

Lansing, MI - An Oceana County fire chief and three other men were
charged Friday (December 18, 2004) with scheming to illegally tap into the
state police radio system.

The radio system is supposed to be used by law enforcement or
other
public service agencies that have been authorized to access it.

Attorney General Mike Cox said it's crucial that first responders
be
able to communicate on the system without others eavesdropping.

Andrew John Felde, 41, of Grand Rapids is accused of obtaining
stolen
or illegally manufactured Motorola radios. James Benjamin Brunk, 44, of
Cadillac and James Edward Werner, 38, of Rockford, who were state police
civilian employees, allegedly helped Felde program the radios to access
the
800-megahertz system. They gave him computer software and templates for
the
radios so they would work on the system, Cox said.

Walkerville Fire Chief Jerry Lee Frick, 63, then bought three of
the
radios at half price, Cox said, in part with grant money by submitting a
fraudulent invoice to a local 911 system.

The men face various felony charges. Frick faces up to 14 years in
prison if convicted, and the other men face up to 5 to 10 years.

If the individuals used the software/radios to listen in on encrypted
communications, it is against the law anywhere in the United States,
unless of course the United States government is the one that is
eavesdropping.

Yes Enthusiasts/Scanner listeners can listen up to communicatins,
however those communicatins encrypted for law enforcement communication
purposes aren't supposed to be heard by the general public.


Don't get me started on the M/ACom Open Sky system presently millions of
dollars in the hole and they still can't talk to one another!!! And
they want parts of that system to be encrypted as well!!