[amsat-bb] Re: satellite piracy

[John Wright]

At 20:34 17/04/2007, you wrote:
>Interesting article in SANS News today.  (SANS is a network/computer
>security organization... http://www.sans.org)
>
>--Tamil Rebels Hijack US Satellite Signal
>(April 13, 2007)
>Rebel independence fighters in Sri Lanka have been pirating the services
>of a US satellite to send radio and television broadcasts to other
>countries.  In 1997, the US government identified this particular group,
>the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, as a terrorist
>organization.  The satellite belongs to Intelstat, a US company.
>Intelstat officials have been meeting with technical experts and Sri
>Lanka's Ambassador to the US to discuss measures the company it is
>taking to prevent the satellite's unauthorized use.  The rebels maintain
>they are not accessing the satellite illegally.
>http://australianit.news.com<http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21549846%5E15322%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html>
>.au/articles/0,7204,21549846%5E15322%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html<http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21549846%5E15322%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html>
>http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1897037.htm
>
>The question comes to mind -- what if the "rebels" were licensed hams and
>using a ham HEO (if one were up)?  Talk about a political nightmare...

I seem to remember a long while ago, I think in the mid 80's, seeing 
a report in a UK newspaper, about terrorists in I think Libya, using 
what was described as a " semi-defunct" amateur satellite for 
communications... or is my mind playing tricks on me. I've thought 
about this several times recently, bearing in mind the world 
political situation, if a commercial satellite can be compromised, so 
may others, and it need not be an HEO!