DHS to Send Widespread Alerts 265
MarsGov writes "The Department of Homeland Security is gearing up to be able to periodic test 'alerts' to cable television stations, satellite radio, as well as any text-capable device — PDAs, cell phones, and web sites." From the article: Some glitches remain as telephone companies and other networks grapple with potentially trying to alert all of their customers at the same time without jamming their systems, Lawson said. But the alerts could be transmitted by text messages, audio recordings, video or graphics, he said, opening the possibility of sending out additional detailed information to specific sectors, like hospitals or emergency responders."
Invasion? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Invasion? (Score:2)
Re:Invasion? (Score:2)
Re:Invasion? (Score:3, Funny)
(Apologies to my Indian friends if you're reading this. I just couldn't resist.)
kind of scary (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:kind of scary (Score:5, Insightful)
"We're sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed, this cell node is currently attempting to send 104,000 SMS messages..."
Re:kind of scary (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:kind of scary (Score:5, Funny)
No, the OTHER way!
That's why you use ham radio! (Score:2, Informative)
Except the Red Cross. But that's another story.
Re:kind of scary (Score:3, Insightful)
I know this is a rant but the more they want to tell you how terrified you should be today what ever the medium they use becomes governament policed. So one by one they take over
what?! (Score:2)
I mean, it's not like the terror alerts shifted up and down during the run-up to the 2004 elections.
Oh, wait.
Re:what?! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:what?! (Score:2)
Go and ask your grandpa.
This is a repeat of what was going on in the UK, US and USSRin the late 40-es and early 50-es when they had the idea that they fight a nuclear war and win it. There were casual tests of mass broadcast systems, nuclear fallout shelters being built, contingency procedures put in place, etc.
This illusion soon faded as it became clear that there will be no winners and no losers if a nuclear conflict really breaks out. So the silly exercises stopped. First in the US
damn my unclear posting (Score:2)
Re:what?! (Score:2)
A yellow-coded curfew is now in effect. Any unauthorized persons will be subject to arrest. This is for your protection.
Re:what?! (Score:2)
What goes around comes around. And in the words of Propellerheads as sung with Shirley Bassey:
The newspapers shout a new style is growing,
but it don't know if it's coming or going,
there is fashion, there is fad
some is good, some is bad
and the joke is rather sad,
that its all just a little bit of history repeating
.. just little bits of history repeating
.. and I've seen it before
.. and I'll see it again
Indeed (Score:3, Interesting)
It reminds me of a scene, I think from 1984, "Attention all citizens, there is a criminal running through the streets..."
Maybe this has happened; maybe it will happen; maybe it's just the muscle relaxants talking.
Re:Indeed (Score:3, Informative)
Not trying to be picky or anything, just figured I mention it.
Re:Indeed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:kind of scary (Score:5, Insightful)
While you can pretend to predict what will happen, over 55 years of history (this program started in 1951) shows that it is unlikely to be used. Only the President can issue the alert and the current President didn't on 9/11 or any other time since. Other than your own FUD, what reason do you have to believe that it will suddenly be used for evil?
Again, DHS is updating the technology to deliver the same old message (which they apparently have yet to send).
Re:kind of scary (Score:2)
You have to ask yourself "it they never use it, why do they need the power to send data to every phone/tv/swiss army knife in the country?"
Re:kind of scary (Score:5, Informative)
Here's a couple articles on the subject in the event you were honestly wondering.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) page [fcc.gov]
National Alert System In Disarray [cbsnews.com]
The Partnership for Public Warning [ppw.us]
Facts that can be found in the above links:
President Truman established CONELRAD in 1951.
President Kennedy established the EBS in 1963.
President Clinton established the EAS in 1995.
Clinton Administration updated the EAS to all digital in 1996.
President Bush began procedures to amend the EAS rules to include Digital Media Technologies on November 3, 2005.
With all due respect, you're spreading FUD, not FACTS.
Re:kind of scary (Score:2)
I'm sure if "My Pet Goat" wasn't such a gripping tale, he could have torn himself away from the book and actually, you know.. done his job.
Re:kind of scary (Score:4, Informative)
I've been on the the CERT [us-cert.gov] lists (and the Old system [cert.org] for 9 years now, and they have never abused the system to my knowledge. Granted, CERT is only for computers, but it is similar to some of the new proposed lists.
I also signed up for the Safe Community Alert Network [scanusa.com], which is some sort of private-public partnership between SBC/ATT & various other organizations. Various government State, County & City agencies in California have referred me to ScanUSA.
ScanUSA does send me Amber Alerts, notifications about nearby fires, etc. However some of those Amber Alerts & Fire Alerts are from San Diego, which is 500 miles from me. Not very relevant.
The vast majority of the messages have been spam-ish -- I got notifications about the COPS [www.cops.cc] program (COPS uses *very* agressive fundraising techniques), non-urgent warnings regardiing West Nile Virus, reminding me to wear sunscreen, and notifications about upcoming meeting for the County Health Department.
Here's the kicker: I'm only signed up for "Critical" alerts. I shouldn't be getting any of these--- but I do.
I would never sign up for SMS alerts from this organization. Way too much Spam.
Re:kind of scary (Score:2)
Each of these email alerts looks something like this:
So, they send you an email regarding the alert, but don't describe any DETAILS about the alert. Instead, they ask you to click on a URL. Often, the URL doesn't work, because the server crashed under heavy load --thousands of people
Re:kind of scary (Score:5, Insightful)
Unlike the regular news media, which has never been used for propaganda purposes, of course.
Re:kind of scary (Score:2)
Just in time for the fall election season (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:3, Insightful)
First off, if you RTFA, it says, "The Homeland Security Department, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, expects to have the system working by the end of next year." Furthermore, this is extending 1950's policy (President Truman, Democrat) to 21st centrury devices. Lastly, it has never been used and only the president can issue its usage. But hey, feel free to don your tinfoil ha
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:5, Interesting)
I think it's a little early for you to come to this conclusion.
"If they send out any kind of alert and nothing happens, they overreacted (even if there was a real threat and the perps simply scratched their mission once they were exposed.). "
If you look at a timeline of terror alerts [mac.com], they all seem to coincide with the release of news that was damaging to the Bush administration.
"If they don't send an alert and something happens, they take the blame for that. "
Has that actually happened (yet)? That's why I say it is perhaps too early for you to say that they can't win.
"If they use it to send out emergency information on a hurricane bearing down on New Orleans... well, they won't do that right, because you believe this tech will only be used for political gain (though TFA says it may be used for natural disasters)."
Did they issue such a warning for hurricane Katrina? I honestly don't recall if they did. If they did, kudos to them.
If this is a tech that can be used for good or evil, based on historical evidence, I think the Bush administration will use it for evil.
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:3, Funny)
To be fair, pretty much any news is damaging to the Bush administration.
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:4, Insightful)
Something "damaging" is headlined about the Administration every week, if not daily. It takes no skill to "correlate" these alerts.
If this is a tech that can be used for good or evil, based on historical evidence, I think the Bush administration will use it for evil.
Again, FUD. This tech *has* been available to the President during his entire term. The fact that it is being extended beyond 20th century technology (tv, radio) is a natural evolution. In fact based on historical evidence, there is no reason to believe they will use it now.
Anyhow... showing any signs of conservatism is bad for karma these days, so I'll stop now.
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:2, Informative)
You betcha, the National Weather Service did an excellent job. (For confirmation, see this timeline [wikipedia.org].)
I don't think having another warning from cellphones would have made much difference.
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:2)
Government has lost the trust of anyone who has been paying attention for the last few years. If they can't win, it's their own fault for their 'everything is political' tactics.
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:2)
I don't think that would have helped in the slighest, or for any future terrorist attacks. By the time the first event happens, everything else has already been set. Take the two big ones recently:
9/11: planes were already in the sky. Not enough aircraft/missiles to shoot them down even if they wanted.
London trains: bombs already on the trains. People ca
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:2)
Wow!!! Where to begin. Perhaps you should just join the military, then work in a classified government (before all those jobs have been outsourced to BushCO, of course) agency to understand that
How is this about fear? (Score:2)
Are you also claiming reverse 911 is just a tool to scare us all?
To pa
Re:How is this about fear? (Score:3, Funny)
That would be totally freaky. Skyscrapes being built all by themselves, followed by people madly jumping hundreds of feet off the ground in order to get to work. I'd run the fuck away from anything that scary.
Phone? (Score:2)
That would be totally freaky. Skyscrapes being built all by themselves,
I think you may want to re-read my comment, and notice that no-where did I use a slash between "9" and "11". Instead I am referring to the number you dial when you need an ambulance... authorities can use the 911 system in reverse to dial everyone in a certain area to warn them if they need to evacuate, as in the case of flood or hurricane or forest fire.
My apologies if you were just trying to make a joke and actually knew
Re:How is this about fear? (Score:2)
No, DHS is about making "white people feel safe."
Re:Just in time for the fall election season (Score:2)
Aww, how can you stay mad at chicken nuggets? Especially now, "with real chicken!"
I can see where this goes... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I can see where this goes... (Score:2, Funny)
Interesting. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Interesting. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Interesting. (Score:2)
Good for Disaster Preparedness. (Score:5, Insightful)
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Good for Disaster Preparedness. (Score:2)
Re:Good for Disaster Preparedness. (Score:2)
NH has no tornado warning sirens or anything remotely close to that. The last previous tornado touched down in '98 if I remember right and was a very little one at that.
Having a text message alert to cell phones for disasters would be really handy I think.
Re:Good for Disaster Preparedness. (Score:2)
Cool, but... (Score:2)
Or do they plan to get the numbers directly from the cell providers?
Re:Cool, but... (Score:2)
Re:Cool, but... (Score:2)
Re:Cool, but... (Score:2, Informative)
SURPRISE! The DHS & NSA (& CIA, FBI, DEA) already have your phone numbers!
Read the previous Slashdot articles
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/11/12 16245 [slashdot.org]
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/20/13 42211 [slashdot.org]
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/02/15 15252 [slashdot.org]
-- phone companies have been giving over records and access to logs to the NSA, if not access stream of converstion itself, and acc. to the agencies, they routinely SHARE all secret intelligence information that they c
By region (Score:3, Interesting)
"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:5, Insightful)
The truth is that these events will continue during the 2006 elections and we should start seeing a few Orange Alerts or even a planned attack here in the next several months. No, wait, I got it. There will be an attack immediately followed by news of Osama bin Laden's death. Yeah, that will do it.
Re:"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:3, Insightful)
And to be fair, the federal government was very quick to say that the NYC building explosion the other day was not terrorism.
WRONG - they have been abused. (Score:4, Informative)
I spent 5 days on the road for no good f******* reason.
That's abuse of power.
Re:WRONG - they have been abused. (Score:2)
Re:"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:2)
How could I have been so blind? Now I'm going to get modded down "-1 rational!"
Re:"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously though, we all know that they time the release of certain material or their actions to be in their best favor. They don't announce good news on a Friday. They'll sit on it until Monday when they can reach a broader audience o
Re:"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:2)
Re:"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:5, Insightful)
They can't kill off Osama! He's the goose that lays the exploding eggs! After all, 'terror' is just an abstract concept. But when you have such a charismatic poster child, it becomes a war on "that guy with the turban".
And that creates even more terror, as the resulting xenophobia makes people see 'terrorists' around every corner. Your cab driver? He wears a turban just like Osama! He must be a terrorist! (Actually, the stereotypical Sikh cab driver's turban looks nothing like Osama's, but who pays attention when they're whipped into a xenophobic frenzy?) That engineer at X-TechCo looks kind of like Osama--he must be stealing technical secrets for terrorists! And that airline pilot doesn't look 'American'--ohnoes, we're all going to die!
Without Osama's pretty face in the news every day, the war on terror would fizzle into a war on apathy.
Re:"Test Alerts" My Ass (Score:2)
The Emergency Broadcast System which interrupts television and radio is much older than the Bush Administration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Broadcast_S ystem [wikipedia.org]
From the article, it sounds like this is an expansion of the EBS (now EAS) to give focused, targeted information to appropriate parties. Your claim that it is a propaganda tool to scare citizens and/or influence el
SMS charges? (Score:4, Interesting)
I don't get it (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I don't get it (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I don't get it (Score:2)
Strategic terror alerts (Score:2)
FLASH! (Score:2, Funny)
Laugh all you want (Score:2)
Sure the bert the turtle [archive.org] cartoon was over-simplified, but it was directed at 6-7 year old children.
It's not just aplicable to nuclear incidents.
That could be annoying.... (Score:2)
Who are the terrorists? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Who are the terrorists? (Score:5, Insightful)
And that's exactly why they are going to use it.
Eurasia Armies Have Broken Through Enemy Lines! (Score:2)
Whatever happened to. . . (Score:4, Insightful)
Me neither.
So tell me again how sending the entire nation into a tizzy everytime bin Laden sneezes is going to be any better? Don't we have enough dumbasses living in a swamp coming on tv and telling everyone how afraid they are that their double-wide will be bombed whenever they see someone whose skin isn't white?
Do we really need this crap other than to keep people in a state of panic?
Re:Whatever happened to. . . (Score:2)
Well, it does keep LEtterman and Leno in material...
Seriously, I think it's safe to say there's only one terror level, and it hasn't changed, ever. Before 9/11, the Twin Towers were bombed in '93, Tim McVeigh took out the Murrah Federal Building in OK City in '95, and there was of course the Unabomber. Just look at events like the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, the Iranian Hostage crisis, the Munich Olympics massacre, Pearl
They should just issue everyone a TV (Score:2)
"Tonight on Airstrip One Reports...."
Re:They should just issue everyone a TV (Score:2)
Re:They should just issue everyone a TV (Score:2)
That's all we need: "Come on! Work those buns! And a-one, and a-two, and a terror level orange! Six more... four more... okay everybody: duck and cover! And a-duck! And a-cover! And a..."
Can't wait... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Can't wait... (Score:2)
Re:Can't wait... (Score:2)
This concludes this test of the emergency alert system.
Great. more wasted $$$ (Score:2, Insightful)
This was more intelligently re-worked as the "EAS", or Emergency Alert System, where they actually had a real use for it: it would sound when a tornado or other dangerous weather was coming. Anyone remember the hilarious episode of WKRP where there was a tornado about to hit Cincinna
*text msg chime* (Score:5, Funny)
SUBJECT: omgwtfbbq
BODY: big missls cmg oshit run awy now pls kthx
I always hated this (Score:2)
When in fact it was just a test of my patience. Can we please limit this to commercial time?
Oh I guess it wouldn't be very effective unless it was able to intterupt everyone in what they were doing. Welcome to the new and improved "in your face" politics. Next they will be legislating mandatory PVR passthrough, telephone interrupt, and server pushed popups, just to make they have our attention for the weekly test.
Ok, it probably wont be that bad
Bass Ackwards (Score:4, Interesting)
This is exactly the type of information broadcasting was intended for now we're going to try to distribute it on systems that are intended to reach single devices? WTF?!
They would be better off requiring all computers and phones to have a built in emergency broadcast radio receiver permanently fixed on the channel and on at all times. At least then they won't bog down general bandwidth.
False alarm (Score:2)
Re:False alarm (Score:2)
From: DHS
Subject: Nuclear missiles inbound
Tx body:
Oops, my bad
End Tx body
Bigass waste of money (Score:2)
Ohhhh that's right, they pissed it away and then we saw them utterly fail against something we KNEW was coming (Katrina).
And their solution to their shitty management and inability to run anything properly is to...give...them...more...money?
Yep, they're a government agency allright. Oh, and of course we won't have a choice as t
a good thing, or FEMA's job? (Score:4, Insightful)
I wouldn't want to be receiving messages everytime Osama Bin Laden sneezes, or some vague insubstantial threat warning is released, but some type of good, reliable system for distributing information when there is a clear and present danger would be immensely helpful to our country.
An effective information distribution system would have done wonders for getting people out of New Orleans ahead of time, rather than at the very last minute.
Likewise, if such a system were activated during the big NYC blackout a few years ago, it would done a lot to let people know that there was no sort of terrorist attack or other emergency.
As long as such a system is kept under tight control to only be used in *extreme* emergencies, I have no problem with it, although I do agree that such a system could very easily be used for propoganda purposes...
Re:a good thing, or FEMA's job? (Score:2)
Likewise, if such a system were activated during the big NYC blackout a few years ago, it would done a lot to let people know that there was no sort of terrorist attack or other emergency.
That is, if there was electricity to transmit it with.
Re:a good thing, or FEMA's job? (Score:2)
Just in time for 2006 elections! (Score:2)
Err... (Score:2)
This is Only a Test (Score:2)
The Emergency Broadcast System, which generations of Americans have been drilled in for precisely that scenario, was silent.
And no one even noticed it was missing. The first notice I heard of it was last year, when some obscure TV comedian's standup routine m
Re:Just what we need... (Score:3, Funny)
(Simultaneously received on my cell phone, my Blackberry, and my in-box)
Hello, esteemed Sir. I am Nageeb Prahook, with the Departmint of Honeland Security. We wounder if you would help us. We have $25 million in loose cash we do not know what to do with. If you could email me your bank account number, I will deposit most of it with you. Only you must send me by Western Union wire transfer a good faith payment to show you are sincere. I await your assistance. This is an official
Re:Another option (Score:2)
Beer already contains a fear-inducing drug. It's called alcohol. A big, drunken crowd is an easy place to start a panic. Just imagine if someone were to hack into the system and send a "TIDAL WAVE!!" SMS during N'Awlins Mardi Gras.