FBI: Terrorists Can Operate Airport Webcams, You Know

from the well-duh dept

Mon, Jan 15th 2007 4:30pm — Karl Bode

A new "assessment" from the FBI and the Homeland Security Department suggests that airport webcams are the latest public menace, and may be used by terrorists to plan their attacks on the nation's airports (via The Raw Feed). The warning was triggered after a link to an Alaskan airport webcam was posted to an unspecified "extremist website," raising concerns among the feds that terrorists were using the cameras to track "security measures, guard shift changes, and pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns." No specific instance of webcam use by actual terrorists was given, and the warning is "precautionary", says the feds. As with the recent Google Earth terrorism worries, terrorists are going to get the information they need whether or not these technologies exist. We're guessing that a group seriously considering an attack isn't going to rely solely on grainy 100 yard views of tarmacs, but it's nice to know the FBI and Homeland Security have realized that public access webcams shouldn't be aimed at secure airport facilities. Still, we might be safer if we just shut this whole Internet thing off.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

25 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Craig, 15 Jan 2007 @ 4:43pm

Don't forget about other infrastructure!
I mean, didn't some of the 9/11 hijackers use unsecured highways to get into the US from Canada? And weren't they driving themselves [gasp!] in private vehicles?!

Clearly we need to re-assess the risk posed by allowing individuals to move freely about without proper tracking mechanisms and safeguards. Clearly.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Stu, 15 Jan 2007 @ 4:45pm

As our government says

THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL US !!!!!

(I guess that justifies anything.)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
charlie potatoes, 15 Jan 2007 @ 5:52pm

tarmac?
did you say tarmac? tarmac is a substance much like...um..well.. like... a mixture of tar and macadam ...it hasn't been used on a runway since 1961.. most airports are made of concrete..omg.. is that a secret? please delete this..
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Rational Thought, 15 Jan 2007 @ 6:16pm

Knowledge is Dangerous
I guess this goes to show that the theory about information being accessible by a priviledged few is the only way to prevent misuse of said information by miscreants. Of course, there has never been misuse of information by the powers that be, elected or otherwise. As Stu points out in #2 above, scare tactics can make the public acquiesce to relinquishing more and more freedom and restricitng access to information to the authorities, who will ensure that no one ever harms us again. That has worked so well for totalitarian regimes, its high time we give it a shot here in the grand USofA. But, I am just a cynical old coot.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Super Secret Terrorist, 15 Jan 2007 @ 7:06pm

And....
The terrorists can sit at the airport bar drinking $8 cosmos and planning their evil-doing whatever they do too... So foo!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2007 @ 8:34pm

In this particular case, just take down the webcams...they wont be missed by anyone.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Damon Billian, 15 Jan 2007 @ 9:19pm

Hmmmm
I don't see why anyone, save the aforementioned bad guys, would want to view an airport? I think we spend enough time in airports just getting through security.

What is the value exactly in web cams in airports? Watching the birth of a baby eagle? Cool. Watching a web cam from an airport? Snore.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Damon Billian, 15 Jan 2007 @ 9:42pm

Hmmmm
I don't see why anyone, save the aforementioned bad guys, would want to view an airport? I think we spend enough time in airports just getting through security.

What is the value exactly in web cams in airports? Watching the birth of a baby eagle? Cool. Watching a web cam from an airport? Snore.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2007 @ 10:43pm

What a waiste.
Do American people actually portray that airport webcams are the latest public menace?

Seems to me the worst nuisance is sons and daughters dieing over religion beliefs.

These FBI mellow dramatics teaches nothing.
And is just a "P.R" campaign to "pretend" they are actually doing something.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
the man, 15 Jan 2007 @ 11:22pm

Re: Don't forget about other infrastructure!
1.who the hell r u to say "shut this whole internet thing off"? they drove cars. why don't we shut the car thing off. it'llsave the environment too. and the crashed planes. i guess we'll use the other less-safer ways to travel once they shut that off. and they communicated. we should all jus stop talking to each other rite? these types of extremist 'cures' r wut bugs me most sometimes.

2.u can't stop a terrorist frmdoing his deed. remember these are ppl with no past criminal records. they're normal ppl (at first). therefore anywhere the public, even security guards themselves can go, terrorists can go. that what leads me not believe in the whole terrorist deal anyways. no one spends millions of dollars, calmly and coolly plans out an attack on a building just because they believe in their religion or they hate the us. why don't u just tear the flag like everybody else?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Techdirt Reader, 16 Jan 2007 @ 2:21am

**KARLSPRECHT ALERT**
Thanks for feeding the FUD trolls with your speech, Karl, adding as much value to the discussion as if you'd opened your mouth up and hurfed up everything since lunch yesterday.

Spreading FUD does little to actually STOP the FUD and only encourages it.

Karlsprecht -- n., 1) Speech, either oral or written, used to blindly spread Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, generally through a disorganized rant attempting to combat said FUD but ends up actually spreading it more. 2) Any such Karlsprechtian ignorant attempt to mitigate a crisis by unwittingly aggrevating it, i.e., putting out a small brush fire with gasoline, reacting in panic as the fire grows, throwing the open gas can in the back of the pickup, and driving away oblivious to the steady trail of gasoline leaking out the back, allowing the fire to spread miles through the forest, and then watching the news the next morning muttering about how people with cigarettes really need to be more careful about how they dispose of their ashes to prevent future tragedies like this.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
A smarter man, 16 Jan 2007 @ 5:52am

Re: Re: Don't forget about other infrastructure!
'The man' just posted one of the stupidest things I've ever read. Sarcasm mother fucker: do you use it?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Vidal, 16 Jan 2007 @ 7:02am

Unprotected Live Webcams
Unveiling the unprotected public live webcam streams. Have a look at Nasa Mission Control Centre, beaches, snow scenes, aquarium and many more categories to choose from. http://www.camorati.com
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 16 Jan 2007 @ 8:47am

Re: tarmac?
So, how's your mom's basement? Still nice and warm, 3 free meals a day? People don't care that tarmac is a defunct material. Tarmac is the "traditional" term for a runway and people understand that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarmac#Later_developments
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 Jan 2007 @ 10:26am

Re: Don't forget about other infrastructure!
Dude, none of the 9/11 hijackers came in through Canada. Your point is good, but I cringe whenever I hear somebody make that old, bogus claim.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
jim, 16 Jan 2007 @ 12:24pm

Re: Re: Don't forget about other infrastructure!
NONE of the terrorists ever came through Canada.

Did you only watch one newscast about this and then turn off your tv?

Man I wish people would get their facts straight...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
bob, 17 Jan 2007 @ 6:14pm

wow
These comments might be the dumbest ones ever on the internet. They make a pretty good case for shutting the internet off foreva.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Sherman R. Buck, 17 Jan 2007 @ 7:37pm

webcams
I'm sure the authorities would love it if they could just shut off the internet, because ignorance is bliss to those that like keeping people imprisoned and docile, it allows them to do as they please and keep the gap between the haves and the have nots. It's a bit too late for the fools, because they spent all those years making people dependent on them so as to get them to buy their "stuff" only the damn fools were so engrossed with riches and power that they forgot to realize the power of the consumers. People put their money where their mouth is and it effects those fools who thought they were in charge. I'm reminded of the old margarine commercial saying, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." The light is coming and it is going to obliterate the dark. Bye Bye
[ link to this | view in thread ]
a uk Reader, 18 Jan 2007 @ 12:23am

Such an amusement to read you americans bickering with each other. You should all be on the same side. Not fighting over stupid opinions. Lighten up.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
derf, 18 Jan 2007 @ 10:10am

Even worse, some of these terrorist types could be crafty enough to climb a fence.

I'm sure the TSA will be on guard against these genius fence climbers while they're busy strip searching young white females with loaded bras instead of actual terrorist suspects.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Catatonic, 18 Jan 2007 @ 1:13pm

Tarmac
I'm pretty sure charlie potatoes was making a subtle joke; as if he had divulged a state secret mentioning that airports are no longer using actual tarmac. Sort of a commentary on the whole surveillance theme. You're not one for subtelty, are you David? Probably not too bright in general.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Cliff Harvey, 4 Mar 2007 @ 9:39am

Re: Re: tarmac?
Dear David: Tarmac is not a defunct material. Google the term and you will find it is a thriving industry. But a runwway is not a tarmac. Ask a pilot or an engineer. Tarmac is a term misused by many due to the pervasive use of the term by American journalists (who picked up the term in 1970s hijacking reports by British TV reporters, who also were misusing the term. The Americans just started using the word, not knowing what it meant: i.e., a comman paving material).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
r, 21 Aug 2007 @ 9:43am

r
no thank u.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2008 @ 4:04pm

hello
[ link to this | view in thread ]
imran shahed, 21 Feb 2008 @ 1:39am

I think in my opion right that an terroist will look at every angel mainly at big perimeter building. The reason why becasue if they hit something big that makes an big impact which is what they want to prove however having webcam at airport i think wont bother them. Becasue they try to find out a leake in security and plus u should not be tell the public what you are indroucing how are you ment caputre these evil people.
[ link to this | view in thread ]