FBI Gives 'Plane Hacker' After Six Months Laptop Back

A US security expert was of a plane by the FBI in April this year met and interviewed has about six months later had his laptop and other digital devices of Investigation. Chris Roberts had sent a tweet in which he expressed his doubts about the safety of the aircraft network, but the American investigative thought he wanted to hack the plane of United Airlines.

After his arrest, he was questioned by the FBI for four hours and were his iPad, MacBook Pro, three hard disks and various USB drives seized. His phone was allowed to keep Roberts. A few weeks after the incident stated Roberts that he is asking for five years focus on the safety of aircraft systems. Although he was not prosecuted, he got his stuff back until this week, reports the American civil rights organization EFF.

"The laptop will treat me like ET ... will turn it into a controlled environment to see if it" calls home ":)", as Roberts jokes on Twitter. He has no plans to use the laptop. Experts warn him of any modified firmware that allows passwords to be collected.Another expert states that the laptop and other equipment as firewood should be considered. "

FBI Gets Security Expert From Plane After Tweet

The FBI on Wednesday met a security of an aircraft and its computer equipment confiscated because of a tweet. He was not yesterday after his release along with the airline. Chris Roberts posted a message online in which he expressed his doubts about the safety of the aircraft network, but the American investigative thought he plane of United Airlines wanted to hack, so notify CNN and Forbes.

After his arrest his iPad, MacBook Pro, three hard disks and various USB stick were confiscated. His phone was allowed to keep Roberts. All devices were encrypted, however. "It will be interesting to see if the encryption keeps" the security expert showed through Twitter know. Against both Forbes and CNN Roberts from his frustration that vulnerabilities in aircraft are not resolved, even though they are known for years. He was questioned after his arrest four hours.

United Airlines

Roberts has his computer still not recovered, but has by now released. Yesterday he tried to fly to the RSA Conference in San Francisco, where he will give a presentation. After the expert had received his boarding pass and wanted to board the plane he was stopped by security personnel of the airline.

Eventually he could at the last minute along with another airline, but the American civil rights movement EFF criticizes the actions of United Airlines. "As a member of the research community, it is his job to find vulnerabilities so they can be resolved," said Andrew Crocker of the EFF. Crocker notes that the EFF is worried about this kind of reflexes on legitimate security research, which ultimately can have a paralyzing effect on researchers, eventually causing problems go unnoticed.