Aussie schoolboy cracks govt US$69M porn filter
By Ruben Francia
A porn filter acquired at a cost of US$69 million by the Federal Government of Australia was cracked by a 16-year-old schoolboy in just over 30 minutes.
Tom Wood, a year 10 student at a southeast Melbourne private school, said it took him just over 30 minutes to deactivate the new filter, which was released earlier this week.
“It’s a horrible waste of money,” he told news.com.au. “They could get a much better filter for a few million dollars made here rather than paying overseas companies for an ineffective one.”
His method leaves the impression that the filter was still working as he was able to leave the toolbar icon active.
In defense, Communications Minister Helen Coonan said the government had anticipated children would find ways to bypass the NetAlert filters.
Senator Coonan disclosed that she has already contacted the suppliers who are now investigating the matter as a priority.
Likewise, the government has stepped up and added an Australian designed filter called Integard to its website yesterday, but Wood also cracked it within 40 minutes.
The entire event raised concerns over the effectiveness of the government’s internet porn filter program.
The NetAlert filters were supposedly designed to prevent access to certain sites, block the used of chat rooms, and allow parents to customize the filter to stop access to other selected sites. But if it is this easy to crack the filter, then government needs to find other more effective ways for it to ensure children’s cyber safety.
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August 26th, 2007
yeh the government sucks i rekon, to be able to pay people to make software lik this and then to have it cracked by some junky z.z…
noobs :)
August 26th, 2007
The Australian Government is made up of men in their 60’s (and older) who think that computers are voice activated and will make them cups of earl grey tea on request.
They have no concept of the internet and are grasping at straws in an effort to look like they know what they are talking about.
August 26th, 2007
…and they are trying to pander to much of the public who are none the wiser. The media has an opportunity to make the facts obvious to public here in the interests of preventing censorship at the very least.
If someone wants to filter their household’s access they can already by buying their own filter with their -own- money. I want my taxes to subsidise more important things. How can wasting taxpayers money on things like this be a positive for either of the major political parties? Come on news journos highlight this point to the wider public.
April 1st, 2008
they have computers in australia roflmfao
April 1st, 2008
they have computers in australia roflmfao
April 1st, 2008
they have computers in australia roflmfao