MBTA Lawsuit Spread Security Details

In 2008, three MIT students named Zack Anderson, Russell J. Ryan, and Alessandro Chiesa discovered security weaknesses in Boston's subway fare collection system. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority sued the students and MIT, then obtained a temporary restraining order that stopped them from presenting their research at the DEF CON hacker convention. The lawsuit spread the sensitive information further because the MBTA had attached the presentation to its complaint, which appeared on the court's public website. On August 19, 2008, a judge refused to extend the order, allowing the students to discuss their findings.

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