TechStuff The Weird Story of the First Cyberattack
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Dec 18, 2024 Dive into the tale of two 19th-century brothers who pulled off an audacious scheme by hacking a government-controlled communication network. Explore their clever manipulation of the telegraph system to exploit financial information and gain a stock market advantage. The story's filled with intrigue, mistaken identities, and the fine line between innovation and crime. This incident marks a pivotal moment in cybersecurity history, revealing insights that still resonate in today's digital landscape.
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The Blanc Brothers' Scheme
- Two brothers, Francois and Joseph Blanc, exploited a weakness in the French optical telegraph system in 1834.
- They bribed an operator to insert errors signifying stock market changes, profiting from early information.
Chappe's Optical Telegraph
- Claude Chappe's optical telegraph used signaling towers with movable beams and poles to transmit messages quickly.
- Operators relayed symbols without understanding the message content, ensuring security.
Bribery and Errors
- The Blanc brothers bribed a telegraph operator in Tours to insert deliberate errors into the communication chain.
- These errors, relayed to Bordeaux, signaled stock market movements.
