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Hackers Nab Free 30Mbps Service
Virgin media troubled by theft after DOCSIS 3.0 Upgrades
Like Comcast here in the States, we've explored how UK cable broadband operator Virgin Media is deploying DOCSIS 3.0 technology, offering a 50Mbps/2Mbps tier for 51 pounds ($76.73) per month on a standalone basis, or 35 pounds a month when taken with an 11 pound phone line. Apparently, hackers in the UK have taken advantage of the upgrades to nab free service. According to the Register, about 1,000 hackers managed to "apply the new configuration from Virgin Media's official up to 50Mbit/s home modem to legacy DOCSIS 1.0 hardware," allowing them to nab speeds up to 30Mbps -- for free. The hackers say the cloned modems make them untraceable, though Virgin says "that's absolutely not the case".

Most recommended from 149 comments


Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

2 recommendations

Mr Matt

Member

I don't approve of stealing service, BUT!

Why is that Utilities gets to send subscribers to jail when subscribers cheat the utilities but utilities are allowed to defraud customers through poor service with no sanctions!

Consider that in the old days of pay telephones a person would go to jail for stealing a $0.25 Phone call, while poorly maintained pay phones would cheat customers out of hundreds of dollars with no punishment to the local carrier. I guess it is an example of corporate fascism.