this post was submitted on 06 May 2024
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Showerthoughts

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NASA remotely reprogramming Voyager 1 also means that aliens can reprogram all of our satellites.

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[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 34 points 6 months ago (15 children)

This is assuming that they would know and understand the code. Also, that nothing is encrypted but I guess encryption can be broken.

[–] Lightborne@lemmy.world 18 points 6 months ago (3 children)

I would doubt they would have encrypted anything on the probe back in 1977 when it launched.

[–] NeptuneOrbit@lemmy.world 29 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The ultimate security by obscurity. Do you have a 30m antenna? Can you point it exactly at the space ship with almost no error? Do you know what it's code and protocols are? OK, please reprogram Voyager

[–] Crumbgrabber@lemm.ee -1 points 6 months ago

Stick with the plan.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

OP says reprogram all of the satellites. So I would assume that would include the modern ones with encryption as well.

[–] Crumbgrabber@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I cannot confirm or deny any such arrangement exists with an existing alien species.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 months ago

Call the FBI! We found the alien!

[–] subignition@fedia.io 6 points 6 months ago (4 children)

I would hope there is at least authentication of some kind...

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun 8 points 6 months ago

Actually it's Admin47 now because of the yearly password change requirement.

[–] Lightborne@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I would guess not. Any authentication scheme would just be another risk point to not be able to talk to the thing from earth.

But I'm just guessing.

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I wouldn’t be so sure. They were probably scared the Russians might sabotage it.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

That's actually a good point. However, the technology and conceptual understanding of encryption was not really a thing in 1970

Sure encryption was around but it was mostly people with code books

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 months ago

It is from the 1970's

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