MBTA Injunction Against MIT Students Lifted
Judge George O’Toole Jr has lifted the gag order preventing three MIT students from publicly discussing MTBA security flaws. As noted here, the MBTA made the student’s report public in their petition to gain the restraining order in question.
The MBTA, which had earlier denied that security flaws existed, had asked the judge to prevent the students from discussing their findings for five additional months. They also today said that the assessment by MIT students Alessandro Chiesa, R.J. Ryan, and Zack Anderson has persuaded them that the Charlie Card security system is flawed.
This of particular concern since the contract for Charlie Cards was awarded through a no-bid process to a former government employee. Janice Loux, a member of the MBTA’s board of director is on record as having lost confidence in MBTA General Manager, Dan Grabauskas.
The MBTA board is set to discuss an audit in light of security breaches, which included unlocked turnstile controls, unattended control rooms, and keys left in view which could be photographed and copied.
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