ACARS Decoding Hobbists

[flyf15]

Just stumbled upon this on the web and did some google searching... apparently there is a group of people out there that, as a hobby, with scanners and computers intercept and decode ACARS messages.

For example... http://www.acarsonline.co.uk/

Just goes to show you that nothing is secure. No matter how and what you are transmitting, you never know who is listening (in addition to the feds, company, etc). Shouldn't have to say it, but its just a reminder to watch what you type (or say on "company only" freqs).

 

[Salukipilot4590]

You gotta be kidding me...

 

[405]

Nope. They live for it.

These same scanner "freaks" also have most of the airline and ARINC freqs too.

 

[CheyDogFlies]

The USAF has known about this for a while. As part of the Combat Entry Checklist in the C-17, we all enter the same bogus callsign in ACARS so that if anyone is tracking us, they can't tell who is who as soon as we cross into Afghanistan or Iraq.