Are Defcon hacks bad for your city's transit system? Boston seems to think so -- and they convinced a judge to prevent three MIT students from revealing vulnerabilities in the city's subway system. Cringely thinks the city and the judge are on the wrong track. Want a pain-free way to break into a corporate wireless network? No problem. Eager to spy on private conversations through closed windows using nothing but a simple laser pointer and some audio equipment? Step right up. But if you’re thinking about using technology that lets you skip paying subway fare, well pull over the side of the road mister, because that’s metro-terrorism. Those are some of the tricks on display at DefCon 16, the annual convergence of hackers and slackers — or would be on display, if the state of Massachusetts hadn’t gotten its collective panties in a twist over the last one. A federal judge ordered three MIT students to cancel their presentation on how to reverse engineer fare cards for use on the Boston subway. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is appealing that ruling on behalf of the students (who got an A on their project, by the way).SiliconValley.com has a neat summary of some cooler spy vs spy techniques — like shipping a powered-on iPhone to a nonexistent person inside a corporation, which then scans the wireless network for vulnerabilities as it sits unopened in the mailroom. Or the eavesdropping technique, which …involves bouncing a beam from a laser pointer off the glass and through a light sensor and audio amplifier….If the people inside the room are close enough to the window, their conversation creates vibrations that the equipment can translate into a crude reconstruction of the conversation. Yes, judge, you’re right — that’s far less troubling than telling people how to hop the gate on the Boston T.But it could have been worse. Those MIT students might have shown people how to send an entire city into a frenzy of terro-noia by building LED signs with cartoon characters on them and placing them under bridges. Or to send an entire airport into Red Alert by wearing an LED powered piece of jewelry.Boston used to be notorious for its prudishness (if, like me, you’re old enough to remember the phrase “banned in Boston”). Now it’s becoming known for its skittishness. Lighten up, Beantown. A demo at Defcon won’t lead to the collapse of the Boston subway. Information (and blinking LEDs) won’t kill you. Was the judge right? Is information dangerous? Post your thoughts below or email me direct: cringe (at) infoworld (dot) com. Think you’ve got the right stuff to pass our tech quizzes? They’re not as easy as they look: • The InfoWorld News Quiz • Test Your Geek IQ • Test Your Network Security IQ Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business