Hackers Can Breach Emergency Alert Systems With Ease
Emergency alert system devices used by radio and TV stations exposed to cyberattacks.
Security consultancy firm IOActive has warned that emergency alert system devices utilized by radio and TV stations can easily be hacked in an effort to cause widespread panic.
Hackers had recently hacked into a number of television stations' Emergency Alert Systems to broadcast that zombies were "rising from their graves" and "attacking the living." However, while that was a comical hoax, IOActive warned that hackers can divulge such messages with ease, and it may be a more serious message next time, such as a terrorist attack.
"We found some devices directly connected to the Internet and we think that it's possible that hackers are currently exploiting some of these vulnerabilities or some other flaws," chief technology officer of IOActive Cesar Cerrudo told Computerworld.
Cerrudo stated that at least two types of Emergency Alert System devices are predominately vulnerable to attacks. "We contacted CERT [U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team] almost a month ago and CERT is coordinating with the vendor to get the issues fixed," he said.
The hacker that bypassed the television stations' systems security for the zombie hoax is said to have utilized a "back door" attack.
"It has been determined that a 'back door' attack allowed the hacker to access the security of the EAS equipment," said Cynthia Thompson, station manager for ABC 10, which was one of the stations affected. "The nature of the message Monday night was not necessarily dangerous, but the fact that the system was vulnerable to outside intrusion is a danger."
It's been here already.
It's been here already.
But,
Taking more care to protect systems is a must. A balance between always connected and never connected if unable to protect it properly.
B-B-But..muh bath salts!?
LOL that's cheating
But,
Taking more care to protect systems is a must. A balance between always connected and never connected if unable to protect it properly.
John McClane knows how F'd up something like that would be.
GOD that movie SUUUUUUCKED!!!!!!!!!111
Just returned from yesterday's screening of "A Good Day To Kill Hard A Good Franchise"..
Not cool. It's for the prank and nothing else.
yes and no on zombies existing... ever seen what happens in advanced case rabies victims, that is pretty much what some of the basics of zombies are based upon , granted they are amplified sensationalized and eating brains is not part of the symtoms, but violent behavior mania and violent tendencies/moptions is a part of it but once they die a few days/weeks later they stay dead so there is that part... but it does kill 50k+ people a year worldwide
Rabies isn't nice there's been a few deaths here in Aus related to Bat bites.
Erratic behavior can also be caused by drugs, can probably call them zombies too, well yea they probably are the serious addicts. To be fair, the type of zombie used as a hoax discussed here is what you would probably see in games and movies.
When brains is on the menu...HEAD TO THE HILLS! argh probably not, mummas basement would probably have decent locks on it ;P
In a way, we should be thankful that these pranking hackers did this in a less populated market and that the "warning" was so obviously false. Imagine the chaos if this happened in NYC about some new super-flu that is killing hundreds a day.
Even that common-sense security measure isn't absolute. Governments, local and federal, want monitoring and oversight access for regulators and other agencies that might not want to reveal their activities. They don't even have to log their perusal of people's personal data anymore, why would they want to tell corporations anything?