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Hackers can easily breach Emergency Alert Systems

Hackers broke into several television stations' Emergency Alert Systems this week and broadcast that zombies were "rising from their graves" and "attacking the living."

While a comical hoax, security consultancy firm IOActive warns that this type of behavior is dangerous and not that hard for hackers to do, according to Computerworld. This week it's zombies, but next time it could be something that might make people really panic, such as an anthrax or terrorist attack.

IOActive says that devices used by TV and radio stations to air emergency alerts have critical vulnerabilities that make them … Read more

Report: Smart-grid hackers could cause blackouts

Deployments of smart grids should be slowed until security vulnerabilities are addressed, according to some cybersecurity experts, citing tests showing that a hacker can cause a major blackout after breaking into a smart-grid system.

The idea behind smart grids, a burgeoning energy sector in which even Google is playing a role, is that automated meters and two-way power consumption data can be used to improve the efficiency and reliability of an electrical system's power distribution. A washing machine in a household hooked up to a smart meter, for instance, could be set up to run only at lower-cost, off-peak … Read more

Transcript: Security Bites 107: Dan Kaminsky

Below is a transcript of my interview with Dan Kaminsky. The podcast can be heard here.

Me: You mentioned that you didn't expect to discover this particular vulnerability, the DNS vulnerability. What goes through your mind when you hit upon something that you think might be a vulnerability?

Dan Kaminsky: If you look at lot of my research I'm generally looking for interesting capabilities that are within the system. So really what goes through my mind when I find some new interesting capability with the system and just unfortunately the reality of things is, I can do X. … Read more