A
Andy Meek
Guest
- The FBI has issued an alert highlighting some of the security issues found after investigating the recent Oldsmar water hack in Florida.
- As part of that hack, someone was able to access the local water treatment plant's computer systems and increase the amount of sodium hydroxide in the water supply. Luckily, an employee caught them and stopped the intrusion.
- The FBI alert pointed to the use of TeamViewer on computers running Windows 7, which is now very outdated, along with the sharing of passwords, as all contributing to this hack.
The Oldsmar water plant hack that was thwarted in recent days -- sparing the town of some 15,000 people near Tampa, Florida, from having their water supply poisoned -- has, no surprise, caught the attention of the FBI. Earlier this week, in fact, the bureau reportedly sent out an alert called a Private Industry Notification, or FBI PIN, warning about issues that led to the near-catastrophe in the Florida town of Oldsmar, where a hacker was able to gain access to the computer network controlling the town's water treatment plant. It was, needless to say, a security incident that caught the intention of security professionals, the national security community, as well as the White House.
According to law enforcement officials, this hacker or group of hackers used a program called TeamViewer, which allows for remote access of networks, to increase the amount of sodium hydroxide (also known as lye) in the local water supply. At small levels, that chemical controls the water's acidity, but it can be dangerous and toxic at higher levels. Luckily, an employee of the water plant saw this occurring in real-time, was able to shut it down, and also informed local authorities. But while this sounds like the kind of dramatic computer hack you'd expect to see in a big-budget Hollywood film, the FBI PIN flagged three very prosaic issues that compounded the danger here.
Today's Top Deal
Everyone's swarming Amazon for these best-selling Powecom KN95 masks that used to cost $45 per box
Price: $26.99
Buy Now
Continue reading...
Today's Top Deals
- Are you an Amazon Prime member? These 10 special deals are just for you
- People are infatuated with Amazon’s new $20 smart gadget
- How to get a full gallon of hand sanitizer for less than one tiny bottle of Purell
Trending Right Now:
- Third stimulus check: Read this before your file your 2020 tax return
- Delete this malicious Android app from your phone right now
- Stop what you’re doing and check here to see if your email credentials have been stolen
If you use this software on an older Windows PC, read this immediately originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 11 Feb 2021 at 20:28:27 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Via BRG - Boy Genius Report