Hackers Could Hold Entire Wind Farms Hostage
Security researchers have demonstrated that they can hack the software systems used in wind turbines, and warn that it may be possible to use the vulnerability to take an entire wind farm hostage. At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, Jason Staggs from the University of Tulsa explained that some wind turbines have control systems that run aged, unsupported operating systems like Windows 95, which are straightforward to hack. In fact, as the Finanical Times reports (paywall), he's shown that it's possible to send a command to a wind turbine that can stop its blades from turning. More worrying, he also found that the networks used in wind farms could lend themselves to a widespread attack. "Wind turbines aren't segmented" across a farm, he explained to PC Mag. "If you can own one of them, you can own them all." Combined, the findings mean that it could be possibble to shut down energy production of an entire wind farm, which would allow hackers to cause a utility tens of thousands of dollars in losses for every hour of downtime—until they pay up a ransom.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.