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The researcher claims this is “the first remotely exploitable SCADA security vulnerability,” and I think that’s correct.
In general, I think the threat of SCADA-based attacks are overblown today, but will become more serious in the coming years.
The idiocy of this is impressive:
A Vancouver Police computer crime investigator has warned the city that plans for a citywide wireless Internet system put the city at risk of terrorist attack during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
The problem? Well, the problem seems to be that terrorists might attend the Olympic games and use the Internet while they’re there.
“If you have an open wireless system across the city, as a bad guy I could sit on a bus with a laptop and do global crime,” Fenton explained. “It would be virtually impossible to find me.”
There’s also some scary stuff about SCADA systems, and the city putting some of its own service on the Internet. Clearly this guy has thought about the risks a lot, just not with any sense. He’s overestimating cyberterrorism. He’s overestimating how important this one particular method of wireless Internet access is. He’s overestimating how important the 2010 Winter Olympics is.
But the newspaper was happy to play along and spread the fear. The photograph accompanying the article is captioned: “Anyone with a laptop and wireless access could commit a terrorist act, police warn.”
Here’s a scary hacking target: the remote-control system for Melbourne’s water supply. According to TheAge:
Remote access to the Brooklyn pumping station and the rest of the infrastructure means the entire network can be controlled from any of seven main Melbourne Water sites, or by key staff such as Mr Woodland from home via a secure internet connection using Citrix’s Metaframe or a standard web browser.
SCADA systems are hard to hack, but SSL connections—at least, that’s what I presume they mean by “secure internet connection”—are much easier.
(Seen on Benambra.)
Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.