Hackers Attempt Mass Murder in Florida
A nightmare cybersecurity scenario came true when a hacker attempted to poison 15 thousand citizens through their water supply. An as-yet-unidentified hacker accessed the water supply of Oldsmar, Florida, and increased the amount of lye in the water by 111,000% using a remote access program. A supervisor saw the hacker make the change when the mouse moved across the screen and immediately reversed it. The CISA had warned of similar vulnerabilities six months ago.
The attack on Oldsmar is troubling because it was potentially fatal, but also quite simple. Remote access programs (where you can access your work computer from home) are increasingly common in the workplace and can be inherent vulnerabilities if not configured exactly correctly. Failure to keep software updated makes it easy for malicious actors to exploit known vulnerabilities. Combining the “Internet of Things” (IoT) like water purification with bad security practices can put thousands or even millions at risk.
It is not obvious why someone would attack Oldsmar, but either state-sponsored APTs or individual bad actors could be responsible. The relative simplicity of the attack implies that a capable psychopath could be responsible. Threatening the lives of thousands of Americans would be risky for a foreign government, as the US might respond violently to an attack killing so many people, including the elderly and children. Although anti-Putin/pro-Navalny protests are disrupting Russia right now, no international issue is currently “hot” enough that a state-sponsored actor seems likely.
China Expels BBC for "Fake News"
China’s state broadcast regulator has pulled BBC international off the air citing “content violations.” The state regulator argued that the BBC had published “fake news” that “undermined China’s national interests and ethnic solidarity” by reporting on the central government’s treatment of ethnic Uighurs. The ban is the latest escalation by the Chinese government restricting international reporting in and on China.
BBC international is one of the most important of several democratic news agencies who broadcast into non-democratic countries. Organizations like Voice of America (VOA), Radio Canada International, and Radio France International are all primarily reporting to audiences in countries with controlled information regimes. BBC international and VOA have even played roles in domestic disturbances including the “8888” Protests in Burma in 1988 and the Tiananmen Square Protests in 1989. It is therefore unsurprising that the Chinese government would be concerned about international influence in their country.
Cryptocurrency Is Back in the Spotlight
Tech and non-Tech tycoons seem to be battling to inflate the value of “cryptocurrencies.” First, Elon Musk purchased Dogecoin claiming that it would be “the future currency of Earth.” Then Jack Dorsey CEO of Twitter and rapper Jay Z (I swear I am not making this up) launched a Bitcoin fund to encourage cryptocurrency adoption in India and Africa. As a result of renewed interest, Bitcoin’s market capitalization exceeded that of Facebook and Tesla
Cryptocurrency is not new, and periodically cryptocurrency becomes especially popular, raising value. Cryptocurrency works using “blockchain” technology, which I cannot explain simply here, but is primarily appealing because most cryptocurrencies are neither government-sponsored nor tied to commodities like metal specie. Dogecoin started as a joke and takes its name from a meme. While potentially interesting as investments, and seemingly prone to price manipulation, cryptocurrencies have not yet achieved sufficient liquidity to be useful as a currency.
Noteworthy
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David Benson is a Professor of Strategy and National Security focusing on cyberstrategy and international relations. You can reach him at dbenson@osiriscodex.com.
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