Emergency Broadcast System Hacked

[GasBandit]

So this is kinda funny. A Montana TV station apparently needs to sack its IT people, because a hacker got through their firewall and into their EAS broadcasting system... and put out an emergency broadcast about the "dead rising and attacking the living."

Due to the nature of how EAS works, it got automatically picked up and broadcast by other stations in the state as well.

The EAS network itself is pretty secure - the problem here apparently was whoever set it up at that TV station neglected to change the admin password from the factory default, and a broadcasting-savvy troublemaker took advantage. But I found out about this this afternoon from our panicked owner who wanted to make sure we had over 9000 firewalls all turned up to maximum and that our EAS was locked in an air-tight container on the moon.

 

[Gared]

Yeah... I'd say there are some IT people who are going to be looking for work tomorrow. Wonder how many companies in Montana are hiring for knuckleheaded IT staffers who can't change an admin password.

 

[GasBandit]

Another station's footage, with the entire message with repeat -

 

[DarkAudit]

And how many IT staffs have been hamstrung by clueless owners and upper management that refuse to allow such changes because the higher ups think they know better?

 

[strawman]

Another station's footage, with the entire message with repeat -

THANKS OBAMA!

 

[GasBandit]

And how many IT staffs have been hamstrung by clueless owners and upper management that refuse to allow such changes because the higher ups think they know better?

While there are many situations where that is possible, some of which I have even experienced myself, I dare say that changing the default admin password on an EAS broadcasting device (which I guarantee you 99% of broadcast company owners couldn't even identify by sight) does not fall under this heading.