[Technology] A pretty mind blowing article for those up on tech

[chickens]

Be warned, this is a really long article, it’s also behind a paywall.

https://www.wired.com/story/mirai-untold-story-three-young-hackers-web-killing-monster/

If you’ve the time and either a subscription to Wired (which you will have if you subscribe to News+ on an Apple device) or a mechanism for getting past such pesky things as paywalls, I found it fascinating.

For everyone else, feel free to stick the thread on ignore.

 

[Bozza]

That article, from your link, didn't have a paywall for me.

 

[Jackthelad]

If you stay on the article for more than a minute you will get a paywall sign-up. A bit pointless posting paywall articles as threads imo.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Paywall for me. It's too early in the day to read anything longer than a couple of sentences anyway

 

[Brovion]

Be warned, this is a really long article, it’s also behind a paywall.

https://www.wired.com/story/mirai-untold-story-three-young-hackers-web-killing-monster/

If you’ve the time and either a subscription to Wired (which you will have if you subscribe to News+ on an Apple device) or a mechanism for getting past such pesky things as paywalls, I found it fascinating.

For everyone else, feel free to stick the thread on ignore.

Got a paywall after reading it for a bit. But my interest is piqued. Could you précis it?

 

[FatSuperman]

One day this might be archived on an site like archive.is. And once it is then you’d be able to read it on the archive for free.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I think it's

in 2016 some kids broke the Internet - and got jobs with the FBI as a reward.

 

[raymondo]

Paywall for me. It's too early in the day to read anything longer than a couple of sentences anyway

I only just made it to the end of your post...too long

 

[RandyWanger]

12ft.io

 

[chickens]

Got a paywall after reading it for a bit. But my interest is piqued. Could you précis it?

Boiled down to the bare bones, three bright, but not evil kids, stumbled into hacking because they liked messing around with computers, realised that they could hack smart devices (online cameras, internet connected fridges/washing machines, online heating controls which often didn’t have their default passwords changed, or routers that allowed telnet) and built a botnet network capable of taking down any service you care to mention. They hire it out to paying clients. After allowing a paying client to take down security researcher Brian Krebs website, the FBI took notice.

After eventually being tracked down by the FBI, and doing lots of community service with a sympathetic FBI handler, they’ve put their efforts into working on tech that allows security researchers to capture and study the tech they created, that often still forms the basis of DDOS attacks today.

As with all this tech, there’s no way of putting the genie back in the bottle, but ways to at least partially mitigate and respond to this type of attack are now possible, partially thanks to the efforts of those who created it, and then released the source code onto the internet.

They called the software Mirai.

This captures none of the drama or excitement of the article, but gives the bare bones.

 

[Brovion]

Boiled down to the bare bones, three bright, but not evil kids, stumbled into hacking because they liked messing around with computers, realised that they could hack smart devices (online cameras, internet connected fridges/washing machines, online heating controls which often didn’t have their default passwords changed, or routers that allowed telnet) and built a botnet network capable of taking down any service you care to mention. They hire it out to paying clients. After allowing a paying client to take down security researcher Brian Krebs website, the FBI took notice.

After eventually being tracked down by the FBI, and doing lots of community service with a sympathetic FBI handler, they’ve put their efforts into working on tech that allows security researchers to capture and study the tech they created, that often still forms the basis of DDOS attacks today.

As with all this tech, there’s no way of putting the genie back in the bottle, but ways to at least partially mitigate and respond to this type of attack are now possible, partially thanks to the efforts of those who created it, and then released the source code onto the internet.

They called the software Mirai.

This captures none of the drama or excitement of the article, but gives the bare bones.

Thank you. Appreciated.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Boiled down to the bare bones, three bright, but not evil kids, stumbled into hacking because they liked messing around with computers, realised that they could hack smart devices (online cameras, internet connected fridges/washing machines, online heating controls which often didn’t have their default passwords changed, or routers that allowed telnet) and built a botnet network capable of taking down any service you care to mention. They hire it out to paying clients. After allowing a paying client to take down security researcher Brian Krebs website, the FBI took notice.

When I was in the States I remember seeing some programme about hacking into internet connected devices. One hacker had said he could hack into internet connected heart pacemakers, he added that he would not do so but was making manufacturers aware of this loophole so they could close it.

I also read a book called the Steel Kiss by Jeffery Deaver where a psychopath took control of smart enabled devices like microwaves, cars, escalators etc causing havoc and mayhem. Far fetched...................or is it ?

 

[Littlemo]

I also read a book called the Steel Kiss by Jeffery Deaver where a psychopath took control of smart enabled devices like microwaves, cars, escalators etc causing havoc and mayhem. Far fetched...................or is it ?

I remember a few years back, going to cybersecurity session at work where the guy running it told us about people who would do that. Hack into kettles and boil them till they broke and that they would monitor the opening/closing of smart fridges to work out if people were home and whether to rob them or not. Not far fetched at all - if something can be used in a nefarious way then usually someone will do it.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

12ft.io

Is that back working again? It had been taken down before xmas.

 

[RandyWanger]

There's a good videocast I subscribe to, usually does war stories, and some conspirital UFO type stuff but recently had a couple ethical hackers on. Really interesting stuff if you're into tech. Check the Shawn Ryan Show on YouTube.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

That article, from your link, didn't have a paywall for me.

Nor me.

Have we been hacked?

 

[RandyWanger]

Is that back working again? It had been taken down before xmas.

Currently

 

[dazzer6666]

If you stay on the article for more than a minute you will get a paywall sign-up. A bit pointless posting paywall articles as threads imo.

Not really - easy enough to pop the link into one of the online paywall bypassers

 

[raymondo]

I remember a few years back, going to cybersecurity session at work where the guy running it told us about people who would do that. Hack into kettles and boil them till they broke and that they would monitor the opening/closing of smart fridges to work out if people were home and whether to rob them or not. Not far fetched at all - if something can be used in a nefarious way then usually someone will do it.

No internet connected home appliances for me then...

 

[chickens]

No internet connected home appliances for me then...

I’m the same, I know a couple of people who’ve gone full “smart home” and have to ask their Alexa to turn their lights on please. Slower and more annoying than simply flicking a switch.

Plus there’s always the risk that one day Alexa will say no.