Ana Bezanilla
Hackers can now infiltrate gas pumps and that's bad news
To add to the seemingly infinite list of hackable things, Trend Micro security researchers Kyle Wilhoit and Stephen Hilt have announced gas pump hacking is already a significant source of cyber crime.
An internet-connected gas pump was hacked in February, which sparked the two researchers to investigate how frequently pumps are attacked. They set up fake pump systems called GasPots that mimic the internet-controlled interfaces of regular pumps, called ATG or automatic tank gauging, which are not password protected.
Image: TrendMicro
They found that over the course of six months, the United States' GasPots suffered 44% of overall attacks, followed by Jordan at 17% and Brazil, the UAE, and the UK all tied for 11%.
Wilhoit and Hilt believe the possibility of hacking gas pumps could prove dangerous if hackers chose to set the tank limit to way below its' physical limitations, potentially causing explosions.
Facts about cyber crime:
About 15 million Americans will have their identity stolen in any given year.
Where a computer is connected to a network, there is a chance it can be hacked. Two hackers infiltrated a maximum security prison and opened cell doors with just two hours and $2,000.
Hackers can enter airport security systems by using a laptop.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons