Your Survival Guy has warned many times about the dangers EMP attacks pose to modern America’s infrastructure-dependent lifestyles. EMPs are not the only threat to America’s energy, water, information, and other infrastructure facilities. Just as dangerous are various hacking and sabotage activities posed by foreign governments or radical extremists. A new threat on the horizon for America’s critical infrastructure is posed by a hacking tool known as “Flipper Zero.” Nerin Gray Desai reports on the danger for the Daily Mail:
The NYPD and other law enforcement agencies across the country fear that a consumer hacking tool will be used by radical extremist groups to attack electrical substations, internal documents reveal.
A bulletin published by a law enforcement task force in South Dakota, obtained by the Daily Dot, indicates that police departments are monitoring extremist channels on the messaging platform Telegram for suspicious references to the Flipper Zero – a $169 ‘hacking’ device.
The Flipper Zero can be used to open remote-controlled gates by emulating signals sent by nearby devices. Alternatively, it can send a variety of signals with the aim of transmitting the correct one by chance in what is referred to as a ‘brute-force’ attack.
Since its widespread release in 2022, dozens of videos have gone viral on social media showing the device being used to open gates, hotel room doors, and even hacking gas station price signs.
‘The NYPD Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau (ICB) assesses that racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists (REMVEs) may seek to exploit the hacking capabilities of a new cyber penetration tester,’ reads the bulletin, issued by the South Dakota Fusion Center on April 6.
The ICB notes that groups such as ‘domestic and international hackers, hobbyists, doomsday preppers’ are also suspected of having criminal uses for the Flipper.
The bulletin states that various substations are protected by such gates, but that not all would be vulnerable to Flipper Zero attacks.
It also refers to refers to recent substation attacks in North Carolina and Washington State and material disseminated by the extremist publication The Hard Reset.
‘REMVEs continue to prioritize the targeting of critical infrastructure, particularly after the July 2022 release of the accelerationist propaganda publication, The Hard Reset,’ it reads.
‘Notably, in December 2022, unidentified assailants targeted substations in North Carolina and Washington State in separate attacks. Many substations are secured by barriers and gates that appear similar to those that can be bypassed with the Flipper Zero; however, these types of barriers are not inherently susceptible to Flipper Zero attacks.’
Your Survival Guy wrote about the substation attacks:
- Are MORE Infrastructure Attacks Being Prepared?
- FEAR IN THE DARK: Terrorists Strike More U.S. Power Stations
- BE PREPARED: Army Responds to Terrorist Attack Near Fort Bragg
Action Line: What can you do weather power outages? Harden yourself with backup power supplies like a generator and heat sources not reliant on electricity, like a wood or coal stove. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, and become a Survivor.
