Passwords are being taken and hackers are trying to break in, but first: a cartoon about cancel culture.
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Today’s News
Iranian hackers have been “password-spraying” the US grid
In a new report, the security firm Dragos details hacking activity against American electric utilities and attributes it to a group of Iranian hackers called Magnallium. For the past year, Dragos says, the state-sponsored group has been carrying out a broad campaign of so-called password-spraying attacks, which guess a set of common passwords for hundreds or even thousands of different accounts, targeting US electric utilities as well as oil and gas firms. While it appears the Iranian hackers don’t have the capability to start causing blackouts in the US, experts say the intrusions are still cause for concern.
Iran tensions increase social media surveillance at the US border
Following reports earlier this week that more than 60 Iranian Americans and Iranians, including children, were detained at the US-Canada border, research analyst Allie Funk writes that the government’s growing social media surveillance apparatus represents a disturbing trend. In these latest incidents, travelers claim that US officials had some of their phones confiscated, questioned them about their political views and social media activity, and ordered them to hand over their social media passwords. The situation, Funk argues, demands action from lawmakers as well as tech companies.
Fast Fact: 5,180 Pounds
That’s the weight of Sony’s new concept car, which debuted this week at CES. Yes, that Sony. The car itself won’t go into production, but the 5G-connected, screen-filled, sensor-laden EV showcases the role that Sony can play in the auto industry at a time when performance matters far less than the passenger experience.
WIRED Recommends: Best of CES
All week WIRED reporters have been bringing you the craziest tech they’ve seen at CES, and now they’re finally ready to answer the question: Which ones are the best? Here’s the definitive list.
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