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Commuter hackers target Ontario transportation firm

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Image courtesy of Metrolinx 2015-16 Annual Report

 

Computers at Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency responsible for GTA/Hamilton and Ottawa area public transportation services were said to be targeted by North Korean hackers in mid-January 2018. At the time of writing, details are still coming in, but a statement from Metrolinx assures that both the systems that manage rail and bus services and servers storing personal information are safe and secure. 

 

The question this begs is, "Why?"

 

Are they (North Korea) looking for new ideas on how to (or how not to) manage their public transportation? Could it be a group of bored but talented teenagers pulling a prank? Odds are it is organized crime looking to add to the ever-increasing pool of available identity-related data for far more nefarious purposes. Reports say that hacking brings in a billion dollars to NK coffers each year. No word as to whether that money goes directly to their illustrious leader or is divvied up to give their commuters a break. One can only speculate.

 

Why is this particular situation so important? Well, this kind of attack is not random, it is targeted. Consider that over 35,000 people use GO trains and buses every day, travelling to and fro for work and pleasure, and over two million Presto cards are in use. That's a lot of names, addresses, and credit/debit cards, but what about simple details like demographics and travel patterns? This kind of information also feeds into plans for disruption and chaos, not just financial gain. I'm sure the terrorists responsible for attacks on commuter trains in other parts of the world did background research beforehand to determine where and when to strike with maximum effectiveness.

 

The point is, every network, every computer and every Internet-connected device everywhere is potentially vulnerable to attacks of one kind or another. In this case, the folks at Metrolinx responsible for cybersecurity were on the ball, prepared and ready for action (GO team!) How well do you know your network?

 

After all, you have a responsibility to protect yourself, your business, your employees, your data.

 

Let's talk.

 

Read more here.
Stefan Myles at 9:09 AM
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Commuter hackers target Ontario transportation firm
Posted by Stefan Myles on Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Image courtesy of Metrolinx 2015-16 Annual Report

 

Computers at Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency responsible for GTA/Hamilton and Ottawa area public transportation services were said to be targeted by North Korean hackers in mid-January 2018. At the time of writing, details are still coming in, but a statement from Metrolinx assures that both the systems that manage rail and bus services and servers storing personal information are safe and secure. 

 

The question this begs is, "Why?"

 

Are they (North Korea) looking for new ideas on how to (or how not to) manage their public transportation? Could it be a group of bored but talented teenagers pulling a prank? Odds are it is organized crime looking to add to the ever-increasing pool of available identity-related data for far more nefarious purposes. Reports say that hacking brings in a billion dollars to NK coffers each year. No word as to whether that money goes directly to their illustrious leader or is divvied up to give their commuters a break. One can only speculate.

 

Why is this particular situation so important? Well, this kind of attack is not random, it is targeted. Consider that over 35,000 people use GO trains and buses every day, travelling to and fro for work and pleasure, and over two million Presto cards are in use. That's a lot of names, addresses, and credit/debit cards, but what about simple details like demographics and travel patterns? This kind of information also feeds into plans for disruption and chaos, not just financial gain. I'm sure the terrorists responsible for attacks on commuter trains in other parts of the world did background research beforehand to determine where and when to strike with maximum effectiveness.

 

The point is, every network, every computer and every Internet-connected device everywhere is potentially vulnerable to attacks of one kind or another. In this case, the folks at Metrolinx responsible for cybersecurity were on the ball, prepared and ready for action (GO team!) How well do you know your network?

 

After all, you have a responsibility to protect yourself, your business, your employees, your data.

 

Let's talk.

 

Read more here.

view all comments (20) add a comment
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