Britain’s new emergency alert system can be hacked by rogue protestors with £1,000 of equipment
BRITAIN’S new emergency alert system can be hacked by rogue protestors with less than £1,000 of equipment.
It is feared hackers could use simple technology to send fake alerts within a kilometre radius – potentially sparking panic at crowded stadiums, city centres or on packed trains.
Bad actors exploiting the system could learn how to send fake alerts to thousands of people using a YouTube tutorial, the Telegraph reported last night.
A supposed security flaw in the system – which is already used in America and Canada – allows hackers to send manufactured alerts to nearby phones.
The alerts would show up as genuine, and could falsely warn of terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
An American study from the University of Colorado Boulder warned a 50,000-seat arena could be attacked with a 90% success rate.
The new alert system will be tested at 3pm tomorrow.
All mobile phones in the UK with 4G or 5G technology light up with a warning message and play an alarm tone in the national test.
A government spokesperson said: “Our emergency alerts system is extremely secure, having been developed in conjunction with government cyber experts.
“The system will only ever be used in a very limited number of circumstances where there is a risk to life and all alerts will be published on gov.uk at the same time they are broadcast.”