SkyNET Is Real, And It's Hunting Your Router

[demalo]

Imagine a fleet of these patrolling the urban streets of foreign countries were military could effectively hack wireless signals to locate suspected terrorist cells. Then following these terrorists or hacking into their computers, cell phones, TV set top boxes, etc. These could be painted to match surroundings, or using the new OLED systems and cameras actually mask their surroundings. Perfect spying systems.

Really scary shit though - this could just as easily be used to monitor individuals on our own soil. It would be great to track down criminals, but it's moving towards Big Brother to the nth degree. Thousands of these hovering around aimlessly in cities capturing video and audio. That's some sci-fi stuff right there!

 

[themilo504]

humanity is yust tempting fate at this point.

 

[Alon Shechter]

Unlike James Cameron's SkyNet, this new gadget is not a global, humanity-hating AI. It likely won't send a volley of nukes at the Russians in a stab at kicking off World War III, nor will it send a nude Robert Patrick back to the mid-90s to hunt Edward Furlong.

That's what they want you to think.

 

[orangeapples]

Why do people continue to do this? Stop naming your companies and products after things famous for ending the human race.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Why are the news written by some paranoid freak?
Every second article "omg, we're doomed, damn SCIENCE!!!!!!".

 

[ReiverCorrupter]

"The devious beauty of SkyNET is that by controlling the botnet from a drone rather than an Internet connection, the botmaster is harder to track down. To catch the bad guy you'd have to figure out that a drone is involved, spot the drone, and follow it back to its owner (assuming the black hat goes to pick it up). Either that or catch it and do a full-blown forensic investigation to figure out who made it," CNet explains.

If it was over my house my shotgun could solve this problem, no electronics or drone following nessicary

Yes... buckshot seems to be the Achilles heel of this particular system. PULL!

 

[Low Key]

My wifi uses WPA2. My router runs linux.

Bring it on.

A Linux router's probably nothing special and any modern router supports WPA2... My routers unprotected n+ at 30MBp/s

It more about the level of control having custom firmware flashed onto the router. Also, depending on what country you are in, you can use this [http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index] to get around certain blocked sites. Especially good in places like China, or even Australia where they are talking about banning certain sites.

If you're not particularly computer savvy though, it might be in your best interest to use the preloaded firmware. DD-WRT takes a certain level of command line knowledge. Besides, I can't imagine there will be too many of these bots flying around.

Do you live in one of these banned countries or actually have a full necessary need to have the software on hand? People like you make me chuckle :3

I didn't say that's why I use custom firmware. People like you make me chuckle.

The two reasons I use it is because my router didn't natively support WPA2 (WEP keys can be cracked in minutes) and so my connection doesn't slow to a crawl when I am using a particular protocol.

 

[The Funslinger]

Ooh fantasic, as if my neighbours stealing my internet wasn't alone anoying as itself!

SOO why are you still using WEP encryption?

OT: This is a pretty senseless idea, and I think it is fantastic, I wonder what the bot will do once it breaks into networks, will it leave a note saying "You's been hacked by a machine, fix your shit?"

Or this:

In any case, I doubt too much will come of this.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Sounds like a purpose-built counter to ad-hoc wifi networks.

Some people are concerned enough about government influence to the internet, that they're trying to create their own networks by using Wifi routers as repeaters, thus creating a cheap, and fully independent network outside the control of any ISP or government.

This... Sounds like the perfect way to screw up one of those networks. >_<

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

My wifi uses WPA2. My router runs linux.

Bring it on.

A Linux router's probably nothing special and any modern router supports WPA2... My routers unprotected n+ at 30MBp/s

It more about the level of control having custom firmware flashed onto the router. Also, depending on what country you are in, you can use this [http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index] to get around certain blocked sites. Especially good in places like China, or even Australia where they are talking about banning certain sites.

If you're not particularly computer savvy though, it might be in your best interest to use the preloaded firmware. DD-WRT takes a certain level of command line knowledge. Besides, I can't imagine there will be too many of these bots flying around.

Do you live in one of these banned countries or actually have a full necessary need to have the software on hand? People like you make me chuckle :3

I didn't say that's why I use custom firmware. People like you make me chuckle.

The two reasons I use it is because my router didn't natively support WPA2 (WEP keys can be cracked in minutes) and so my connection doesn't slow to a crawl when I am using a particular protocol.

Who on earth would want to crack your WEP connection...

 

[Twilight_guy]

A drone that can take out routers and thus destroy LAN service? How that that possible be useful, you know aside from knocking out internal communication in a building remotely?

Seriously, knock out a few key routers and, bam! down goes the Internets in the building. Very useful. Not to mention that skynet is an accurate name for it since its a network device int he sky, Or a device in the sky that attacks networks.

 

[Low Key]

My wifi uses WPA2. My router runs linux.

Bring it on.

A Linux router's probably nothing special and any modern router supports WPA2... My routers unprotected n+ at 30MBp/s

It more about the level of control having custom firmware flashed onto the router. Also, depending on what country you are in, you can use this [http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index] to get around certain blocked sites. Especially good in places like China, or even Australia where they are talking about banning certain sites.

If you're not particularly computer savvy though, it might be in your best interest to use the preloaded firmware. DD-WRT takes a certain level of command line knowledge. Besides, I can't imagine there will be too many of these bots flying around.

Do you live in one of these banned countries or actually have a full necessary need to have the software on hand? People like you make me chuckle :3

I didn't say that's why I use custom firmware. People like you make me chuckle.

The two reasons I use it is because my router didn't natively support WPA2 (WEP keys can be cracked in minutes) and so my connection doesn't slow to a crawl when I am using a particular protocol.

Who on earth would want to crack your WEP connection...

Why lock your car? Why lock your house? Why secure anything? In fact, lets just leave all of our valuables outside and walk away. They'll be safe. No worries.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

Wait a second,, it's been a while since I saw T2, but didn't they explained in that movie that SKYNET wasn't a supercomputer, but a OS for an UAV made for nuclear bombing?
I know the third says it's an AI, and the first never went deep into that, but I remember from the second the unmannered bomber thing, or that's how I interpreted what they say...

Maybe I'm not recalling it right, I might have to see it again... sigh

 

[aashell13]

Notably lacking from any coverage of this drone however, is word on what purpose it might serve. Its a neat idea, but why does SkyNET exist?

I can't find any government contracts or talk of deploying this gadget alongside law enforcement officials, so why did the SIT researchers build this thing? For that matter, how did they fund its development? Is someone offering grants for robots that exist purely to hack jerks who once wronged them?

Clearly, it was built to get back at everyone who ever gave the researchers wedgies in middle school. Who's laughing now, I wonder...

 

[aashell13]

Really scary shit though - this could just as easily be used to monitor individuals on our own soil. It would be great to track down criminals, but it's moving towards Big Brother to the nth degree. Thousands of these hovering around aimlessly in cities capturing video and audio. That's some sci-fi stuff right there!

Because the boatloads of closed-circuit security cameras deployed all over the place don't already do this?

 

[DaRigger420]

I am not worried about this little beast for several reasons.
1. It is easier and cheaper to hit the local free hotspots in a random pattern.
2. This unit will not stand up to anything over a heavy breeze.
3. This thing will not stand up to objects such as trees, hawks or your average pellet gun.
4. Many buildings are difficult to get a signal through due to construction and meterials.
5. If you shell out the time/money for one, your most likely not targeting John Q. Public.
6. Most government buildings are not worth the time to hack.
7. By the time we read this, Big Brother already has something better, and paid more for it.
8. In this economy, who wants to shell out that much for something so easily lost?
9. no self respecting AI-overlord would be caught in the Prius of helecopters.

 

[stewox]

have fun hacking my router - i don't use wireless



btw: using DD-WRT

 

[demalo]

Really scary shit though - this could just as easily be used to monitor individuals on our own soil. It would be great to track down criminals, but it's moving towards Big Brother to the nth degree. Thousands of these hovering around aimlessly in cities capturing video and audio. That's some sci-fi stuff right there!

Because the boatloads of closed-circuit security cameras deployed all over the place don't already do this?

I considered that when I posted. And it's true the surveillance stuff going on is already out there, but (not to be snarky) here are a few reasons why flying cameras are better (especially for government agencies):

1. Not stationary, can follow targets of opportunity.
2. Plugged into 1 main system that monitors all of these flying cameras rather than thousands of CSC systems and independent systems that require warrants and man power to gather and compile.
3. It's a passive monitoring system in the public arena - could capture "noise" as well (again, no warrant needed).
4. Again, they're flying cameras. One target of opportunity could be tracked by multiple units.

The article was about network hacking flying robots. 'Warflying' will probably be the next big thing to finding vulnerable wireless networks. This is cool, but could be expanded to something so much more - which I hope I've conveyed well enough.

 

[Fraeir]

What's next? A bio-chem firm that name themselves Umbrella Corporation?

 

[Phisi]

I don't quite see the point of this unless... they have the machine from Tron to scan it into the internet where it will do their dirty work! Conspiracies AWAY!!