Tag Archive for: power

Decoding the Mystery of Encryption: The Power of Public and Private Keys | by Yash Gupta | Sep, 2023


“In the world of encryption, the key to understanding is just a public and private key away.” — Anonymous

In the digital world, the concept of encryption is as ubiquitous as it is vital. It is the bedrock of internet security, safeguarding our data from prying eyes. Encryption is the process of encoding information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it. It is a complex yet fascinating subject, and understanding it requires a deep dive into the realm of public and private keys.

Public and private keys form the basis of today’s encryption

The world of encryption is a labyrinth of complex algorithms and mathematical equations, but at its core, it is a simple concept. It is a method of transforming plain text into an unreadable format, known as ciphertext, to prevent unauthorized access. The process of converting the ciphertext back into its original form is known as decryption.

The two primary types of encryption are symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Symmetric encryption uses a single key for both encryption and decryption. However, it has a significant drawback: the key must be shared between the sender and receiver. This sharing can lead to potential security risks.

Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, uses two keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. This method is also known as Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The public key is available to everyone, while the private key is kept secret by the owner. This method eliminates the need to share keys, thereby enhancing security.

The concept of public and private keys is akin to a mailbox. Anyone can drop a letter (encrypt data) into the mailbox using the visible slot (public key), but only the person with the key to the mailbox (private key) can open it and read the letters (decrypt the data).

The process of generating these keys involves complex mathematical algorithms. The most common algorithm used is the RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) algorithm. It generates two large prime numbers and multiplies them. The complexity of factoring large prime numbers ensures the security of RSA encryption.

The beauty of public and private keys lies in their interdependence. The public key is used…

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EV Charger Hacking Could Imperil the Security of the Power Grid – Mother Jones


A man wearing shorts and a t-shirt eating a burrito walks past a white Tesla plugged in to a public charging station

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images/Grist

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. It was co-published with Climate Desk partner Wired

With his electric Kia EV6 running low on power, Sky Malcolm pulled into a bank of fast-chargers near Terre Haute, Indiana, to plug in. As his car powered up, he peeked at nearby chargers. One in particular stood out.

Instead of the businesslike welcome screen displayed on the other Electrify America units, this one featured a picture of President Biden pointing his finger, with an “I did that!” caption. It was the same meme the president’s critics started slapping on gas pumps as prices soared last year, cloned 20 times across the screen. 

“It was, unfortunately, not terribly surprising,” Malcolm said of the hack, which he stumbled upon last fall. Such shenanigans are increasingly common. At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, hackers tweaked charging stations along the Moscow–Saint Petersburg motorway in Russia to greet users with anti-Putin messages. Around the same time, cyber vandals in England programmed public chargers to broadcast pornography. Just this year, the hosts of YouTube channel The Kilowatts tweeted a video showing it was possible to take control of an Electrify America station’s operating system. 

While such breaches have so far remained relatively innocuous, cybersecurity experts say the consequences would be far more severe at the hands of truly nefarious miscreants. As companies, governments and consumers sprint to install more chargers, the risks could only grow.

In recent years, security researchers and white-hat hackers have identified sprawling vulnerabilities in internet-connected home and public charging hardware that could expose customer data, compromise Wi-Fi networks, and, in a worst-case scenario, bring down power grids. Given the dangers, everyone from device manufacturers to the Biden administration is rushing to fortify these increasingly common machines and establish security standards.

“This is a major problem,”…

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Startling Security Report Finds Solar Power Systems Are Ripe For Hacking


startling security report finds solar power systems are ripe for hacking

If you have a solar roof and power management system, you might be vulnerable to a cyberattack depending on how the system was implemented. However, this problem is not limited to solar but also includes wind and hydroelectric systems connected to the internet, which all make juicy targets for a threat actor.

Researchers at Cyble have become increasingly concerned about the expansive growth and interconnectedness of domestic green energy solutions. The group reports that threat actors might exploit vulnerabilities or misconfigurations of the interconnections in times of conflict or heightened tensions.

exposure startling security report finds solar power systems are ripe for hacking 708

These sorts of attacks, if widespread, might lead to “destabilizing the targeted region, inflicting economic disruption, undermining energy security, and securing a strategic advantage.” This is entirely possible, too, as the researchers discovered 130,000 internet-exposed photovoltaic diagnostic and monitoring systems globally, or in other words, many solar systems alone are exposed to the internet, ignoring wind and hydroelectric systems entirely.

accessed panels startling security report finds solar power systems are ripe for hacking
These are a sample of the web panels that the researchers accessed in their hunting.

Setting aside the concerns about domestic power systems, this also highlights similar concerns regarding commercial systems that power homes that have not yet gone green. As we get into summer, an attacker could abuse the power grid, which will already be running thin, by controlling smart home devices to fluctuate power requirements. This could cause many problems, as the U.S. Government Accountability Office suggested in 2022.

Cybersecurity not only threatens our homes but that which provides them with power, water, and other essential services. We are generally wholly unprepared for these attacks, which could have lethal consequences given good malicious timing. Of course, you can do your part to keep systems up to date and, if possible, offline.

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AAP Guwahati Rally News Live: Arvind Kejriwal promises free electricity and jobs for all if AAP comes to power in Assam


07:36 PM

Maharashtra reports 562 new cases in the state today along with three covid deaths. Active cases at 3,488.

In Maharashtra, we celebrate all the festivals together & we have the culture to celebrate the festival together. If someone for political gain tries to create a problem then the relevant dept will take action on it

– CM Eknath Shinde on Rama Navami clashes

On Utkal Diwas, Odisha’s formation day, Adani Ports and SEZ is privileged to welcome to Dhamra Port, its first cargo of LNG aboard the ‘Milaha Ras Laffan’. This is a huge leap forward not only in access to clean and affordable energy but also in decarbonising India’s energy sector

– Karan Adani, CEO Adani Ports and SEZ

We will be going to Ayodhya for Lord Ram’s blessings on 9th April and it’s a matter of belief and sentiments

– Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

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BJP appoints Rajendra Rathore as leader of opposition in Rajasthan assembly

We will bring the corrupt face of the present state government in front of the public. I will fulfil all my duties and work for the public, said Rajendra Rathore, LoP Rajasthan Assembly.

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Fire breaks out on the top floor of the LIC building in Chennai. Fire tenders on the spot.

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Fire broke out in a furniture factory in Udaipur. Several fire tenders rushed to the spot.

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Rahul Gandhi and Mohan Bhagwat to arrive in Gujarat on Monday

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Dead body of CISF jawan found in suspicious condition at the Punjab Secretariat

The body has been sent for postmortem. No CISF officer reported suicide in the preliminary information. Police are probing the matter, said DSP Ram Gopal.

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World fascinated with digitisation of India: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the world is fascinated with the digitisation of India.”What is the world’s fascination with India? Today? It is in the digitisation of India,” the EAM said while interacting with intellectuals in Dharwad, Karnataka.”In 2014, six crore people had access to broadband. Today, it is 80 crore. From six it has gone to 80. Internet was used by 25 crore people. It is today 85 crores. We have laid optical fiber cable of 25 lakh kilometres in this country,” Jaishankar said.”The number of mobile…

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