Tag Archive for: train

Hackers Beat Anti-Repair Software Locks That Caused Train Breakdowns

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A Polish train manufacturer has threatened to sue after a group of hackers accused the company of programming its products to inhibit independent repairs. The company’s software has reportedly caused trains to break down on purpose, and its circumvention has led the manufacturer to claim a conspiracy against it.

Poland’s Rynek Olejowy reports that rail operator Lower Silesian Railways (or Koleje Dolnośląskie) has been in a spat with Newag, producer of its Impuls 45WE hybrid multiple units. In June 2022, the railroad reportedly experienced multiple no-start failures with these trainsets in unrelated circumstances. In one case, the train stopped working after sitting out of service for a period, while in another it occurred following service at an independent train repair shop, SPS. Both reportedly resulted in fewer trains running than scheduled, impacting passenger service. (One Chinese railway had a similar incident when Adobe Flash was shut down.)

Newag reportedly claimed the trains had self-deactivated when their security software had been tampered with. However, a group of benevolent “white hat” hackers called Dragon Sector who were hired by SPS to assist have offered their own explanation: Newag used DRM to frustrate third-party repair efforts.

As reported in Polish outlet Onet, Dragon Sector said the trains were programmed to engage a software lockdown if they sat stationary for more than 10 days. This is believed to be an attack on independent repair, which has become a major battleground in recent years between consumers and companies like Apple, John Deere, and many across the car industry. Right-to-repair is combated in a variety of ways, from proprietary software and encryption that can only be read by the company itself to “parts pairing” according to 404 Media—a security measure against third-party service.

Not only does this make some devices impossible for the average user to repair, but it also can stop independent shops from fixing them at a lower cost than the manufacturer would demand. In extreme cases, this can leave consumers with no recourse if a manufacturer decides the product can’t be repaired, and…

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Israeli protesters block highways, train stations as Netanyahu moves ahead with judicial overhaul

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JERUSALEM — Tens of thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked highways and train stations and massed in central Tel Aviv during a day of countrywide demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul plan.

The protests, now in their seventh month, have taken on a sense of urgency in recent days as Netanyahu and his allies in parliament march ahead with the program. The first bill in the package – a measure that seeks to limit the Supreme Court’s oversight powers – could become law as soon as next week.

The unrest also cast a shadow over a visit to the White House by Israel’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, who was invited to Washington to celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary.

Herzog, a political centrist, has been involved in behind-the-scenes efforts to broker a compromise on the judicial overhaul, which has strained relations between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden.

In a meeting with Biden in the Oval Office, Herzog acknowledged that Israel was “going through a heated debate as a society.” But he said that debate shows that Israeli society is “strong and resilient.” He added that the country should seek an “amicable consensus.”

Biden, who has criticized the overhaul plan, said that the U.S. commitment to Israel was strong and the bond between the two countries was “unbreakable.”

Netanyahu and his allies say the overhaul is needed to rein in the powers of an unelected judiciary – particularly the Supreme Court – that they believe is overly interventionist in government decisions.

Their opponents, representing a wide cross section of Israeli society, say the plan is a power grab by Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox allies that will destroy the country’s fragile system of checks and balances. They also say the prime minister, who is on trial for corruption charges, and his allies are motivated by various grievances against the justice system.

Late Tuesday, protesters thronged outside the U.S. diplomatic offices, packed the central square of Tel Aviv and crippled the city’s main highway. Police on horseback galloped among the crowds, trying to clear them away.

Earlier, protesters gathered…

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Train to Become a Certified Ethical Hacker for $25

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Cyber attacks are everywhere, affecting individuals as well as businesses on a daily basis. There is a shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the business world, but fortunately, you don’t need any prior tech background to develop cybersecurity skills.

If you want to switch to a lucrative tech career in the new year, The 2023 Complete Cyber Security Ethical Hacking Certification Bundle is on sale for $24.99.

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From there, move on to functional hacking skills in Practical Wireless Networks Hacking from Scratch and Learn Practical Hacking Using Metasploit From Scratch. Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing Bootcamp with Linux continues in that area, plus demonstrates how to set up your own personal lab. Ethical Hacking: Network Scan by Nmap & Nessus includes lessons on how to check vulnerable devices and discover networks using Nmap.

Once you’ve developed a basic understanding of ethical hacking concepts, you’ll be ready to take The Complete Python Hacking Course: Beginner to Advanced. Also, if you’re already familiar with essential web tech like HTML, HTTP, Document Object Model, etc., simply jump straight to the Full Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing Course.

Before starting TOTAL: CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002), you should be familiar with the skills required for the CompTIA Security+ and Network+ exams. However, this certification could make your resumé really stand out. If you’re into Raspberry Pi and have even basic IT skills, you’ll probably enjoy Practical Hacking using Raspberry Pi.

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Prices subject to change.

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RRU to develop wargame centre in Delhi to train soldiers for Indian Army

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The Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) will develop a Wargame Research and Development Centre in New Delhi for the Indian Army to train its soldiers in virtual reality simulation war games designed specifically to meet the challenges of counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations by the armed forces in India.

According to Indian Army officials and the university management, a memorandum of understanding was signed between RRU, an institute specialising in national security and policing, and the Army Training Command of the Indian Army on Friday to develop the Wargame Research and Development Centre in New Delhi.

The laboratory will be prepared by Tech Mahindra, while the RRU intends that the wargame centre provides a “realistic” experience to the user.

The Indian Army will provide data to the university to develop model backgrounds for their soldiers to train virtually.

“The MoU will facilitate co-operation and collaboration in the niche field of simulation, computer wargaming, and allied technologies,” read a statement from the Army Training Command, Indian Army.

As per officials privy to the development, the project has been given a prototype name ‘WARDEC’ and it will be a first-of-its-kind simulation-based training centre in India where the army can train its soldiers in diverse combat situations through virtual reality wargames where artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to design the “gameplay” as per the present-day needs of the army.

The RRU has been established as an “institute of national importance” through an act passed in the Parliament in 2020 and it functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“The RRU has enhanced capabilities in domains of Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, as also defence and strategic studies. Along with Maker’s Lab, which is the research and development division of technology leader Tech Mahindra, RRU will establish the wargame centre which will incorporate emerging technologies into war game development. This will allow realistic experience for the users,” said Colonel Nidhish Bhatnagar, Director, School of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security…

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