Stupid Security Worries

This is just funny. It almost ranks with Boston's reaction to cartoon advertisements (after they were up for 3 weeks).

A Vancouver Police computer crime investigator has warned the city that plans for a citywide wireless Internet system put the city at risk of terrorist attack during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The combination of anonymous, mobile Internet access and the potential presence of transit systems, traffic signals and gas and electric utility systems as tenants on a city-wide wireless network will make Vancouver a prime target for a paralysing attack by hackers, said Vancouver Police Det. Mark Fenton.

The city is seeking a private partner to develop a wireless network that could provide free or low-cost wireless Internet access in Vancouver. The network would be accessible to anyone with a laptop computer and wireless Internet WiFi card. The plan calls for much of the city's infrastructure, from traffic signals and TransLink systems to BC Hydro generators and Terasen gas meters, to use the wireless platform for communications and remote operations. TransLink has already experimented with wireless traffic signal operation to speed bus service.

Just because someone works for the police, doesn't mean they have a clue about security. First, it the infrastructure that he is so concerned with is so dangerous to have accessible, why is it on the wireless network? Has he analyzed the systems themselves to see if maybe the owners have hardened the systems to tampering? And, does he think hacking into these systems is something anyone can do?

Schneier comments:

There's also some scary stuff about SCADA systems, and the city putting some of its own service on the Internet. Clearly this guy has thought about the risks a lot, just not with any sense. He's overestimating cyberterrorism. He's overestimating how important this one particular method of wireless Internet access is. He's overestimating how important the 2010 Winter Olympics is.

But the newspaper was happy to play along and spread the fear. The photograph accompanying the article is captioned: "Anyone with a laptop and wireless access could commit a terrorist act, police warn."

Again, the MSM seems to be more willing to broadcast hype rather than actually do any investigation.

But seeing that hype is what sells, why bother actually reporting that this guy might be clueless.