Dallas Wake-Up Call Courtesy of Hackers

Dallas Emergency Alert Systems Hacked

Late last Friday night, Dallas, Texas got a disturbing the wake-up call.  Thanks to the handy-work of a hacker, or two, every single tornado siren was going off just before midnight.  The sirens ran for just over an hour and a half before officials finally shut them down.  In order to stop the ongoing sirens, they had to shut down the entire emergency alert system.  The sirens were back online on Sunday, April 9, 2017.

Some may see this as a prank, similar to the hacking of traffic signs that occurred last year.  However, others find it incredibly concerning.  Citizens were concerned the alarms were going off due to what is occurring overseas.  According to The Washington Post, a city spokesperson stated,

“Thousands of people flooded the Dallas 911 system (which has had its own technical problems), leaving people with real emergencies waiting on the line for long minutes.”

At this time, a remote hack has been ruled out.  It is believed the attack originated from someone who had physical access to the emergency alert system; however, additional details regarding progress within the investigation are not being released.

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