What is hacking?
Hacking is the attempt to compromise digital devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and even entire networks. While hacking is not always for malicious purposes, most references to hacking and hackers nowadays characterize it/them as illegal activity by cybercriminals—motivated by financial gain, protest, information gathering (spying), or even just for the "fun" of the challenge.
As technologies are taking increasingly more significant parts of our lives, so are cyber threats. Sometimes hackers catch us off guard where we least expect them to. Here is the list of 15 of the scariest things hacked
15. SMART TVS
Samsung came under criticism when it was shown that their 'smart' televisions' Facebook app could be tweaked to spy on the set's owners. The limited amount of built-in security possessed by these televisions leave many vulnerable to hackers.
14. HOTELS
Security consultant Jesus Molina revealed that he used an in-room iPad to gain control over lights, temperature and blinds in 200 hotel room at the St. Regis in Shenzhen, China, in the summer of 2014.
13. APPLIANCES
In 20121, German researchers used 'smart' electric meters to obtain information on when residents were awake, asleep, not at home and what they were watching on TV. Many 'smart' devices around the home are left vulnerable to hackers.
In April 2014, it was estimated 40,000 baby monitors were vulnerable to hacking, and
95% of ATMs ran on Windows XP software, making them more susceptible to hacking.
60% of small business in Britain experienced a cyber security breach in 2013.
12. VEHICLES
Many modern cars contain upwards of 50 electronic control units, which can allow someone to unlock and start the vehicle simply sending a text.
11. TOYS
Researcher Jennifer Savage used her daughter's Wi-Fi connected plastic bunny to demonstrate how toys can be hacked. The hacked Karotz toy played scary music and the camera was used as a spying device.
10. VOICEMAILS
In July 2011, British tabloid News of the World was shut down after 'the phone-hacking scandal'. Investigation discovered that over several years the newspaper hacked the phones of celebrities, royalty and murder victims, amongst others, and accessed their voicemails. The scandal sparked the Leveson Inquiry, a judicial public inquiry into the British media.
In August 2014, data breach in South Korea saw personal information stolen from 27 million People.
The Phone-Hacking trail cost almost £100 million, making it the most expensive trial in British legal history.
Met Police revealed that half of the cars broken into in London in 2013 were hacked not forced open.
9. PHOTOS
August 2014 saw a major violation of privacy when hacked posted nude images of female celebrities online, thought to have been stolen from celebrities' backup services, such as iCloud. The hacker listed more than 100 names, claiming to have intimate photos of many of them before posting much of them online, sparking an FBI investigation.
8. SATELLITES
It was alleged that in 2008, China-based hackers interfered with two US government satellites, taking control of Lamdsat-7 and Terra AM-1 for up to 12 minutes.
7. ATM
In June 2014, two Canadian school boys hacked Bank of Montreal ATMs, before highlighting the security risk to the bank. Basic security failures, such as weak passwords, configuration problems and archaic standards can leave ATMs vulnerable to hacks.
In early 2014, hackers compromised over 100,000 smart household appliances, using them to send 750,000 spam emails.
On average 30,000 websites are hacked a day.
In 2011 hackers broke into 77 million PlayStation accounts.
6. PRISON CELL DOORS
At the 2011 Hacker Halted conference, researchers showed how it is possible to open every cell door in a prison at once by hacking into an industrial programmable logic controller. The same method was used a year earlier at an Iranian nuclear facility.
5. DRONES
The Iranian military claimed the responsibility for the 2011 crash-landing if an American drone, by sending it fake GPS signals. The U.S. military, however, dispute this, saying the crash was caused by a routine malfunction.
4. BABY MONITORS
In April 2014, an Ohio couple awoke to the sound of an unknown man shouting 'wake up baby!' through their wireless baby monitor. The internet enabled monitors allow parents to watch over their children remotely, thorough their smartphone or an Internet browser.
More than half of the world's biggest bank websites have experienced security incidents in the past 9 years.
According to Sky, it is possible to hack any of 50 low-powered computers in a modern car in less than 10 seconds.
It takes only 10 minutes to crack a lowercase password that is 6 characters long.
3. POWER PLANTS
Research released in 2013 exposed vulnerabilities in power plants across the U.S. and Canada, which leave them open to hacking. If exploited they could be used to crash or hijack the servers controlling power plants, electric substations and water utilities.
2. MEDICAL EQUIPMENTS
In 2012, researchers at McAfee revealed they had found a way to subvert an implanted insulin pump to make it deliver 45 days' worth if insulin in one go. After having a pacemaker fitted in 2007, Vice President Dick Cheney considered such a threat that he had the wireless functions turned off.
1. COMMERCIAL PLANES
A cyber-security researcher revealed it is possible to hack satellite communications equipment on passenger jets through their Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment systems. This method could enable someone to hack the plane's avionics equipment and disrupt or change satellite communications, impact on the plane's navigation and safety systems.