You might know about hacking websites, traffic signboards or radio stations. But now, it’s time to add tornado emergency siren on the target list. Yes, someone hacked every single tornado emergency siren (156 ) in Dallas, TX on Friday night which sounded something like this:
Ever wonder what the end of the world feels like? #dallas #sirens pic.twitter.com/dvokKWkZ6N
— Manic Pixie Dream Gay (@deadlyblonde) April 8, 2017
These sirens which are basically used by authorities to warn residents against storm or tornado were caught terrorizing the Dallas city for about an hour and a half picturing the scenario what happens when things go in the wrong hands.
Everything we know about the hacking of Dallas' emergency #sirens last night: https://t.co/4NwI27ICi0 I am also a little tired. pic.twitter.com/ktDamzBWgC
— Robert Wilonsky (@RobertWilonsky) April 8, 2017
According to Dallas Morning News, the city witnessed three tornadoes a few days back and siren warnings would have been a normal but non-stop sirens on a crystal clear night would have been nothing but an uncertain and terrorizing situation.
Go home dallas, you're drunk #sirens #dfw
— Garrett S. Bacak (@garrettsbacak) April 8, 2017
Dallas emergency sirens mean:
— Rafael Anchía (@RafaelAnchia) April 8, 2017
While some cracked jokes on Twitter others wondered if the United States was under attack. According to City of Dallas- Office of Emergency Management’s live video session on Facebook “It does appear at this time it was a hack and we do believe it came from the Dallas area.”
“Every time we thought we had turned it off, the sirens would sound again, because whoever was hacking us was continuously hacking us,” Ms. Syed added.
Dallas Outdoor Warning Siren update. #dallassirens
Posted by City of Dallas- Office of Emergency Management on Saturday, April 8, 2017
However, officials are still claiming that it wasn’t a remote hack – someone had the physical access to the server connecting 156 sirens. The server will remain off until Monday since the investigations are underway.
Mike Rawlings, mayor of Dallas wrote on his Facebook post that “We will work to identify and prosecute those responsible.”
Although it is unclear who was behind this feat or how it was possible; this is not the first time when critical infrastructure in the United States has successfully hacked. Just five months ago, a hacker was arrested for jamming 911 emergency call system with a massive DDoS attack.