High-Tech Attack Alert For 2016 Super Bowl (thestack.com)

An anonymous reader writes with news about a Homeland Security memo concerning potential technological attacks during the Super Bowl. The forthcoming Super Bowl event on 7th February could be at risk of a high-tech attack against fans both inside and outside the San Francisco 49ers Stadium. A security memo issued by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security has warned that the annual game could be a target not just at the stadium, but at other commemorative events taking place in San Francisco and in the Silicon Valley. One of the chief concerns is the various sabotages committed against fibre cables in the area. As the fibre optic cable networks function as back up communication systems in emergency situations, these are a possible target for the attackers. By destroying these cables, response times could be slowed down.

Comments

Probably not terror at all.

[dgatwood]

I'd be willing to bet that all of those fiber cuts were caused by would-be copper thieves who didn't know how to tell the difference between the two. Copper wire theft is happening fairly frequently in the Bay Area, thanks in no small part to growing poverty rates.

Ask yourself which is more likely—a few people trying to make a quick buck or a vast underground conspiracy of terrorists trying to find the optimal places to sever fiber lines to maximally disrupt communications and delay emergency response so that they can attack the Super Bowl in some way... and doing it by randomly cutting the lines to see what happens, rather than by stealing maps of where all the fiber goes....

I mean yes, there's a chance it is terrorism-related. There's also a chance that someone stole Adolf Hitler's DNA and cloned him in a secret laboratory so that he could bring about the end of the world, and that these fiber cuts were caused by his clone army of mutant mice with laser beam eyes. I'd bet on the latter before the former....

Re:Probably not terror at all.

[rsmith-mac]

I'd be willing to bet that all of those fiber cuts were caused by would-be copper thieves who didn't know how to tell the difference between the two. Copper wire theft is happening fairly frequently in the Bay Area, thanks in no small part to growing poverty rates.

Two years ago you'd be correct. But now? Copper is down 24% in the last year alone; it's currently only $2/pound.

http://www.infomine.com/invest...

When copper was $3+ (and especially at $4), yes, copper theft was an issue. However now that prices are down copper theft has dropped off significantly. Which is not to say that it has gone away entirely, but when copper is this cheap, stealing it and fencing it is an increasingly poor use of time at a whole $2 per pound. So I would be surprised if that was the issue; there are better ways to make money at these prices.

Re:Probably not terror at all.

[eth1]

I'd be willing to bet that all of those fiber cuts were caused by would-be copper thieves who didn't know how to tell the difference between the two. Copper wire theft is happening fairly frequently in the Bay Area, thanks in no small part to growing poverty rates.

Our company has circuits all over the place, and by far, the most common notes from the carriers regarding cable cuts is "cable damaged by construction activity nearby. dispatching splice team." IOW, some dumbass with a backhoe.

Re:Anonymous Reader?

[davester666]

The biggest "crime" they will work the hardest to stop and prosecute will be copyright infringement.

*** NATIONAL ALERT ***

[easyTree]

'Foot'ball threatened. Expected casualties are lethargy, beer sales, ad. revenue.

DISPATCHING THE NATIONAL GUARD.

-- End public service announcement --

Re:Primary comms?

[jmac_the_man]

And, what's the plan for the primary comms?

Belichick will be jamming those.

Re:Drones will be the real threat at a large event

[swb]

I would think that if something like that were to happen, it would have happened already.

Like attacking a major shopping mall on the day after Thanksgiving when there are enormous crowds and the usual "Look at how many people are shopping!!!111" stand-up TV spots there to feed the fear directly to the people at home.

Now you've not only made huge news, you've managed to scare people out of shopping malls and gut the American retail economy of profit for the year.

That this *hasn't* happened in spite of how obviously vulnerable these places are to even the typical American mass shooter, let alone some group with any kind of advanced planning and better weapons leads me to believe it ain't gonna happen, either. Like maybe the threat isn't nearly as real as the media makes it out to be, or maybe it's actually harder than you think to pull it off.