Gas pumps vulnerable to cyberattacks prevalent

TechRadar reports that cyberattacks enabling remote access and unauthorized access could be launched against 5,860 internet-exposed gas pump controllers around the world, most of which are in the U.S. Aside from being leveraged to facilitate inventory manipulation to steal fuel without being detected, gas pump controllers accessible through the internet could also be exploited by threat actors to hinder fuel supply during war efforts, according to a report from Cybernews. "During a cyberwar, attackers may launch attacks on various targets to distract and overwhelm the defenders. Gas station controllers could be one such target to divert resources and attention away from more critical systems," said researchers. Such findings should prompt proper maintenance of gas pump controllers and other Internet of Things devices, as well as the implementation of regular software updates, intrusion detection and monitoring tools, robust network security systems, and physical defenses, according to researchers.