Hacking tool for warriors

Darius Chang | May 27, 2009

Will the hacking tool look like a nondescript MID?

It's no longer about who has the biggest guns. A major part of modern warfare is command, control and communication. You can have the deadliest weapon in the world sitting in its silo waiting for launch, but if the enemy messes up your communications network, you might as well have traded it in for a Volvo for all the good it will do.

It's relatively easy to hack into the enemy's network from an office miles away from the action, but what if a grunt needs to isolate the target from using cell phones or even email to call for reinforcements? The US military is developing a portable device that will make hacking into any wireless network, from mobile to satellite signals, easy enough for field use.

How this machine works is by identifying the nodes and automating the network attacking using tools such as packet sniffing, metasploit-style network vulnerability scanners and AirCrack-like wireless network security breakers. Using touchscreen controls, the user can define how frequently the hack is attempted and the amount of collateral damage to the network.

It may sound too good to be true, since once the capabilities of the device are known the enemy can generate countermeasures against them. However, not all military installations or terrorist cells have the resources or know-how to patch all these holes in the networks. Moreover, like all things, the security of the system is only as strong as the weakest link and an unencrypted email or an unsecured laptop may be all it takes to unravel the network.

Via Wired

Filed under: Future Tech
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