Ingenuity isn’t exactly a quality you want in hackers, unless of course, they’re on your side. In a rather terrifying discovery, researchers have found an alarming vulnerability in our security system, and it’s one that can be found in most American homes and offices — the air conditioner. Power grid failures, a topic of great consternation in movies and in real life, would pose a serious problem on a large scale, and as computer hacking and digital warfare grow more advanced, security personnel are looking into some unconventional methods by which certain breaches might occur.
And the latest possibility lies in none other than your AC unit. Experts told Wired that hackers could potentially “remotely manipulate home and office air conditioners to create a surge,” with consequences that could be “very serious.” Apparently, the danger lies in remotely controlled devices that utility companies place on AC units in order to save energy during the hottest months of the summer. READ MORE
