Re: Car hackers can kill brakes, engine, and more

[Dan Kaminsky <dan () doxpara com>]

On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 5:23 PM, <Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu> wrote:

> On Sat, 15 May 2010 00:14:17 +0300, Juha-Matti Laurio said:
>
> > "He [Stefan Savage] and co-researcher Tadayoshi Kohno of the University
> of
> > Washington, describe the real-world risk of any of the attacks they've
> worked
> > out as extremely low."
>
> Unless you're the victim of a targeted attack.  Wonder if the researchers
> have
> ever been through a nasty divorce...

Oh, come off it.  There are a billion ways to kill someone; one that
requires the skills of a very small set of attackers is actually problematic
as it greatly aids traceability of the attack.  From the (dangerously
addictive) Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality fanfic:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5782108/16/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_of_Rationality

===

"Mr. Potter, all things have their accustomed uses. Give me ten unaccustomed
uses of objects in this room for combat!"

For a moment Harry was rendered speechless by the sheer, raw shock of having
been understood.

And then the ideas started to pour out.

"There are desks which are heavy enough to be fatal if dropped from a great
height. There are chairs with metal legs that could impale someone if driven
hard enough. The air in this classroom would be deadly by its absence, since
people die in vacuum, and it can serve as a carrier for poison gases."

Harry had to stop briefly for breath, and into that pause Professor Quirrell
said:

"That's three. You need ten. The rest of the class thinks that you've
already used up the whole contents of the classroom."

"*Ha!* The floor can be removed to create a spike pit to fall into, the
ceiling can be collapsed on someone, the walls can serve as raw material for
Transfiguration into any number of deadly things - knives, say."

"That's six. But surely you're scraping the bottom of the barrel now?"

"I haven't even started! Just look at all the people! Having a Gryffindor
attack the enemy is an *ordinary* use, of course -"

"I wouldn't have let you count that one."

"- but their blood can also be used to drown someone. Ravenclaws are known
for their brains, but their internal organs could be sold on the black
market for enough money to hire an assassin. Slytherins aren't just useful
as assassins, they can also be thrown at sufficient velocity to crush an
enemy. And Hufflepuffs, in addition to being hard workers, also contain
bones that can be removed, sharpened, and used to stab someone."

By now the rest of the class was staring at Harry in some horror. Even the
Slytherins looked shocked.

"That's ten, though I'm being generous in counting the Ravenclaw one. Now,
for extra credit, one point for each use of objects in this room which you
have not already named." Professor Quirrell favored Harry with a
companionable smile. "The rest of the class thinks you're in trouble now,
since you've named everything except the targets and you have no idea what
can be done with those."

"Bah! I've named all the people, but not my robes, which can be used to
suffocate an enemy if wrapped around their head enough times, or Hermione
Granger's robes, which can be torn into strips and tied into a rope and used
to hang someone, or Draco Malfoy's robes, which can be used to start a fire
-"

"Three points," said Professor Quirrell, "no more clothing now."

"My wand can be pushed into an enemy's brain through their eye socket" and
someone made a horrified, strangling sound.

"Four points, no more wands."

"My wristwatch could suffocate someone if jammed down their throat -"

"Five points, and enough."

===

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