Hackers hijack radio stations to broadcast fake emergency alerts, FCC warns broadcasters

The Federal Communications Commission issued an urgent warning Wednesday after hackers infiltrated multiple US radio stations, broadcasting fake emergency alerts and obscene content to thousands of listeners across the country. The cyberattacks targeted various radio broadcasters, including ESPN 97.5 in Houston during Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys game and Virginia NPR affiliate WVTF last week. The incidents involved hackers hijacking the Emergency Alert System’s distinctive Attention Signal—the attention-grabbing tone typically reserved for warnings about tornadoes, hurricanes, and other disasters.

Swiss equipment vulnerability enables broadcast hijacking