Emergency Systems Going Off in Hawaii & Japan - Hacks?

This topic was created by BillG .

[BillG]

Emergency Systems Going Off in Hawaii & Japan - Hacks?

This happened just last year:

Radio hackers set off Dallas emergency sirens at midnight as a prank

So Hawaii's EMS goes off, setting off the horns and sending EMS text alerts scaring people about a "ballistic missile":

"BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

Days later, a similar incident in Japan. “North Korea appears to have launched a missile...The government urges people to take shelter inside buildings or underground.”

Here's what bothers me: I've worked with local governments before and language is kept to 6th grade level. I'm skeptical that the word "ballistic" would be used as not everyone knows the definition of that word. Sure, us techies know what it is.

It took a long time - 38 minutes - for Hawaii officials to retract the alert. You'd think if someone hit the wrong switch they'd correct it immediately.

This looks like two hacks to me.

[Brian Mcculloch Glasgow]

Probably a hack I also believe. Otherwise what's taken the official so much time to retract the alert?

[jake]

No systems going off here (yet) ...

... but there was just a mag. 8 earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska. We're on tsunami watch here on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Due to start seeing it at the Golden Gate at 6:20 AM Pacific time, according to the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. Hopefully it won't cause too much damage up and down the coast ...

And in answer to the thread, I seriously doubt it was a "hack" of any kind. Just a flunky with access to a Big Red Button.