Cybersecurity

Self-aiming weapons open new attacks for hackers

Self-aiming rifles, powered by an array of sensors and computer technology, can greatly improve accuracy — but that advance comes with a security cost.

Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger have spent a year develop techniques to hack the TrackingPoint self-aiming rifles, gaining entry via the weapon’s Wi-Fi connection and then taking advantage of software flaws. They have been able to make the guns miss their targets, switch targets or shut down entirely, according to Wired.