Hackers Can Remotely Trigger Brakes on U.S. Trains - 1

Image by Alexander Shustov, from Unsplash

Hackers Can Remotely Trigger Brakes on U.S. Trains

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Many trains in the U.S. continue to face a security risk that allows hackers to activate their brakes from a distance.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Vulnerability discovered in 2012 by researcher Neil Smith, still not fixed.
  • Railroad industry ignored warnings, demanding real-life exploit proof first.
  • CISA calls exploit complex, but researcher says it’s “low attack complexity.”

404Media reports that this serious security flaw has been known for over a decade, but is still not fully fixed. The flaw was first reported by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and independent researcher Neil Smith.

Smith first discovered the vulnerability in 2012. He explained that the vulnerability can be exploited through radio frequencies used between the front and back sections of a train. “All of the knowledge to generate the exploit already exists on the internet. AI could even build it for you,” Smith told 404 Media.

Smith explained how hackers can activate the exploit using a FlipperZero device within a 200-foot range, or an aircraft transmitter at 30,000 feet, to achieve coverage up to 150 miles.

The flaw stems from a safety system introduced in the 1980s called the End-of-Train and Head-of-Train Remote Linking Protocol (EOT/HOT), designed to improve communication on trains. Smith said, “The radio link is a commonly found [frequency-shift keying] data modem that was easy to identify,” but figuring out the meaning of the data was harder, as reported by 404Media.

When Smith alerted the railroad industry in 2012, he says they ignored him. “The Association of American Railroads (AAR) […] would not acknowledge the vulnerability as real unless someone could demonstrate it to them in real life,” he said. AAR declined to comment on the issue.

CISA official Chris Butera revealed that rail sector stakeholders have monitored this vulnerability for more than a decade, but state that its exploitation requires both physical access, advanced technical skills, and specialized equipment.

But Smith disagrees, calling CISA’s statement “overly complicated,” noting the exploit is actually “low attack complexity,” as noted by 404Media

The vulnerability remains unfixed, with industry efforts to update the system ongoing but slow. Smith criticized the railway industry’s response, saying it follows the insurance industry’s “delay, deny, defend” approach, as noted by 404Media.

Google Adds AI Summaries To Discover Feed - 2

Image by Solen Feyissa, from Unsplash

Google Adds AI Summaries To Discover Feed

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Google introduced AI-generated news summaries through its Discover feed on iOS and Android devices in the United States, which has led publishers to worry about their website traffic decline.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Google launched AI news summaries in its Discover app on iOS and Android.
  • Summaries show multiple publisher logos with a warning.
  • News leaders warn Google’s shift to AI threatens journalism’s survival.

Instead of seeing a single headline and publisher logo, users now see news source logos with AI-generated summaries that reference the original sources, as first reported by TechCrunch . The app clearly warns that these summaries are created by AI, “which can make mistakes.”

A Google spokesperson confirmed this is not a test but an official U.S. launch which focuses on trending lifestyle topics, like sports and entertainment. Google says that the feature enables users to determine which pages they want to visit, as reported by TechCrunch. TechCrunch notes that some stories also include bullet-point summaries or are grouped with similar news, offering quick context without leaving the app.

Google Discover + Gemini AI In Google Discover, we find “Trending” cards with an AI Overview, several sources, a news summary, and a main article. Clicking on the site icons takes us to a new “More” page with a Discover feed for these sites, on which the AI summary is based.… pic.twitter.com/F1aKELghJu — Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) June 16, 2025

The new feature builds on previous AI tools like AI Overviews and AI Mode, which provide direct article summaries within the search results, thus eliminating the need for users to click on the news websites. Google’s Discover feed had remained a source of clicks for publishers, but this rollout could change that.

Data shows this shift is already impacting publishers heavily. According to market intelligence firm Similarweb and a recent report by The Economist , worldwide search traffic to news sites dropped 15% year-over-year as of June 2025.

The number of news searches that don’t lead to any clicks on websites rose from 56% in May 2024 to nearly 69% in May 2025. Organic visits fell from 2.3 billion at their peak to under 1.7 billion.

Publishers are alarmed. Danielle Coffey, president of the News/Media Alliance, said , “Links were the last redeeming quality of search that gave publishers traffic and revenue. Now Google just takes content by force and uses it with no return, the definition of theft.” William Lewis, CEO of The Washington Post, called this “a serious threat to journalism that should not be underestimated.”

As Google shifts from being a search engine to an “answer engine,” many publishers are turning to direct engagement strategies or alternative revenue models. But as The Atlantic CEO warned, “Google traffic will eventually reach zero levels […] We have to develop new strategies.”