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Monta Elkins

@montaelkins.bsky.social
318 followers 31 following 348 posts

Hardware Hacker SANS Principal Instructor Training Course Author "Hardware Hacking Essentials"

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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Esta semana tuvimos un excelente curso de Ciberseguridad Industrial en Santiago de Chile. ¡Qué grupo de participantes tan fantástico! We had a great Industrial Cybersecurity class in Santiago Chile this week. What a fantastic group of participants! @sansinstitute.bsky.social
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
abcnews.com/Politics/coa...
abcnews.com
Coast Guard, FBI investigating after 2 oil tankers bound for US hit with cyberattacks: Sources
U.S. authorities said there were no reports of "operational disruptions."
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Scada security essentials class coming to a Santiago near you. :) @sansinstitute.bsky.social
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
According to Claroty you are a target of industrial control system cyber attacks… “Attackers shifting away from targeted attacks and instead are... attacking almost aimlessly at [internet exposed ICS] assets rather than [specific] organizations.“ web-assets.claroty.com/resource-dow...
web-assets.claroty.com
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Giving my talk on detecting and disabling unexpected wireless access in industrial control systems. @sansinstitute.bsky.social #DisneyLand #imaluckyguy
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Industrial control system controls at Disneyland. Other people take pictures of the rides I take pictures of the (HMI) human machine interfaces. :) @sansinstitute.bsky.social
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
This is a great place to speak at an energy cybersecurity conference about unexpected RF risks. Cellular, BT, BTKE, Wi-Fi @EnergySec @sansinstitute.bsky.social @SANSICS @SANSOffensive
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I was presented with this US Army Corps of Engineers, Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity challenge coin. What a great group of folks! #CriticalInfrastructure
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I'm having WAY TOO MUCH FUN generating illustrations for my upcoming conference presentation! #HardareHacking #UnexpectedWireless @sansinstitute.bsky.social
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
FCC bans foreign power inverters. docs.fcc.gov/public/attac...
docs.fcc.gov
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
We have this conversation in every class I teach.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
AI vulnerability Discovery is accelerating patching requirements. www.theregister.com/security/202...
theregister.com
Oracle drops 1,449 security patches like it's the new normal
Experts say the era of AI bug hunting is here, so defenders will simply have to adapt to busier workloads
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The Starbucks cafe in the Barns & Noble is my working remote location today. #workingremote #ProbablyBuyingStuffiDon'tNeed
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
U.S. auto industry races to purge Chinese connected-car hardware amid federal push | Reuters share.google/T11BwfiewodY... #HardwareHacking
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U.S. auto industry races to purge Chinese connected-car hardware amid federal push
A nondescript facility south of Cleveland has become an early staging ground for the auto industry's next supply-chain pivot: replacing vehicle hardware from China.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
That's exciting :0 OpenAI cyber models broke out of training limits to hack Hugging Face share.google/VoNuiwxxuGb3...
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OpenAI cyber models broke out of training environment to hack Hugging Face
The incident is unique because it was "driven, end to end, by an autonomous AI agent system," according to Hugging Face.
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Reposted by Monta Elkins
Patrick C Miller @patrickcmiller.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
US, Allies Warn of Russian Cyberattacks Targeting Critical Infrastructure Routers
securityweek.com
US, Allies Warn of Russian Cyberattacks Targeting Critical Infrastructure Routers
Multiple state-sponsored APTs are compromising poorly secured devices across critical infrastructure sector networks.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Instead of showing you all the bear droppings where I'm working this morning, I'll just show this foggy dam view ;) #workingremote
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Hanging out with my friends! No this isn't my living room it's the Smithsonian institution, but it could be my living room in the future. :)
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
I present to you the winning team for the TTX in my SCADA Security Essentials class this week in Washington D.C. What a great group of students! #SANS #SANSICS
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
In D.C. this week, helping protect critical cyber infrastructure. :)
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
#HardwareHacking I first saw this done by Barnaby Jack at Black Hat in Las Vegas in 2010. www.cbsnews.com/news/jackpotting-sc…
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I took this wind farm picture southeast of Paris France.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I made the highlight reel in Riyadh! 😁 www.linkedin.com/posts/montae...
linkedin.com
I made the highlight reel. :) | Monta Elkins
I made the highlight reel. :)
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The winners of the final challenge in the SCADA security class I taught in Riyadh. We had a lot of fun this week! #ICS410 @sansinstitute.bsky.social #SANS_EMEA
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
#hardwareHacking @sansinstitute.bsky.social
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Riyadh - June 22, 5:30 PM AST How attackers break into industrial control systems, recent examples of real attacks. Always a enjoyable event Free SANS Community Night, in person or virtually. Hope to see you there. Register: lnkd.in/eGndRR9P @sansinstitute.bsky.social #HardwareHacking
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Proof that AI is effective at finding vulnerabilities in important software. The vulns, found and patched in OpenSSL were not previously discovered by various external code audits. www.linkedin.com/posts/montae...
linkedin.com
OpenSSL Patches High-Severity Vulnerability Found With AI | Monta Elkins
Proof that AI is effective at finding vulnerabilities in important software. The vulns, found and patched in OpenSSL were not previously discovered by various external code audits (summarized (by AI) ...
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Let's explore techniques in critical infrastructure security in Disneyland at the EnergySec Conference in August. Join me there. It will be fun, promise! :) #HardwareHacking #EnergySec #SANS
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
:( Inspector general finds NIST mistakes have made vulnerability database ineffective | The Record from Recorded Future News share.google/WdMjyfVhUN3E...
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Inspector general finds NIST mistakes have made vulnerability database ineffective
NIST’s National Vulnerability Database (NVD) backlog mushroomed from 13,000 unprocessed security vulnerabilities in February 2024 to more than 27,000 by the end of 2025, “undermining the NVD’s utility...
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
I don't need AI to be smarter I just want it to be faster. Working on a wifi/RF project with Claude code. It can even SSH into a Raspi to make config changes for me. 🙂 I'm over being amazed at how good AI is at doing a lot of the grunt work. I just want it to grunt faster.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Come join me in Disneyland this August to learn about hidden wireless communication in critical infrastructure devices. It'll be fun, I promise. :) @EnergySec #HardwareHacking @SANSICS
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
If you've been in one of my classes in the last decade you've heard about this. hackaday.com/2026/05/15/h... #HardwareHacking
hackaday.com
Hacking Hard Drive Firmware
You probably flash new firmware on a variety of devices regularly, even though that’s rare for non-technical types. But what about your hard drive firmware? Most of us don’t want to tou…
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Glad they figured out that making patches illegal would make the devices less secure. www.tomshardware.com/networking/r...
tomshardware.com
FCC reverses course, allows software updates for foreign-made drones and routers until 2029 — agency says blocking security patches could create cybersecurity risks
The FCC is extending a software lifeline for millions of already-deployed drones and routers.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Another fun day at the IEEE International Symposium on Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust Conference (HOST). :)
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Useful. Probably AI generated. Do you see any errors? #HardwareHacking
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Received this challenge coin at the Energy Emergency Working Group for the State of North Carolina, for covering new cyberthreats to Energy systems (Think electric, fossil fuels, wind, solar, pipelines etc.) :) (Presentation was TLP-Amber) @sansinstitute.bsky.social #SANSICS #HardwareHacking
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
If you have been in a class of mine in the last decade or so you've heard me rant about these devices. #HardwareHacking www.darkreading.com/ics-ot-secur...
darkreading.com
Serial-to-IP Devices Hide Thousands of Old & New Bugs
The OT devices that translate machine talk into Internet-speak are riddled with vulnerabilities and more frequently targeted for attacks, researchers say.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
@patrickcmiller.bsky.social @agreenberg.bsky.social arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
arstechnica.com
FCC exempts Netgear from ban on foreign routers, doesn't explain why
Trump FCC starts handing out exemptions to its ban on foreign-made routers.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
This is going to get interesting since I can't find any US made Wi-Fi routers. Do you know of any? #HardwareHacking Everything You Need to Know About the FCC Ban | PCMag share.google/nnl81l9KzijK...
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Can I Still Use My Router? Everything You Need to Know About the FCC Ban
The FCC argues that Wi-Fi routers made outside the US pose a security risk, but that's basically all of them. Here's what the agency's surprise move means for your internet setup.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Do you need a #HardwareHacking Merit Badge sticker? Stop me at RSA (or anywhere) and I'll give you one of these.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This is my other RSAC event, a birds of a feather session. I'd love you hear your thoughts about unexpected or undocumented wireless in devices. Wednes 2:25 p.m. PDT Moscone West room 3000 #HardwareHacking
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
If you are in San Francisco at the RSA conference; come to my workshop with a laptop and walk away with a free microcontroller you've programmed to be a malicious keyboard emulation device. @SANSInstitute @SANSICS #HardwareHacking
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
#HardwareHacking #CalibrationFail Cyberattack on vehicle breathalyzer company leaves drivers stranded across the US | TechCrunch share.google/clnUc4IiWhux...
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Cyberattack on vehicle breathalyzer company leaves drivers stranded across the US | TechCrunch
A cyberattack on a U.S. car breathalyzer company has left drivers across the United States reportedly stranded and unable to start their vehicles.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Repeat after me: routers are computers running software that may be vulnerable. #HardwareHacking -- Law enforcement shuts down botnet made of tens of thousands of hacked routers | TechCrunch share.google/8YDTmTcb3WTN...
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Law enforcement shuts down botnet made of tens of thousands of hacked routers | TechCrunch
An international law enforcement operation shut down a service called SocksEscort, which allegedly helped cybercriminals all over the world launch ransomware and DDoS attacks, as well as distribute ch...
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Reposted by Monta Elkins
Jimmy Wylie @mayahustle.com · 11/03/2026
I had a great time on Jim's podcast discussing malware analysis, reverse engineering, working at Dragos, and a little bit of my personal history. www.youtube.com/watc...
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Important notice for OT environments. “Users have reported their devices were updated from Windows 11 version 24H2 to 25H2 without authorization.” share.google/yFQ66466QPr5...
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Interesting. What do you think? -- Memory bit flips cause up to 15% of Firefox crashes, asserts Mozilla engineer — figure inferred from 470,000 auto-submitted crash reports | Tom's Hardware share.google/da5YE7ab1UxV...
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Memory bit flips cause up to 15% of Firefox crashes, asserts Mozilla engineer — figure inferred from 470,000 auto-submitted crash reports
Some proportion of these bit flip-induced crashes will be due to a cosmic ray passing through.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Today is a good day to check ALL of your edge protection. Cisco Drops 48 New Firewall Vulnerabilities, 2 Critical share.google/GPrycC23G9i1...
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Cisco Drops 48 New Firewall Vulnerabilities, 2 Critical
Edge bugs are so fetch, and Cisco just dropped 50 new ones, including some heavy hitters with 10 out of 10 scores on the CVSS scale.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Location information provided by the apps you install on your phone is available for sale to anyone. Feds Used Online Advertising Data to Track the Public's Phone Locations share.google/GeebTCOsGMdT...
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Feds Used Online Advertising Data to Track the Public's Phone Locations
An internal DHS document reveals how data collected by the advertsing industry could be used for government surveillance.
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Monta Elkins @montaelkins.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Come join my Birds of a Feather (BOF) session at RSA where we discuss unexpected wireless hardware in our equipment. How to find it, what to do about it. It's a open discussion. I'd like to hear your thoughts. path.rsaconference.com/flow/rsac/us... #SANSInstitute #RSAC2026 #SansICS
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