FCC: Barix Equipment Being Hacked

In a security note to broadcasters, Lark Hadley of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, said the Commission believes the hackers who are broadcasting vulgar messages about President Trump are getting on the air by accessing equipment manufactured by Barix, which broadcasters use for STL, remote broadcast, and similar audio connections. Hadley says part of the problem is because the licensee fails to set a password for devices with no default password, or to re-set default passwords on the Barix device. Here’s what Hadley recommends…

“We urge licensees to take all available precautions to prevent future unauthorized transmissions. In many cases, there may be simple, practical solutions to prevent such situations from occurring. For example, we strongly encourage licensees that use Barix devices, as well as other transmitting equipment, to check and, if necessary, add a password, or re-set existing passwords with new, robust passwords. Similarly, if a broadcast station experiences turnover in staff who had access to passwords, we encourage licensees to re-set the password to ensure future security. We also recommend that broadcasters investigate whether additional data security measures, such as firewalls or VPNs configured to prevent remote management access from other than authorized devices, in some cases, could be implemented to preserve this potentially critical part of the broadcast transmission chain. If you suspect that broadcast equipment has been subject to attempts at unauthorized access, we also recommend that you contact the equipment manufacturer and/or a data security firm. We also suggest that you notify the FCC Operations Center, 202-418-1122, or [email protected] of suspected unlawful access.”