Dan Tentler shows a rapid-fire tour of insecure things found on the open internet using Shodan and his own scanning, from unprotected VNC endpoints to industrial controls. The emphasis is on how little security was considered before connecting them.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN points to it as an entertaining, jaw-dropping demonstration of exposed systems, including a French dam's controls.
“for complete madness and awe I recommend to watch this one”HN comment, 2021
“for complete madness and awe I recommend to watch this one”
Shows absurd exposed systems, including a French dam's water gate controls.
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The presentation mentioned below in the thread is not bad.Sounds like its the one you were referring to, but for complete madness and awe I recommend to watch this one: "115 batshit stupid things you can put on the internet in as fast as I can go" by Dan Tentler this video There is a point where they find a large Dam in France with water gates control available in the Internet. They use the US Embassy to contact the French government department responsible and urgently do something about it. They are told: "Not right now, we are currently on holidays..." :-)
Cites itsabootJan 2016
“the situation has not improved”
Shows the extent of insecure internet-connected devices like industrial controls.
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It's much worse than just passive webcams. Some devices which were never meant to be connected to the internet are out there. Stoplights? HVAC Systems? Carwashes? Ice Rinks? POWER PLANTS? Yes! link EDIT: I looked at his more recent talk from last November ... the situation has not improved "115 batshit stupid things you can put on the internet in as fast as I can go by Dan Tentler" this video Featuring Spanish Chicken Controls
Cites itsaulrhJun 2018
“the unprotected VNC endpoints presentation”
Example of an engaging non-dry presentation on unprotected VNC endpoints.
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Not sure if it'll help, since I don't have any teaching experience, but coming at this from the perspective of a student, thinking of what your students might be thinking given what they're saying: First, "not dry" doesn't necessarily mean "not prepared" or "spontaneous". Consider things like the SR-71 story [1] or the unprotected VNC endpoints presentation [2]. Second, keep in mind what you can give students that they can't get from a textbook or another lecture that they find on youtube. The best professors I had weren't the ones that could quote the textbook; the best professors I had were the ones that could provide context for the textbook, or tell stories that illustrated important edge cases or institutional knowledge that isn't written in any textbook. There's a huge amount of wisdom that could never be "professional" enough to make it into a textbook but is nevertheless fantastic for helping a student understand or remember the material. For example, consider the "Things I Won't Work With" series; would never get past a textbook review committee, but absolutely riveting on top of the information transfer. Third, and finally, how these relate to helping students absorb knowledge. Consider spaced repetition and the method of loci [4] and what they mean about how the human brain forms knowledge: People remember networks of knowledge, not single facts. That's why I cite war stories above - giving students a story to wrap around an idea lets them link to it from multiple
Cites itbelterApr 2025
“Even the water control system for a big French Dam”
Cites exposure of a French dam's water control system.
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Even the water control system for a big French Dam: "115 batshit stupid things you can put on the internet in as fast as I can go by Dan Tentler" - this video
