Zombies Are Everywhere!

So there you are, relaxing in front of the television when that familiar Emergency Alert System sound starts blaring over the show you are watching. You think maybe it’s a regular system test or perhaps a severe weather warning, but no… it’s a Zombie Attack Alert!

Unfortunately this is a true story. A zombie attack alert was issued on a handful of U.S. TV stations last month when hackers gained access to the EAS equipment. The most shocking part of this story is not the concerned calls from citizens who wanted to know if the zombie attack was real, it is the fact that the T.V. stations never changed the default password for their EAS equipment.

Thankfully as a result of this incident, Broadcasters have received valuable security education and EAS equipment makers are looking for methods beyond password protection to ensure that this does not happen again.

You can view footage of the zombie alert here:

Read the full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/net-us-usa-zombie-hacking-idUSBRE91D07Z20130214

Meanwhile in Canada…

The House of Commons praised the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on their proactive approach to zombie apocalypse protection. Winnipeg Member of Parliament Pat Martin introduced the issue, probing Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird about the ongoing preparations, reminding him that “zombies don’t recognize borders” and an invasion in the U.S. could lead to a “continent-wide pandemic.”

Zombie Apocalypse?!

Just when you were starting to feel a sense of relief that the world didn’t end on May 21^st, along comes a dire warning (albeit with tongue firmly in cheek) from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Assistant Surgeon General Ali Khan gives us a helpful “Better Safe than Sorry” plan for surviving a zombie apocalypse-style disaster scenario.  Her witty approach makes a standard emergency preparedness plan suddenly seem exciting.  Using the recent rise of zombies in pop culture, the CDC can educate the public on how to prepare for an actual emergency that could occur.

Thankfully, if zombies ever did show up, the CDC is ready.

“If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine).”

Read the full blog post here: http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

To learn more about what CDC does to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all kinds, visit:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/cdc/orgs_progs.asp

To learn more about how you can prepare for and stay safe during an emergency visit:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/