yup... squirrels account for a number of shorts in this area
Posted on 10/20/2013 6:19:38 PM PDT by Kartographer
If you think that our multi-billion dollar electrical power grids are secure and capable of withstanding a coordinated attack, think again.
According to one group of engineers, the grid is so vulnerable that it wouldn’t even require a skilled hacker to compromise. In fact, when Adam Crain and Chris Sistrunk decided to test some new software they were developing they identified a vulnerability so serious that it could literally blind operational controllers to such an extent that they would be locked out of monitoring systems and unable to maintain grid integrity.
The consequences, according to the engineers who note they are in no way security specialists, could be a total downing of the national power grid with nodes across the nation being taken over all at once. Moreover, the same systems used to maintain the U.S. power grid are also being used in other industries, like water treatment facilities.
You’d think that such a vulnerability would be a top priority for the Department of Homeland Security, considering they are spending millions of dollars and promoting their coming Grid Ex exercise in November.
I suspect if you literally through a monkey ranch into a substation a huge part of the grid would go down.
Back in 93, I think it was, there was a large - and I mean large - tiger team assault on installations with national security significance.
3% stood up.
Dunno if they ever published the report.
false flag projected yet again for upcoming fake drill this november.
Energy companies typically won’t spend money on anything that not related to production or delivery of their product.
They don’t understand complex computer systems at an institutional level.
Even with electricity FR sometimes grinds to a halt. Without electricity I would think we wouldn’t be posting here for a while.
I imagine if you threw a monkey ranch on anything it would go down....
As the Florida Power & Light said, as he tossed the crisped iguana off the blown transformer - “Lookin for love in all the wrong places”.
Iguanas tend to climb high to display during mating season.
Consider what a large one or a large python could cause if it decided to climb a main line tower.
Or, since we are discussing beasts and beastly threats to the power grid - - what about Koranimals deciding to exercise their inner MadMO?
They did a pretty good job on Obamacare.
“How do you fuel the trucks? How do you pump the fuel to the Truck Rack to fill the tankers?”
You don’t. I’ve always said when trucks stop, whatever the reason, it’s over. One doesn’t visibly see the inside of an empty gasoline truck, one sees the gasoline truck itself not moving. One doesn’t see the inside of a gasoline tank in a regular truck or the inside of his/her gasoline tank in his/her car but they do see the trucks and cars not moving.
The article throws in water utilities not working and that would happen if power is out. Our state law requires water utility districts to have backup power (generators) for a specified number of days and I don’t believe it’s over two weeks.
Hospitals have one or more generators but our hospital generator did not come on after Ike so they had no power. Don’t expect anything to work that requires power even if the entity has a generator.
There is nothing made by man that won’t fail. Consider nothing works if power if out and prepare for that - you have to generate your own power to make your own equipment work as you are cut off from the outside world.
I say I have my own country and I am President for Life of my country. My country consists of my house and back garden. I produce the power to run the lights, the fans if it is hot, the heat if it is cold, the water, the food, the cooking medium, the medical care and medicine, the security, AND THE ENTERTAINMENT.
Security precautions, preventative safe-guards, these are expensive items that take away from the bottom line. And until something big goes down they are just "lost investment". Bean-counters go bug-frack over such things, and bean-counters generally win those arguments.
Much as I hate to say it, national security critical infrastructure such as the electrical grid is NOT a good candidate for profit-motive operation at all levels. At the level of implementation, perhaps -- bid it out and let competition bring it in. But not at the decision-making and design levels. There you need to think as if the only things that matter are robustness and reliability. Because if the system runs into trouble, those are the things that can save your butt. Having shaved a few thousand by compromising the design doesn't look so good at that point.
> They don’t understand complex computer systems at an institutional level.
That's for damn sure.
yup... squirrels account for a number of shorts in this area
Wish me and my family lived near you Miss Marcella, I’d be able to learn a bunch.
The most I’ve been able to put aside is some battery operated fans.
Trying to do more, but everytime I think I’ve got a little money to spare, some medical thing comes along and eats it up.
Sounding kinda pitiful now, so I’ll shut up.
Semper Fi.
Without electricity, how do you fill those trucks with fuel?
How do you refine it at the refineries or pump it through the pipelines?
Check your Freepmail.
It is one thing to have Alarm Data transmitted from remote sites to the control center via the Internet. But, it is ENTIRELY another thing to allow Control Commands to be sent from the control center to the remote sites via the Internet. You are just BEGGING for trouble.
The solution ??? Simple, you install a terminal server and a dial-back modem at each remote site and at the control center.
Using this method:
1. The control center could receive alarm data via the Internet, but would have to dial the remote site via the PSTN to the dial-back modem.
2. The dial-back modem would then drop the control center's call and dial back to the control center's pre-programmed telephone number [in the dial-back modem].
3. Once the remote connection is established, the control center has to put in a username and password.
4. Once the dial-back modem authenticates, the remote site is controlled via SNMP commannds over an RS-232 interface through the terminal server.
Cost for the equipment at each site ??? About a thousand bucks. Monthly recurring cost for PSTN ??? About 20 bucks ...
If I just had more money, I'd already be totally self sufficient. Way it is, I have to prioritize and prep for the most likely stuff first.
Meanwhile, our NSA bugs the Mex-Pres’ email and our “best & brightest” are tasked to fix the biggest freedom-killing hammer since the income tax...
The fact that similar flaws still exist is a colossal FAIL.
One of the big reasons for that is due to the environmental mandates that keep consuming electric utility's budgets. They have no money for this kind of thing, because it isn't hip.
Sadly, they’ll never listen to you and do that because it makes too much sense and it’s too cost effactive (not enough money for kickbacks). It’s insanity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.