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Congressional Report: U.S. Power Grid Vulnerable To Attack By Iran
Newsmax ^ | May 23, 2013

Posted on 05/23/2013 5:10:15 AM PDT by Fennie

Several major U.S. utilities are under "constant" cyberattack and haven't taken precautions to protect critical systems from Iran, North Korea and other adversaries, according to a congressional survey of more than 100 companies accounting for much of the nation's power system.

The survey shows the nation's electrical grid remains "highly vulnerable" to attack after four years of failed efforts to pass major cyber-security legislation, according to an accompanying report. Industry trade groups, including the Edison Electric Institute, joined by Republicans in the Senate, opposed the bill, arguing minimum cyber-security standards would be out-of-date by the time they were implemented.

"Our enemies have the motive, the means, and the capacity to attack our grid with potentially catastrophic consequences," Representative Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who co-wrote the report released today, said in an e-mail. "The question is whether the utilities have the same determination to protect our country against these threats."

Power utilities are part of a core of critical infrastructure that U.S. intelligence agencies are warning may be targets of aggressive cyberattacks designed to cloak the East Coast in darkness or shut off the sewers in New York City during a future conflict.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: edmarkey; iran; military; northkorea; obama; waronterror

1 posted on 05/23/2013 5:10:15 AM PDT by Fennie
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To: Fennie
Hi There Fennie.
2 posted on 05/23/2013 5:22:10 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: Fennie

Bear in mind ‘we’ likely know how to shut down the Iranian grid, the Iranian internet, the Iranian PSTN and Cell networks and their RF comms.

All modern societies, even second and third world countries, rely on the above.

It’s a new sort of MAD - in cyberwarfare.


3 posted on 05/23/2013 5:51:22 AM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur: non vehere est inermus)
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To: Fennie

Again, note the addiction to the fantasy that passing a bill in Congress will stop them.


4 posted on 05/23/2013 5:53:51 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Blueflag

It would take months and perhaps years to recover from the damage done by such a cyberattack.

We however could respond in more conventional ways against their infrastructure, from which they could not likely recover in less than a century.

It’s called Asymmetrical Warfare.


5 posted on 05/23/2013 5:55:32 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Buckeye McFrog

“It would take months and perhaps years to recover from the damage done by such a cyberattack.”

Not being too technical, I’m afraid to even ask about how that happens. You’re not referring to an EMP, are you? Just from computer viruses etc?


6 posted on 05/23/2013 6:14:25 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (Guns kill people, pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk & spoons make you fat.)
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To: Fennie

Eventually someone will do it. Just a matter of time. Our personal plan is off grid solar. Kind of pricey but there is no substitute for electricity.


7 posted on 05/23/2013 7:02:24 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks Fennie.
Several major U.S. utilities are under "constant" cyberattack and haven't taken precautions to protect critical systems from Iran, North Korea and other adversaries, according to a congressional survey...
...which is obviously BS, or the cyberattacks would have succeeded by now.
...The survey shows the nation's electrical grid remains "highly vulnerable" to attack after four years of failed efforts to pass major cyber-security legislation... "Our enemies have the motive, the means, and the capacity to attack our grid with potentially catastrophic consequences," Representative Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who co-wrote the report..."The question is whether the utilities have the same determination to protect our country against these threats."
The fact that our enemies have that capability is due to having Markey and the rest of the Demagogic Party in charge, and not doing anything to rid the Earth of the Iranian mullahcracy and al Qaeda.


8 posted on 05/24/2013 4:03:03 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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