Posted on 09/09/2017 11:48:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It was inevitable that someday, hackers would have the ability to exert control over the U.S. electrical grid. According to the computer security firm Symantec, someday is today.
Hacking attacks over the last several months that targeted U.S. energy companies have been able to gain "operational control" over systems, thus threatening blackouts across the U.S., says Symantec. The hacker group known as DragonFly 2.0 was able to gain control in at least 20 places, according to the firm.
Symantec on Wednesday revealed a new campaign of attacks by a group it is calling Dragonfly 2.0, which it says targeted dozens of energy companies in the spring and summer of this year. In more than 20 cases, Symantec says the hackers successfully gained access to the target companies' networks. And at a handful of US power firms and at least one company in Turkey – none of which Symantec will name – their forensic analysis found that the hackers obtained what they call operational access: control of the interfaces power company engineers use to send actual commands to equipment like circuit breakers, giving them the ability to stop the flow of electricity into US homes and businesses.
"There's a difference between being a step away from conducting sabotage and actually being in a position to conduct sabotage ... being able to flip the switch on power generation," says Eric Chien, a Symantec security analyst. "We're now talking about on-the-ground technical evidence this could happen in the US, and there's nothing left standing in the way except the motivation of some actor out in the world."
Never before have hackers been shown to have that level of control of American power company systems, Chien notes.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I’m ignorant, and probably show ignorance with this question.
My question is, why are power stations apparently connected to the internet?? Power stations were operating, delivering electricity long before the internet existed. Can’t these power stations operate the old fashioned way, without the internet, so they can’t be hacked??
Pardon my likely ignorance, but I don’t understand certain things.
Good question. Probably someone in the govt thought it was a good idea.
The warning was given years ago, and nobody did anything.
All the muzzies would have to do would be to topple 5-6 power transmission towers near major cities. The media hype and the panic it engenders would be enough to bring everything to a halt.
How would the media operate if the power’s out?
This ability has always been here. Not like it was perfect before and someone just wrote the first virus for it.
This is more dangerous than any EMP threat from a bomb.
I’m in the same camp as you. It surely seems that grid controls could be private.
No power plant computers should be tied to the internet. INSANE.
Private, satellite linked network for comms.
Can’t believe how stupid the government is.
You got that right. Internal intra net with no contact to the web.
And those comms should be encrypted.
When I posted these same articles no that long ago I was repeatedly told it can’t happen and the power companies have sufficient safeguards in place to prevent such and I was being a chicken little. I expect the same FReepers to come along shortly and tell you to unwad your ‘panties’.
Control systems isolated from Internet.
They are.
Unwed your panties. You should have learned from the previous posts!
“No power plant computers should be tied to the internet. INSANE.”
Power plant computers are NOT tied to the internet. To get something on or off the plant computer you have to file a work request and have it approved and performed by the IT department.
First, power generation is different from power distribution. Second, it is the control over power distribution that is most vulnerable to internet attack. Controls sytems have always been there.
SCADA controls were adopted to reduce the cost of man hours of work necessary to control the grid. The grid is now far larger than what was in play in the 1950’s and 60’s
SCADA controls have been phased out for IP (internet protocol) for all the same reasons that just about every other IT shop uses IP today.
Understand that just because the IP controls are in place, does not mean that the control is connected to the Internet.
The reason has to do with the idiots in the CIA - and FBI - who think they have a right to tap into anything they want to tap into and who have understood for a long time that vulnerabilities in our systems are also things we can exploit in the systems of others. Quite simply all of these networks need to be private and secure - encrypted with clear protocols keeping outsiders out.
“The reason has to do with the idiots in the CIA - and FBI - who think they have a right to tap into anything they want to tap into and who have understood for a long time that vulnerabilities in our systems are also things we can exploit in the systems of others. “
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!
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