[Halkon]

Critical U.S. Infrastructure at Risk of Cyber Attack, Experts Warn
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/22/major-industries-vulnerable-cyber-attack/?test=latestnews

Just as the computers that ran Iran’s nuclear program were sabotaged and crippled by a cyber “super worm” virus, the software used to run much of America’s industrial, transportation and power infrastructure -- including nuclear power plants and major airports -- is vulnerable to cyber attack, and two software companies have revealed dozens of successful hacks to prove it.

Remember, the chance of an event occurring that already happened, is never Zero :xeye:

 

[Keyser Soze1]

ive read before a while back that many experts think the Chinese have already hacked in and left behind some worm/malware inside our electrical grid,,waiting to be awoken...in the future it is almost a surety that something devastating will attack critical computer systems,imo

 

[Bosco Warden]

Soooooooo....this looks like that Stuxnet virus we supposedly sent over to Iran's nuclear program is loose on the web and now its targeting our infrastructure,

Thats funny. Oh the Irony.

Whats that called again?........ unintended consequences....

I wonder how much money these guys want to fix it?

Surely this is to justify a bigger budget.

Everyone wants more money, why not these guys.

It's not like the american public isnt going to do anything about it.

 

[Rockclimber]

Why use software when you can use hardware (5 men with AK's storm a nuclear reactor and use explosives to damage the cooling systems and containment vessel) DHS is already training for situations like these, but security has not been beefed up at US nuclear reactors. By the time local LEO responded it would be too late. SWAT would arrive just in time to eliminate the 5 threats and then see the coolant boiling out of a damaged reactor. Terrorists as we know do things in bulk, ie multiple airplanes not just 1, therefor I assume they would go after 5 reactors, not just 1, complicating an already complex NBC threat.

I have a NBC suit and Mask for everyone in my family with a dozen filters per person. This is not for Japan or some other crazy event, it is because the terrorists are already planning their next move which DHS, CIA, etc. think may be on nuclear reactors and/or detonating a dirty bomb in a major city or 5.

 

[Keyser Soze1]

ive had a vision of this same scenario happening,,and soon..i hope not but i think 5 is too small a number..imagine 15-20 targeted,,along with public centers,buildings,etc etc..the difference this time is all would be ongoing crisis,compared to 9-11 where all terrorists were "down" and we only dealt with the aftermath,imagine trying to deal with 20-25 live scenarios with live armed groups in 20-25 different locals...

 

[CO-retired]

ive had a vision of this same scenario happening,,and soon..i hope not but i think 5 is too small a number..imagine 15-20 targeted,,along with public centers,buildings,etc etc..the difference this time is all would be ongoing crisis,compared to 9-11 where all terrorists were "down" and we only dealt with the aftermath,imagine trying to deal with 20-25 live scenarios with live armed groups in 20-25 different locals...

Yessiree bob!!! just what some of the more nefarious type bottom feeders within our own Government would welcome to institute Martial law and suspend the constitution...........The Globalist handlers are salivating for the "right moment".

 

[War_Eagle]

Critical U.S. Infrastructure at Risk of Cyber Attack, Experts Warn
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/22/major-industries-vulnerable-cyber-attack/?test=latestnews

Remember, the chance of an event occurring that already happened, is never Zero :xeye:

At risk? I'm amazed that it hasn't already happened.

I have a buddy who's an engineer at GE and he says that it's far easier than most people realize.

 

[outdoors]

Why use software when you can use hardware (5 men with AK's storm a nuclear reactor and use explosives to damage the cooling systems and containment vessel) DHS is already training for situations like these, but security has not been beefed up at US nuclear reactors. By the time local LEO responded it would be too late. SWAT would arrive just in time to eliminate the 5 threats and then see the coolant boiling out of a damaged reactor. Terrorists as we know do things in bulk, ie multiple airplanes not just 1, therefor I assume they would go after 5 reactors, not just 1, complicating an already complex NBC threat.

I have a NBC suit and Mask for everyone in my family with a dozen filters per person. This is not for Japan or some other crazy event, it is because the terrorists are already planning their next move which DHS, CIA, etc. think may be on nuclear reactors and/or detonating a dirty bomb in a major city or 5.

its easier to use a virus.. you dont have to train a virus, forge documents for the virus, slip the virus into a country thru check points. dont have to worry about a virus going to strip clubs getting drunk and spilling the beans.

people wont notice a virus being heavily armed driving thru a city or facility gate. and you cant issue a BOLO for a virus.

and a virus if done right can cripple a facility as bad or even worse than an armed group. and if it fails, you just write a newer and better one and send it off to do its job.

just shutting down the power to a state would result in deaths, wrecks, panic. cats and dog living together. sheer chaos in other words.

 

[spooktacular]

while we are throwing out what if's

What do you think would be the best time to pull a big event in multiple venues.... I'm not a terrorist but if I were and I wanted to make most effect of it, Id do something major in 2 or 3 places, then knock out the power grid so everyone just has enough time to know something big just happened, then cut them off from further info andcomminucation then sit and watch the masses in their panic eat themselves.... Just saying it's not exactly impossable that both could be in the works to be used together...

 

[dhawk]

What do you think would be the best time to pull a big event in multiple venues.... I'm not a terrorist but if I were and I wanted to make most effect of it, Id do something major in 2 or 3 places, then knock out the power grid so everyone just has enough time to know something big just happened, then cut them off from further info andcomminucation then sit and watch the masses in their panic eat themselves.... Just saying it's not exactly impossable that both could be in the works to be used together...

Any time would be bad. Real bad.

 

[outdoors]

oh i dont know if I were a low life, scum sucking bottom feeder terrorist, Id wait till christmas, when people are feeling all happy and good will towards men like and then nail them hard.

but since Im not an islamic terrorist I dont know what they would consider symbolic other than NYC and the stock exchange. always wondered why they never go after LA. probably dont want to upset their hollywood cheerleaders..

 

[dhawk]

oh i dont know if I were a low life, scum sucking bottom feeder terrorist, Id wait till christmas, when people are feeling all happy and good will towards men like and then nail them hard.

but since Im not an islamic terrorist I dont know what they would consider symbolic other than NYC and the stock exchange. always wondered why they never go after LA. probably dont want to upset their hollywood cheerleaders..

Same around the 4th of July. Summer time, hot.

 

[nevadaexile]

While the stuxnet virus (whose existence has yet to be proven) could work on a poorly defended system like Iran's, it's doubtful that it could work on more than a small scale here in the US.
Why?
Because most of the systems involved w/ the power grid are actually not networked and a number systems are isolated from an outside access.It might be possible for the Chinese to bribe people into installing the virus. But even then there's no guarantees that the person wouldn't get caught, that teh virus would work or that this action wouldn't be discovered before it caused a problem.

I'm a maintenance planner and I have worked on systems similar to ones described (both PLC-based, as well as SCADA) and I know that w/o serious effort on the part of a determined group or nation-state compromising the power transmission system in the US would difficult, bordering on impossible.

It makes for nice stories and it sells quite a few books, but in reality most of what is proposed is still a decade or so away and may never happen given the proper pre-planning steps.

 

[The Goat]

Why use software when you can use hardware (5 men with AK's storm a nuclear reactor and use explosives to damage the cooling systems and containment vessel) DHS is already training for situations like these, but security has not been beefed up at US nuclear reactors. By the time local LEO responded it would be too late. SWAT would arrive just in time to eliminate the 5 threats and then see the coolant boiling out of a damaged reactor. Terrorists as we know do things in bulk, ie multiple airplanes not just 1, therefor I assume they would go after 5 reactors, not just 1, complicating an already complex NBC threat.

I have a NBC suit and Mask for everyone in my family with a dozen filters per person. This is not for Japan or some other crazy event, it is because the terrorists are already planning their next move which DHS, CIA, etc. think may be on nuclear reactors and/or detonating a dirty bomb in a major city or 5.

As far as I know, the Department of Energy already has SWAT/ Special Operators at all of the nuclear sites and facilities. They don't advertise openings for it; if you're qualified, they recruit you....as far as I know.

 

[Rockclimber]

True, they do, and they have barbed wire and a wall around most complexes. They were showing the plant on the Mississippi river on CNN today, and I was surprised at how unprotected it looked. They had dry casks out in the open in the yard.. they even said they were afraid a terrorist would fly a plane into the the dry casks because they are open in the yard and a soft target. It would be a cake walk for 5 men to take out the SWAT from afar and then storm the building. Here in America we have the illusion of security, but not real honest security. Nuclear security is severely lacking, we need to bring some troops home to guard the boarder and our important infrastructure IE nuclear reactors.

 

[Northernmaine]

The infrastructure in America is falling apart all by itself, we won't need terrorists to bring it down.

 

[nevadaexile]

True, they do, and they have barbed wire and a wall around most complexes. They were showing the plant on the Mississippi river on CNN today, and I was surprised at how unprotected it looked. They had dry casks out in the open in the yard.. they even said they were afraid a terrorist would fly a plane into the the dry casks because they are open in the yard and a soft target. It would be a cake walk for 5 men to take out the SWAT from afar and then storm the building. Here in America we have the illusion of security, but not real honest security. Nuclear security is severely lacking, we need to bring some troops home to guard the boarder and our important infrastructure IE nuclear reactors.

The best protection from that type of attack would useful intelligence BEFORE it happens. Waiting until it does happen would waiting to be defeated.

 

[The Goat]

I agree with you about the "illusion of security." Five men whom know what they are doing could take out a nuke center. A few more wouldn't hurt. I think a couple of snipers/over-watch providing cover and taking out targets of opportunity and a team of about five commandos could completely take out the resistance of the center. It's scary to think about, but I'm glad that at least we have security professionals guarding these areas. You can't plan for everything, but like Nevada said, intel is the name of the game in prevention.

 

[dhawk]

The best protection from that type of attack would useful intelligence BEFORE it happens. Waiting until it does happen would waiting to be defeated.

Kinda like 9/11??