Slashdot Mirror
US Electricity Grid Reportedly Penetrated By Spies
phantomfive worries about a report in the Wall Street Journal ("Makes me want to move to the country and dig a well") that in recent years a number of cyber attacks against US infrastructure have been launched over the Internet: "Cyberspies have penetrated the US electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials. The spies came from China, Russia, and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the US electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war."
Aren't these people just admitting that they were incompetent? That's refreshingly honest of them.
http://twitter.com/onion2k
China, Russia, and other countries,
So you mean there are people capable of hacking the US energy grid but who can't start the attacks from a hacked box in Madagascar?
"Who's attacking us?"
"Sir, the attacks come from half a million infected machines all around the world."
"From all coutries?"
"Yes, sir."
"So China and Russia too?"
"Hmm, Yes, of course, sir"
"Damn commies... We should've nuked them a long time ago."
On one they're controlling the power station, on the other they're reading slashdot.
Unless typing 'FIRST POST! LOL' on the wrong box causes a reactor meltdown, I think we'll be ok :)
Jolyon
Please read my Canon EOS tech blog at http://www.everyothershot.com
Whenever you're starting to focus on the reality of life, new fear WILL be injected into it to distract you.
Oh god! I'm so afraid of the fear injecting big brother.
Spy sappin' my generator.
The module that allows outsiders to do this is called the CIP device. I hacks into the governments firewall. Who knew they had just one layer of protection over every bit of US infrastructure, that it's all linked together, and that it could be so easily circumvented by a genius hostage in a matter of hours?
But it's okay. A man by the name of Jack Bauer has been alerted to the situation. And knowing his previous record I'm confident that he will deal with the crisis, because all of the bad people operate within driving distance to him.
If "they" wanted to do real damage, wouldn't they invade the financial systems, rather than power grids?
Or maybe they did, but were unable sabotage anything without making it better.