Slashdot Mirror
Smart-Grid Control Software Maker Hacked
tsu doh nimh writes "Telvent, a multinational company whose software and services are used to remotely administer and monitor large sections of the energy and gas industries, began warning customers last week that it is investigating a sophisticated hacker attack spanning its operations in the United States, Canada and Spain. Brian Krebs reports that the attacker(s) installed malicious software and stole project files related to one of Telvent's core offerings — OASyS SCADA — a product that helps energy firms mesh older IT assets with more advanced 'smart grid' technologies. A follow-up story from Wired.com got confirmation from Telvent, and includes speculation from experts that the 'project files' could be used to sabotage systems. 'Some project files contain the "recipe" for the operations of a customer, describing calculations and frequencies at which systems run or when they should be turned on or off. If you're going to do a sophisticated attack, you get the project file and study it and decide how you want to modify the pieces of the operation. Then you modify the project file and load it, and they're not running what they think they're running.'"
The attackers will produce a cascading failure in the electrical grid that brings down the entire North American power grid. A few additional well timed physical attacks, and we're back to the bronze age for the foreseeable future. Food stocks will quickly run down, as will supplies of petrol. The government will attempt to exert control, but without food and as the situation deteriorates, most of the soldiers will go AWOL to try to get home to help family. Soon, the dying begins. Roving bands of robbers gradually coalesce into gangs ruled by small time warlords, and eventually regional rulers who hoard the remaining food, fuel, and ammo. The few isolated people who planned ahead and who have escaped into their countryside shelters are systematically hunted down, plundered, and given the option to swear fealty to the new regime or be dispatched. Huge fires sweep through most large cities and pollute the atmosphere with soot. Winter soon sets in early due to the reduced sunlight penetrating the atmosphere, and is the harshest one in generations. Eventually, as the winter ends and spring sets in, over 75% of the population is either dead or close to it. Suddenly, armies of foreign soldiers appear at our shores, and before long all of the remaining Americans are conscripted and forced to farm the still fertile fields of America's breadbasket for meager rations, which is still better than starvation and death.
Sure hope not. I mean, does every goddamn thing need to be computerized?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
What's a bantex ass mart meter? I don't want to click it and find out, because I'm fearful it's probably NSFW....
If they come out to change the meter housing you really won't have a choice. You realize this, right?
It's either smart meter or else no service.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I love my smart meter. My electric bill is half what it used to be.
Of course, that was after I installed my own software on it, but hey, fuck em they're a power company.
---
ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
This is a good example of why the gov't is worried about cyber security for critical infrastructure. Just like there are minimum standards for building and fire safety there needs to be minimum standards for IT infrastructure security.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
...investigating a sophisticated hacker attack spanning its operations in the United States, Canada and Spain... and they're not running what they think they're running.
Sounds like they need a modern-day Inigo Montoya to do their security: <SPANISH ACCENT>"You keep using that software, I do not think you're running what you think you are running."</SPANISH ACCENT> And if the worst happens, he can exact revenge: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my power grid during a level 85 raid. Prepare to die."
YOU. DO. NOT. CONNECT. VITAL. INFRASTRUCTURE. TO. THE. INTERNET.
fucking idiots.
guess we better learn to live in the dark again, because these fools and the power companies they blather money out of will put us there yet.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Sensors that spit out text? Who in their right mind would want that?
Ignorant IT people who think they know better than control engineers how to design & operate control systems. The rant about OPC was beautiful, in its own ignorant way, and completely exposes the GP as someone who's probably never seen a control system in his life, probably never will see one, and wouldn't have the first clue how to program, troubleshoot, or maintain it.
There's historically been a certain amount of tension between control engineers and IT folks for that very reason; the smartest IT folks are the ones who ask the control engineers what they need to do their jobs, provide it, then stay the hell out of our way. The rest make our blood boil.