I know that Mossad, the CIA, or whoever did this probably intended this to be a one-shot deal and didn't expect it to go as viral as it did. But I hope they truly appreciate what a nasty thing they've started. Now everyone will be doing it. And these sorts of viruses have the potential to cause real-world loss of life.
All this for a petty strike against a country that probably didn't even work (and would only have pushed them closer to war even if it had).
It targets two specific models of Seimens programable logic controllers (by targeting the Windows software used to program those PLC's). PLC's are used to control very time-intensive industrial processes. Pretty much every power plant, nuke plant, modern manufacturing plant, etc. uses these, and they control very dangerous physical equipment. Reeking havoc with these processes can cause explosions, radiation leaks, major industrial accidents, etc. (it could even cause nuclear reactors to go critical). That's very bad stuff. Best case scenario, it could cause serious damage to equipment. Worse case scenario, it could cause significant lose of life.
In other words, tampering with a PLC can make things go BOOM. In 1982, the CIA purported did this with the Siberian pipeline, and the resulting explosion was so powerful it set off missile launch alarms in the U.S.
If a virus like this were to succeed in its apparent goals (reeking havoc on the Natanz enrichment facility, or worse, the new Bushehr nuclear power plant) it could potentially cause an accident that could kill a LOT of innocent people. It had the very real capacity to send the reactors at Bushehr into meltdown. And I'm pretty sure the people who live around that facility had nothing to do with genocide against the Jews (nor have most Iranians ever fired so much as a shot against Israel).
"Space Nutters," now THAT'S a show name! We'll get Ron Moore to produce, Scott Bakula to star, and Syfy to air. Quick, Jimmy, get me Hollywood on the phone!
I'm not saying that writing won't have ANY effect, just that said effect will be all but negligible. If you *really* want to make a difference, your energy would be much more effectively spent helping to organize a fundraiser and THEN voicing your concerns. Money talks, especially in this age of crazy expensive election campaigns--and it talks very loudly. People who just write letters are taking the easy, lazy route. If you really want to effect change, and not just engage in some pat-yourself-on-the-back hollow gesture that won't amount to jack-shit, it's going to take money.
Actually he *is* a lot like JFK. He's a vastly overrated politician who is ramping up the spying of the CIA/NSA, while being deified by a party that supposedly stands for civil liberties. He's also ambivalent on civil rights issues, sucks up to big corporations, is continuing an unwinnable war, and couldn't give a shit less about the plight of the common citizen. If he were any more like JFK, Marylin Monroe would blow him.
The really scary thing is just how broad the reach of the NSA really is. I read James Bamford's The Shadow Factory a while back and was shocked at how little I appreciated what they could (and routinely do) really do. Basically, if you make a phone call to any of the targeted regions (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen, etc.), the NSA is recording it--whether it's by cell, landline, or satellite (they have agreements with all the major satellite communications companies). Doesn't matter if you're a terrorist or not, they're monitoring you and archiving all your calls, period (they've even been transcribing the calls of U.S. journalists to their families, prompting at least one operative to quit the agency).
I was particularly surprised to learn that they routinely monitor the calls of the major UN officials and all the other security council members (they've bugged the shit out of the UN building and associated offices too). During the buildup to the Iraq War, when Collin Powell was getting ready to "make his case" for the war, they were carefully monitoring the calls and emails of all the permanent and non-permanent security council members, including the Secretary-General of the UN himself. They even sent out a memo to the intelligence services of several of our closest allies (the UK and associated countries) asking them to help us out on the spying (though we were even spying on them too). Pretty creepy stuff, especially for anyone who still foolishly doubts that the Iraq War was anything but a foregone conclusion for the Bush administration.
Well, I can only speak for the three cities I lived in during the 90's. But only one of these had a Mom & Pop near me that stocked a good selection of indies, and that was this one hole-in-the-wall store near a local university. Unfortunately, it was an arty shithole kind of store where the customer "service" consisted of a goth poseur working behind the counter who treated you like shit if you walked into the store not wearing a nose-ring. There might have been some other indie stores in other parts of these cities that I missed, but I wasn't going to drive 30 minutes in traffic to search every Mom & Pop in a 50-mile radius for a decent one, just to show up the evil corporation that was right down the street.
It's like Kevin Smith said in the "Clerks" commentary. He wanted his local video store to carry more indies, but when every customer comes into the store wanting to rent "Navy Seals," it's hard to make your case. That pretty much sums up my Mom & Pop experience too.
I know it's hip to romanticize Mom & Pop stores over the big evil corporation, but I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint on this one. Does Blockbuster stock mostly crap (i.e. the latest CGI-fests/the latest Adam Sandler movies/etc.)? You bet. But, you know what, all my Mom & Pop's shelved crap almost *exclusively* before Blockbuster came along in the 90's. Blockbuster was actually a godsend to my neighborhood because they stocked a pretty decent selection of indie and lesser-known movies. They may not have had 100 copies of "Ghost Dog," or "Memento" or "Sling Blade," but at least they had a FEW copies. My local Mom & Pop's didn't have ANY of these movies (before Blockbuster and Netflix, there was no way for me to see these movies without buying them). Blockbuster ran my local rental stores out of business for one very good reason, because they were a lot BETTER (no bullying necessary).
Now, when Netflix came along I went over to them (because they offered an even better selection and didn't censor NC-17's like Blockbuster). But for a long time in the 90's, Blockbuster was the best store out there for film fans in a LOT of neighborhoods and even whole cities. Blockbuster was the only place to go for smaller films, unless you were one of the fortunate few to have a nearby Mom & Pop that catered to indie fans (and those were pretty rare in the cities I lived in, and usually only found near big college campuses and in artier neighborhoods).
So I'll actually miss them. And I also worry that Netflix might now leverage this to jack up their prices and introduce other heavy-handed customer treatment (since they pretty much have a monopoly now on physical rentals).
I would offer to provide a good home to the remaining inventory of my local store, but what am I going to do with 100 copies of every Michael Bay crapfest made in the last decade?
My mom and other relatives are always giving me shit on Facebook about getting a job, and pointing out how my cousin is doing so much better than me. So while we're making it illegal to criticize governments, can we also make it illegal to criticize individuals? I really feel like a lot of people are being ideologically aggressive towards me, and I would appreciate it if the UN would step in and put a stop to it. Thanks in advance for any protection you can afford me as a sovereign individual.
And by the end of the process he will also have to fill out Form 90254: "Application for Canine Death Certificate," and pay a 100 pound filing fee at window 10 on the 2nd floor, Yorkshire magistrate's office.
I had read the original article (though I know it might endanger my/. reputation to admit it). It didn't really explain the situation any better than the summary--though it did clarify that he did petition both the police and court, both of which refused to return the property or even help him get the address of the new "owners."
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No, but it sure could start a region-wide conventional war that could last a lot longer and claim just as many lives in the end.
I know that Mossad, the CIA, or whoever did this probably intended this to be a one-shot deal and didn't expect it to go as viral as it did. But I hope they truly appreciate what a nasty thing they've started. Now everyone will be doing it. And these sorts of viruses have the potential to cause real-world loss of life.
All this for a petty strike against a country that probably didn't even work (and would only have pushed them closer to war even if it had).
It targets two specific models of Seimens programable logic controllers (by targeting the Windows software used to program those PLC's). PLC's are used to control very time-intensive industrial processes. Pretty much every power plant, nuke plant, modern manufacturing plant, etc. uses these, and they control very dangerous physical equipment. Reeking havoc with these processes can cause explosions, radiation leaks, major industrial accidents, etc. (it could even cause nuclear reactors to go critical). That's very bad stuff. Best case scenario, it could cause serious damage to equipment. Worse case scenario, it could cause significant lose of life.
In other words, tampering with a PLC can make things go BOOM. In 1982, the CIA purported did this with the Siberian pipeline, and the resulting explosion was so powerful it set off missile launch alarms in the U.S.
If a virus like this were to succeed in its apparent goals (reeking havoc on the Natanz enrichment facility, or worse, the new Bushehr nuclear power plant) it could potentially cause an accident that could kill a LOT of innocent people. It had the very real capacity to send the reactors at Bushehr into meltdown. And I'm pretty sure the people who live around that facility had nothing to do with genocide against the Jews (nor have most Iranians ever fired so much as a shot against Israel).
Note to self: throw cellphone out of window next time.
If you really want to see Europeans get pissed off, just try to claim that an American invented ANYTHING.
Yes, but this could damage the giant pyramid I've commanded my wife to build in my honor upon my death. Therefore it must be stopped at all costs.
"Space Nutters," now THAT'S a show name! We'll get Ron Moore to produce, Scott Bakula to star, and Syfy to air. Quick, Jimmy, get me Hollywood on the phone!
Arrogant American if I ever saw one.
Actually, I would have used a better one for flag-burning:
Democrats want to censure you from burning a Koran, but want Bible and flag burning (flip for Repubs)
I'm not saying that writing won't have ANY effect, just that said effect will be all but negligible. If you *really* want to make a difference, your energy would be much more effectively spent helping to organize a fundraiser and THEN voicing your concerns. Money talks, especially in this age of crazy expensive election campaigns--and it talks very loudly. People who just write letters are taking the easy, lazy route. If you really want to effect change, and not just engage in some pat-yourself-on-the-back hollow gesture that won't amount to jack-shit, it's going to take money.
Yeah, but they had Sergey Korolyov. All we had was a washed-up Nazi who kept bitching that we wouldn't give him any Jewish slave labor.
My sister can attest to it. She got a nasty burn from hers one time when we were kids. Poor girl still flinches every time I turn on a light.
Actually he *is* a lot like JFK. He's a vastly overrated politician who is ramping up the spying of the CIA/NSA, while being deified by a party that supposedly stands for civil liberties. He's also ambivalent on civil rights issues, sucks up to big corporations, is continuing an unwinnable war, and couldn't give a shit less about the plight of the common citizen. If he were any more like JFK, Marylin Monroe would blow him.
Unless you can promise at least a $50,000 campaign fundraiser in that letter too, save yourself a stamp.
The really scary thing is just how broad the reach of the NSA really is. I read James Bamford's The Shadow Factory a while back and was shocked at how little I appreciated what they could (and routinely do) really do. Basically, if you make a phone call to any of the targeted regions (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen, etc.), the NSA is recording it--whether it's by cell, landline, or satellite (they have agreements with all the major satellite communications companies). Doesn't matter if you're a terrorist or not, they're monitoring you and archiving all your calls, period (they've even been transcribing the calls of U.S. journalists to their families, prompting at least one operative to quit the agency).
I was particularly surprised to learn that they routinely monitor the calls of the major UN officials and all the other security council members (they've bugged the shit out of the UN building and associated offices too). During the buildup to the Iraq War, when Collin Powell was getting ready to "make his case" for the war, they were carefully monitoring the calls and emails of all the permanent and non-permanent security council members, including the Secretary-General of the UN himself. They even sent out a memo to the intelligence services of several of our closest allies (the UK and associated countries) asking them to help us out on the spying (though we were even spying on them too). Pretty creepy stuff, especially for anyone who still foolishly doubts that the Iraq War was anything but a foregone conclusion for the Bush administration.
"Hope and change" my freckled ass.
Will not make joke about how the people smell...Will not make joke about how the people smell...
Well, I can only speak for the three cities I lived in during the 90's. But only one of these had a Mom & Pop near me that stocked a good selection of indies, and that was this one hole-in-the-wall store near a local university. Unfortunately, it was an arty shithole kind of store where the customer "service" consisted of a goth poseur working behind the counter who treated you like shit if you walked into the store not wearing a nose-ring. There might have been some other indie stores in other parts of these cities that I missed, but I wasn't going to drive 30 minutes in traffic to search every Mom & Pop in a 50-mile radius for a decent one, just to show up the evil corporation that was right down the street.
It's like Kevin Smith said in the "Clerks" commentary. He wanted his local video store to carry more indies, but when every customer comes into the store wanting to rent "Navy Seals," it's hard to make your case. That pretty much sums up my Mom & Pop experience too.
I know it's hip to romanticize Mom & Pop stores over the big evil corporation, but I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint on this one. Does Blockbuster stock mostly crap (i.e. the latest CGI-fests/the latest Adam Sandler movies/etc.)? You bet. But, you know what, all my Mom & Pop's shelved crap almost *exclusively* before Blockbuster came along in the 90's. Blockbuster was actually a godsend to my neighborhood because they stocked a pretty decent selection of indie and lesser-known movies. They may not have had 100 copies of "Ghost Dog," or "Memento" or "Sling Blade," but at least they had a FEW copies. My local Mom & Pop's didn't have ANY of these movies (before Blockbuster and Netflix, there was no way for me to see these movies without buying them). Blockbuster ran my local rental stores out of business for one very good reason, because they were a lot BETTER (no bullying necessary).
Now, when Netflix came along I went over to them (because they offered an even better selection and didn't censor NC-17's like Blockbuster). But for a long time in the 90's, Blockbuster was the best store out there for film fans in a LOT of neighborhoods and even whole cities. Blockbuster was the only place to go for smaller films, unless you were one of the fortunate few to have a nearby Mom & Pop that catered to indie fans (and those were pretty rare in the cities I lived in, and usually only found near big college campuses and in artier neighborhoods).
So I'll actually miss them. And I also worry that Netflix might now leverage this to jack up their prices and introduce other heavy-handed customer treatment (since they pretty much have a monopoly now on physical rentals).
I would offer to provide a good home to the remaining inventory of my local store, but what am I going to do with 100 copies of every Michael Bay crapfest made in the last decade?
George Washington could turn water into whiskey, through a miracle he called "distillation."
My mom and other relatives are always giving me shit on Facebook about getting a job, and pointing out how my cousin is doing so much better than me. So while we're making it illegal to criticize governments, can we also make it illegal to criticize individuals? I really feel like a lot of people are being ideologically aggressive towards me, and I would appreciate it if the UN would step in and put a stop to it. Thanks in advance for any protection you can afford me as a sovereign individual.
And by the end of the process he will also have to fill out Form 90254: "Application for Canine Death Certificate," and pay a 100 pound filing fee at window 10 on the 2nd floor, Yorkshire magistrate's office.
I had read the original article (though I know it might endanger my /. reputation to admit it). It didn't really explain the situation any better than the summary--though it did clarify that he did petition both the police and court, both of which refused to return the property or even help him get the address of the new "owners."