CIA Claims Cyberattacks At Fault In Blackouts
from the now-they-tell-us dept
A few years back, after a major blackout hit the northeast, many people immediately assumed that it had something to do with a terrorist attack on the electricity system or perhaps a computer worm/cyber attack. It turned out to be neither, but it wasn't that surprising that people jumped to that conclusion. However, afterwards, people began discussing how likely it was that a cyberattack really could take out the power grid for a city, and some people felt that it was fairly unlikely to occur. The CIA, apparently, would disagree. Late Friday, a CIA official claimed that cyberattacks have been to blame for certain blackouts over the past few years, and that the agency had debated whether or not to release that information publicly. Of course, without much in the way of detail, it's difficult to have any sense of what's actually happening here and how accurate the information really is. However, we will repeat what we said after that huge blackout: even if it was a cyberattack, it wasn't particularly damaging. Yes, it was an inconvenience. And, yes, it was annoying, and some businesses were temporarily hurt due to the blackout. But, compared to other types of attacks, shutting off the power certainly seems relatively minor.
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Filed Under: blackouts, cia, cyberattacks, cyberterrorism
Companies: cia
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I would like to know
This is really insane.
But then, so are a lot of other dumbass ideas.
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Re: I would like to know
It's not just the power grid. There are many similar bad ideas.
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Re: I would like to know
These communications links can be compromised, just as phone lines can be tapped. Indeed some utilities use telephone lines as a very low bandwidth link to the substations.
There is a lot of work being done to address these concerns, and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has issued Critical Infrastructure Protection guidelines that the utilities are moving to implement.
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Re: I would like to know
I don't know about you, but if the power went out due to a systems problem that could be solved this way, and due to lack of any remote access, we had to wait an extra 40 min for support to get up, get dressed, and drive into the plant to fix the problem, I'd go with the remote access, especially this time of year.
EtG
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Re: Re: I would like to know
First, even if possible, that wouldn't require being connected to the internet.
Second, power grid problems are usually due to equipment problems that can't be fixed sitting at home in your jammies.
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So I ask, what's going on in business? What companies may be looking at collaboration? Maybe working together with advisaries? UUUGH!
If you end the week on this, I don't know man...
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Re:
And unlike some blog viewers, I don't mind the volume of copyright/IP stories. It's a shame that there ARE that many, but I'm not looking at this site for entertainment like some others are.
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I fail to understand how it is a conspiracy other than in your head.
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It's Bullshit
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No... it's just that the crap the government's serving up has become so bad, it's almost impossible to ignore it, unless you intentionally bury your head in the sand anymore.
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Maybe, just maybe, you could try taking your head out of the sand once in a while.
There are bad people out there that want to do harm. Ignoring that fact won't help you.
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Re:
mkam
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Re: Re: mkam LOL "freedom haters"
Yeah, I'd be planting IED's if China occupied us for five years.
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Re:
And a lot of them are in the government making up stories to divert attention away from themselves.
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(That's to say nothing about how worried I am about terrorist or other sources of attacks on the grid. If these systems are accessible to the Internet, this is a problem, because people rarely do security very well.)
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What happens when credit cards don't work, ATM's don't work, banks can't access accounts? What happens if the monitary system breaks down.
To say it is not an issue is just burying your head in the sand.
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Gov't Phishing Expedition
As far as the hospitals, and other major infrastructure goes...the have (or freakin' better have) their own back up generators on site (hospitals do for sure).
The monetary system was "broken down" many, many years ago... to think it isn't is ostrich-like as well.
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Re: Gov't Phishing Expedition
They already monitor nearly 100% of it. Now they want to be able to control/filter/censor it in the name of national security. They want to end the free flow of information.
The CIA is just a foot soldier in a greater endgame. If you believe anything official coming out of the CIA, you are painfully ignorant of the history of this rogue organization.
This isn't about fighting terrorism. It is about ending personal liberty.
And please, don't buy into the "Get out the word" BS ala Alex Jones, JBS, [your conspiracy freak group here], etc. The powers that be don't care who knows what their endgame is. They WANT you to know, because when you do nothing as they steal all your liberty and dignity, you will be doubly enslaved. That is, you will not only be a prisoner, but a willing one, too in awe of the power of your slavemasters to resist.
Study history. Think deeply. Free your mind. It may be the only free thing you have left.
Ahh! Ain't ranting great?
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Yeah, you know - I was a pretty rock solid republican up until late. Now, I think I see it more clear. It's basically one political party with two 'wings'. While they all drink their liquor, watch thier stocks rise sharply, play golf, rent hookers, bang interns... they sit and laugh at how they have duped the public.
For 9800 years - at least in human history it has been common knowledge that government is corrupt, yet for the last few years they have been able to convince people they are benign and only out for our own interests. I'm not so sure human nature and the lust for power have changed any over all those years, human nature is basically the same. Consider... what does it take mentally and emotionally for one to *want* to be in politics for years and years and make a career out of it. I'm sure a few are really there for the people, but I suspect it's the minority.
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Attacks on Natoheadquarter frankfurt + attack in U
There have been attacks on the electricity systems by a Russian flying ship, 300 meters long.-
They wanted to control europe or the world by blackouts and they were capturing all dates of electricity during their fatal attacks.
A native American named Edward Toothaker, drawn soldier in FFF HQ has been attacked on poth events.-
Me too.There were swines on board and they blackmailed me wether to be eaten by the swines or drink a whole bottle of Vodka.- Dr. Fink from Marburg Germany.
Please send a special unit of antiterroristic hegh classed special soldiers to overcome the local snakehead Klaus alias Uwe Paehr,3, steinweg 35037 Marburg.-Here is Local Bridgehead of easter mafia AND EASTERN SPY RING WITH 127 SECRET SERICES WORKING AGAINST ME. pLEASE HELP ME OUT , iNEED SOMME SURGERIES FOR MY SPINE.-
sEND 10. 000 AGENTS WELL PREPARED THEY GET EASILY THE SYNDICAT CONSISTING OF ABOUT ONE THOUSAND CRIMINALS OPERATING WORLD WIDE.
tHIS IS THE CENTRAL OF UNDERWORLD, WHERE AS bAMBERG IS THE SECRET CENTER OF dJIHAD, AS aNTENNE bAYERN SAID ON THE RADION. cHECK WASHINGTON pOST AND aFN eUROPE THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT ME AND MY FATE .-
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If you were laying in an ICU on life-support I'd bet you would feel a blackout was a relatively major event.
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Yeah, it sucks not having power. But it's not essential. Humans got by for thousands of years without it. I think you can go for a few hours.
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Re:
Gee, maybe that's why ICU's have backup power. Any number of thing can disrupt the power grid, from squirrels to traffic accidents to storms to random equipment failure. Relying on the the power grid for life support would be a stupid thing to do.
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I forsee that
Bend over taxpayers, you voted in a bunch of azzrapers, you've been getting it for 8 years, and just for jollies they're gonna give it to you one more time on their way out.
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Re: I forsee that
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Backups
A few hours is one thing but on-site generators typically don't last indefinitely.
In the event of a prolonged attack, or coupled with other forms of attack it could be a very serious threat.
I think it is silly to dump some ridiculous sum at the issue - a few well-trained IT staffers who's only focus is security would cut it. Unfortunately those of us in IT know that that is rarely the case; you either have a million other tasks to oversee or you're grossly understaffed.
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Re: Backups
Nothing lasts forever. So what? They can certainly last long enough. They can refueled as needed and there are usually even redundant generators to allow maintenance to be performed wile maintaining power. They could go for years if they needed to.
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I've seen this movie!
(there was lots of action)
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Assume it was an attack...
When the electric grid and other electric-driven public infrastructure go out AND STAY OUT then people will take it very seriously (and it will by then be too late to do anything).
IMHO The wisest course of action is to assume it was a real attack and deal with it accordingly.
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Won't be fooled again.
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hmm
In all honesty I could really see that.
I don't know a lot about the inner workings of the CIA budget but I know a lot of other gov agencies in many places use that sort of thing keep the money coming in; haven't spend 1/4 of this years budget - oh well better buy some new hardware or next year they'll cut us by 1/4.
Cyber-terrorism not a serious enough threat - oh well did we forget to mention that there have been cases of power outs? Ya, that was a cyber attack. Can't say when or where tho - national security and all.
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Re: hmm
And I wouldn't believe for a minute that there was one organization, regardless of affiliation, that wouldn't do that if the leaders thought it might work.
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HoW?
UNSECURED
v1 OR v2 with Hp default OpenView Password
yup stupid
but some where also just *mistakes* as well
the report came from the agency with the WMD reports
its much better now
heightened awareness
i work with some network aspects within utilities;
there just wasn't the awareness that the Utilities have oday
also some of those smaller operators should have been
regulated tightly; some employees were their own worst enemy
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Re: HoW?
i lived thru the big one in the east
I recall the actual Ontario Hydro Incident Report
as a Vendor with access to the NOC;
there were many fingers pointing and it came
down to poor management of the control system;
human error
dont be so quick to blame cyber-terrorism
but dont discount that possibility either
again
three letter agency gave us the false-positive
on WMD's in Iraq so....
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America
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coincidence?
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Re: coincidence?
If you really care about your privacy, you should encrypt all your communications. Last I checked, almost every website supports SSL and encrypted email is trivial with most mail clients.
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CIA Claims Cyberattacks At Fault In Blackouts
Remember? US govt wants to make ANY excuse to turn
technology against US citizens. Headline should read
US trying to scare citizens into giving up more
contitutional rights again. And I totally agree with #1.
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propoganda
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Its not just the power, what happens when the diagnostics in a hospital don't work? What happens when stores can't make transactions. What happens when Wall Street is shut down.
Did you know that the trading system that the NASDAQ uses resides on computers owned by a foreign company? Yeah, go stick your head in the sand and believe that you are safe. Thank god there are people out there trying to do something about it.
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I wonder if we've got a military communications officer (i.e. propaganda troll) with us.
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Now, if you're done with your fear mongering, I'd like to make sure that I actually have some freedom left at the end of the day.
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Did they...
They'd better fix it quick cause Bruce is getting too old to save us.
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Somewhere in the middle...
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London has proof via dead bodies in a train station.
Spain has proof via dead bodies on a train.
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where are the good journalists in this equation
One would have thought that there would be something or someone out there (journalist) who simply searched through newspaper databases in multiple languages to see where power outages affecting multiple cities had occurred on a single grid.
If anyone can point me to a single story or blog which has actually attempted to verify either side of the coin I would be most appreciative.
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