Not Russia, just a 300lb. person in a bedroom. Nothing to see here folks.
They do not have to shut down the nuclear (or conventional) power plants if they can shut down the power distribution grid. Oh what I would give to have a President who did not invite Russian hackers to screw around with us.
Vlad needs to be cautious, his spies have NO idea how outteched they might be, rumor has it our spooks got this 4 dimensional device they can drone up his nether orifice and start spewing cotton candy… nothing deadly or dangerous, or even uncomfortable for some, but very awkward while trying to watch gymnastics…
Except one can hack a coal mine. It’s computerized now, like drone aircraft.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-coal-workers-video-games-20170703-story.html
Um, if they really wanted to cause trouble, interrupting the electrical supply would be low on their list. How about disabling the reactor cooling systems?
Of course. But the Donald probably thinks it’s still done like it was in 1910.
Hey Trump! And Republican leaders! Can you at least get serious about this?
Let’s not forget the job opportunities for the “men” who will shovel coal into the steam engines.
Reactor systems are computer driven but aren’t connected to the web. Just because reactor cooling systems use computers does not automatically mean you can access social media , or TPM from them…or get hacked in return. Business systems are a different matter.
Russia knows they can do whatever they please because Trump has shown above all else, he will do nothing. I only wonder what else Putin has in mind for us other than further humiliation.
While the grafting is completely unacceptable, this legacy of Trump’s is unforgivable.
I still do not understand why sensitive assets have any connection to the outside world that rely on consumer grade methods and equipment. We should have been developing communications infrastructure a long time ago that does not have a simple internet connection leading up to the site. Apply all the security you want, it still allows them to knock on the door.
I would even suggest that we consider using main framer mentalities, using equipment that does not start with common desktops and laptops for access. I recognize the difficulty this represents, but not everyone can afford or access this type of equipment. It would limit the opportunities.
I won’t pretend to be an expert, but various articles describe Stuxnet doing some allegedly nasty damage to nuclear facilities, some of it to systems that would also seem isolated from the web.
Statistics published by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) show that the number of enrichment centrifuges operational in Iran mysteriously declined from about 4,700 to about 3,900 beginning around the time the nuclear incident WikiLeaks mentioned would have occurred.[93] The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) suggests, in a report published in December 2010, that Stuxnet is a reasonable explanation for the apparent damage[94] at Natanz, and may have destroyed up to 1,000 centrifuges (10 percent) sometime between November 2009 and late January 2010. The authors conclude:
The attacks seem designed to force a change in the centrifuge’s rotor speed, first raising the speed and then lowering it, likely with the intention of inducing excessive vibrations or distortions that would destroy the centrifuge. If its goal was to quickly destroy all the centrifuges in the FEP [Fuel Enrichment Plant], Stuxnet failed. But if the goal was to destroy a more limited number of centrifuges and set back Iran’s progress in operating the FEP, while making detection difficult, it may have succeeded, at least temporarily.[94]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet
Oh c’mon…not RUSSIA!!! I’m sure it’s a 400 lb. Democrat in his mama’s basement…this can be Donnie’s tweet tomorrow morning while he further denigrates America from the G20.
I REALLY expect better than this from TPM. This is one of the most misleading headlines you’ve posted, but it seems to be a trend. The actual article doesn’t support the headline at all, as it is the networks of companies that run nuclear facilities that were breached.
This is news for sure, but let’s keep the hysteria down, shall we? We’re not reading Fox “News” after all.
I’d expect that energy companies would be only some of the ones targeted by russian hackers. Power disruptions can be a big deal, especially if they’re timed. They are part of the ongoing russian war against Ukraine. You don’t get massive casualties, but you do get deaths (e.g. during a heat wave) and disruption of business, which is an effective way of fomenting the kind of low-level unrest Putin likes to take advantage of. Also effective for accustoming people to a more militarized government presence.
What he really tweeted today
Priorities indeed.
I know it’s the first thing Angela Merkle will ask about
Trump, meanwhile, kicked off his day with Twitter:
Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2017
Crazy. Unhinged . Fucker
For those wondering …