GasBuddy Blog

GasBuddy News Article

votes

The Devastating Effects of a Cyber-Attack Against a Countries Energy Grid

OilPrice.com -- Computer war has grown up. It has moved from the age of the equivalent of black powder to the equivalent of high-explosive shells -- not yet nuclear devices but close.

At the center of this vulnerability is a device most of us have never heard of but is an essential part of modern infrastructure. It is the programmable logic controller (PLC).

In appearance the PLC is usually a small, black box about the size of a woman's purse. It came on the scene in the 1960s, when microprocessors became available and has grown exponentially in application and deployment ever since. The full computerization of the PLC put it silently but vitally in charge of nearly every commercial/industrial operation, from assembly lines to power dispatch.

Read the Full Article

Submitted Jul 11, 2012 By: NOTSOGRN

Back To News

Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics	Add to favorite topics

Author	Topic: The Devastating Effects of a Cyber-Attack Against a Countries Energy Grid	Post a Reply Back to Topics

REPLIES (newest first)Ignore Short Messages

First

Next Last

nru Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:1,736 Points:981,275 Joined:Feb 2006	Message Posted: Jul 12, 2012 3:58:13 PM Ignore nru Report Abuse stuxnet - may come home to bite us
KrsnaDragon Champion Author Montreal Posts:2,402 Points:529,575 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 11:44:55 PM Ignore KrsnaDragon Report Abuse Lol, kinda scary!
jtfftj Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:2,176 Points:1,247,305 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 10:04:34 PM Ignore jtfftj Report Abuse You know that people who don't like us are working on this 24/7.
Cyberkedi Champion Author Atlanta Posts:13,371 Points:2,317,615 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 10:03:12 PM Ignore Cyberkedi Report Abuse This would make 9/11 look like a scrap in a sand box, considering how much damage it would do.
Ahking Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,502 Points:602,520 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 10:02:44 PM Ignore Ahking Report Abuse just need an industrial grade anti-virus program & keep paying the subscription.
ericbcire Champion Author Nevada Posts:4,515 Points:1,265,660 Joined:Aug 2009	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 10:01:06 PM Ignore ericbcire Report Abuse We can't be too careful.
judgemobile Champion Author Ohio Posts:7,560 Points:2,443,185 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 10:00:11 PM Ignore judgemobile Report Abuse now that EVERYONE knows about this, how are cyber security experts going to protect sites from hack ??
mcmonsta Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,222 Points:816,820 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:55:58 PM Ignore mcmonsta Report Abuse i f we foolish don't protect these types of things...we are only to blame
carpenter4u Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,436 Points:614,895 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:55:14 PM Ignore carpenter4u Report Abuse better to be on the offense than the defense
TBONE3 Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:8,741 Points:1,975,675 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:54:53 PM Ignore TBONE3 Report Abuse You mean to say our best and most intelligent scientists and engineers are so smug or stupid that they have not done this yet? Isn't the USA supposed to be the most advanced of all nations in matters of security and engineering of sensitive sites?
BobD2009 Champion Author Long Island Posts:6,984 Points:1,238,810 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:53:33 PM Ignore BobD2009 Report Abuse Scary.
yakstar Champion Author Montreal Posts:2,415 Points:478,670 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:53:05 PM Ignore yakstar Report Abuse disorganized crime is everywhere!
sammy518 Champion Author Austin Posts:2,589 Points:539,790 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:50:36 PM Ignore sammy518 Report Abuse ok
Kawibiker Champion Author Illinois Posts:1,170 Points:204,475 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:50:01 PM Ignore Kawibiker Report Abuse Could be bad.. we need to get working on how to protect ourselves
defiancegasman Champion Author Ohio Posts:7,080 Points:1,323,260 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:48:50 PM Ignore defiancegasman Report Abuse Nobody is working of some kind of firewalls??
Dodge_Me Champion Author Atlanta Posts:2,214 Points:554,730 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:47:49 PM Ignore Dodge_Me Report Abuse Not good!
boatfloyd Champion Author Jacksonville Posts:1,713 Points:387,000 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:45:31 PM Ignore boatfloyd Report Abuse We have to spend allot of dollars to protect what we have.
quasar502 Champion Author Lansing Posts:3,573 Points:800,150 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:44:40 PM Ignore quasar502 Report Abuse Gonna get really nasty.
LCSTEELERBOB Champion Author Gary Posts:2,961 Points:720,130 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:41:21 PM Ignore LCSTEELERBOB Report Abuse it could be bad
bobdec Champion Author Miami Posts:8,959 Points:1,768,845 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:40:43 PM Ignore bobdec Report Abuse It will be very bad
unicornpmb Champion Author Buffalo Posts:8,481 Points:1,627,565 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:39:38 PM Ignore unicornpmb Report Abuse That is our weakest point.
Gasazhunter Champion Author Phoenix Posts:4,200 Points:1,025,770 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:37:57 PM Ignore Gasazhunter Report Abuse Not good.
10k Champion Author North Carolina Posts:21,240 Points:2,253,045 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:37:39 PM Ignore 10k Report Abuse if i've heard of this before, i know there are those who can disable an entire country with one malicious virus, who have heard of it.. and one of them may be closer than the public wants to know..
kitty1750 Champion Author Kitchener-Waterloo Posts:2,199 Points:470,675 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:36:28 PM Ignore kitty1750 Report Abuse Possibility of cyber attack is the modern day boogie man.
ratboy1968 Champion Author Montreal Posts:2,607 Points:547,075 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:35:48 PM Ignore ratboy1968 Report Abuse ok
dlemma Champion Author Wyoming Posts:4,101 Points:1,554,045 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:34:48 PM Ignore dlemma Report Abuse now you know why Obama wants to control the internet.
bvrbill Champion Author Eugene Posts:3,207 Points:516,800 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:32:00 PM Ignore bvrbill Report Abuse I hope the good guys are on our side.
pricechecker08 Champion Author Ohio Posts:7,866 Points:1,698,750 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:29:32 PM Ignore pricechecker08 Report Abuse ok
granitestater Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:8,817 Points:1,429,775 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:28:37 PM Ignore granitestater Report Abuse Just make them firmware enabled by encryption only. Right now they are open source.
12766 Champion Author New York Posts:2,438 Points:1,482,340 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:26:58 PM Ignore 12766 Report Abuse OK
jkpsr Champion Author New Jersey Posts:4,074 Points:1,100,930 Joined:Jun 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:26:29 PM Ignore jkpsr Report Abuse We need to pay more attention to encryption. Th banks have done it.
Sistallen Rookie Author Baton Rouge Posts:4 Points:735 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:26:27 PM Ignore Sistallen Report Abuse really sad :(
bra0712 Champion Author Arizona Posts:3,655 Points:766,620 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:23:29 PM Ignore bra0712 Report Abuse That sucks
joel27nc Champion Author Raleigh Posts:10,527 Points:1,856,420 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:22:02 PM Ignore joel27nc Report Abuse Not good.
Vette1967 Champion Author Albany Posts:5,957 Points:1,274,050 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:21:16 PM Ignore Vette1967 Report Abuse The clock is ticking.
rahcat Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:2,463 Points:661,225 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:20:15 PM Ignore rahcat Report Abuse Like Chicken Little said "The sky is falling".
mfeldstein Champion Author Ottawa Posts:8,161 Points:1,928,430 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:19:58 PM Ignore mfeldstein Report Abuse Complex beyond my understanding.
ACTown Champion Author Oregon Posts:2,347 Points:1,428,730 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:19:35 PM Ignore ACTown Report Abuse it will happen, and we are not prepared.
LilRedWagonIN Champion Author Indiana Posts:7,766 Points:1,553,185 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:18:56 PM Ignore LilRedWagonIN Report Abuse Somebody (like Israel and/or the U.S.) did something to Iran's nuclear facility. Now somebody is trying to do the same to us.
crreed1 Champion Author West Virginia Posts:1,980 Points:2,525,360 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:18:53 PM Ignore crreed1 Report Abuse makes you think
shores4now Champion Author Kentucky Posts:2,401 Points:522,825 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:18:26 PM Ignore shores4now Report Abuse Ok
langolera Champion Author Akron Posts:1,756 Points:665,005 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:18:15 PM Ignore langolera Report Abuse yep
CdnLynx Champion Author Ontario Posts:1,020 Points:523,005 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:15:54 PM Ignore CdnLynx Report Abuse Critical systems should be a closed, with no outside public access via the internet. Closed systems would stop direct access by hackers. However the use of outside media (ie usb drives, etc. could allow contamination of the closed system/s.) Not fool proof however extremely limiting! Sorry to the big shots, you can't work from home now, will have to revert back to the old concept, you got to go into the office now! No more remote access!
carman11 Champion Author North Carolina Posts:3,325 Points:689,775 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:15:53 PM Ignore carman11 Report Abuse class war fare. war without guns. this is the future.
rawdog1313 Champion Author Lexington Posts:3,294 Points:1,641,830 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:15:40 PM Ignore rawdog1313 Report Abuse "vibdata" post is funny, but sad! The last President actually called it that. Haha
CartelBuster Veteran Author Detroit Posts:418 Points:1,578,135 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:13:52 PM Ignore CartelBuster Report Abuse Look out for those solar flares for the next year, too!! Could cause BIG grid trouble!!
vibdata Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:4,079 Points:847,350 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:12:03 PM Ignore vibdata Report Abuse When will you people ever learn? It is not NUCLEAR. It is NUKULAR. Or you didn't larn that stuff yet? And... "a countries energy grid" ...should be... a country's energy grid. Or you didn't larn nuffin bout dat neether????? Shoot. SPELLING CHECKER WENT OFF. Wonder why??????????????????????????
DrLyon Champion Author Michigan Posts:6,645 Points:1,211,005 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:11:57 PM Ignore DrLyon Report Abuse Could cause a problem...
HEBster Champion Author Kentucky Posts:8,778 Points:2,372,075 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:11:40 PM Ignore HEBster Report Abuse Scarey
ManOfLeisureII Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:1,869 Points:453,175 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jul 11, 2012 9:11:29 PM Ignore ManOfLeisureII Report Abuse Scary