How to Prepare for a Cyber Attack: ‘These Systems Could Be Completely Inoperable or Breached’

SHTF Plan ^ | 7/12/15 | Daisy Luther

[Kartographer]

How does a cyber attack affect you?

You may think that if you don’t spend your day working online, that an attack on our computer infrastructure isn’t that big of a deal. You may feel like it wouldn’t affect you at all.

Unfortunately, there are very few people in the country that would remain completely unaffected in the event of a major cyber attack. Our economy, our utility grids, and our transportation systems are all heavily reliant upon computers. This makes us very vulnerable to such an attack.

And by vulnerable, I mean that if it was done on a big enough scale, it could essentially paralyze the entire country.

[Kartographer]

Gas stations (most of the pumps are now digital and connect right to your bank)
Banks (all of the records are online) would not be able to process electronic transactions. ATM machines would not function to allow customers access to cash.
Utility systems (most power stations are run by computers)
Water treatment facilities (these are automated too)
Protection of personal information, including data about your finances, medical records, physical location, and academic records – everything a person would need to steal your identity
Government operations, including dangerous identifying information about federal employees or members of the military
Transportation systems (trains, subways, and planes are heavily reliant upon computers)
Traffic management systems like stoplights, crosswalks, etc.
Air traffic control
Everyday trade – most business have a computerized cash register that communicates directly with banks. Many business are also reliant on scanning bar codes for inventory control and pricing. Point-of-sale systems would be down and people would not be able to pay using credit or debit cards.
Telecommunications systems can be affected if cell towers are disabled or if the landline system were directly attacked. As more people rely on VOIP, taking down internet service would serve a dual purpose.
SMART systems could be shut down or manipulated. All of those gadgets that automate climate control, use of utilities, or appliances through SMART technology are vulnerable.

[Kartographer]

Preppers’ PING!!

The other day I was talking about how people in Greece were preparing for the crash by buying appliances and I suggested they would be better off buying a water filter for their home as FerFal pointed out during Argentinian crash the government didn't have the money to buy water treatment supplies and chemicals making even the municipal water dangerous to drink the guy just could get, but was proud of the fact that he had prepared for a crash here by buy good sturdy kitchen appliances himself.

[TexasTransplant]

***** “Water treatment facilities” *****

I live in town, this is a concern that I have yet to address. I need to install a valve so the City crap doesn’t back up into my house... the recent flooding we had did not create any problems for me but I know folks where it did...
If we have extended time of no power or flooding or a combination of the two it would be a catastrophe that would render the house unusable and contaminate preps.

Won’t be cheap but I WANT the ability to close off that sewage line (we have a Mortuary right behind us and that just adds to the yuck factor)

[QT3.14]

I understand cyber attack threats is one of the reasons NORAD is moving back into their Cheyenne Mountain bunker.

[TexasTransplant]

PS to myself

I know Water Treatment and Sewage Treatment are different ... it was just the one on the list that fit “Public Utilities”
I have my own Deep Well and can draw water Manually if need be (not much but with a little manual labor enough to get by with)

[Kartographer]

You are right of course sewage treatment plant shut down can be as dangerous as water treatment plant shutdown. You are looking at any number of diseases with either. Most people have no idea of the complex systems behind both they just think water just 'magically' comes from the faucet and sewage just runs down the drain.

[4Liberty]

Bump!

[Patriot Babe]

I wonder for those that live in apartments....I suppose we are screwed if the Water treatment facilities goes down. I mean no problem storing water for drinking but how about the you know “nature 1 or 2”?

[Blueflag]

Check out the LifeStraw line of products.

Individual carry around, PLUS the ‘family size’ with a funnel.

[Blueflag]

There should be a cutoff valve both at the meeter (your side of it) as well as within your house, right before the pressure reducing valve.

[Blueflag]

Water pressure will fail for high rise buildings. You simply won’t have a supply.

Ice, eh?

[Blueflag]

errata: Ice (sic) should be Nice

We regret the error.

[ken in texas]

The water line has a cutoff valve, but he’s talking about the sewer line. That can flow into the house if it gets backed up.

[IAMNO1]

“Won’t be cheap but I WANT the ability to close off that sewage line (we have a Mortuary right behind us and that just adds to the yuck factor)”

Hope this helps. I ordered a Petersen Inflatable Pipe Plug to seal off my sewer (inside the house, in the garage) before the mostly-horizontal pipe exits the house (underground) and goes to the main. I measured the pipe diameter at a point where I could assure total isolation of outside flow to inside (or the reverse in normal conditions). These isolation plugs are one or two stage and are inflatable (with a bicycle pump) and used by plumbers to isolate sewer lines for work and testing. My literature says petersenproducts.com and pipeplug.com and they are in Wisconsin. Not cheap (about $100) but quality and failsafe if you position and inflate it properly (provided there isn't a substantial back-head of waste water that could dislodge it, which seems unlikely).

Good luck!

[Roos_Girl]

I’m not sure putting a valve on your gravity sanitary would be such a big deal. If you’re draining to a municipal main you should have a 6” gravity service that stubs out, usually close to the property line, but not always. I think a 6” valve, depending on the type, would be in the neighborhood of $300. I’d put it somewhere well onto your property so that if the municipality ever comes out to do work they won’t know about it. Preferably close to your clean out so if you do have to close it and there’s any debris caught on it, you can get a snake in to get the debris cleared and the valve closed all the way. Do you already have an idea of what kind of valve you’ll use?

[outofsalt]

I recall that, “thunder pots” were used in the days of outhouses. Big ceramic coated metal pots that could be used indoors and carried to the outhouse during the day.
They were called thunder pots because of the echo effect of passing gas while using them.

One could use the plastic grocery bags to line a pot and then remove the contents to a better location (bury them in the yard or burn the contents in a metal container) at a later time. This was how things were done prior to indoor plumbing.

[Roos_Girl]

It’s not just a complete plant outage to worry about either. Gravity mains connect to pump stations. Power goes out and the pumps don’t pump, sewer backs up into the lines. Depending on how low your are I think it’s more likely that the lift station wet well will just overflow rather than back up all the way into a house. But, it’s nice to be prepared. :)

[BenLurkin]

ping

[TexasTransplant]

***** “I’m not sure putting a valve on your gravity sanitary would be such a big deal. If you’re draining to a municipal main you should have a 6” gravity service that stubs out, usually close to the property line, but not always. I think a 6” valve, depending on the type, would be in the neighborhood of $300. I’d put it somewhere well onto your property so that if the municipality ever comes out to do work they won’t know about it. Preferably close to your clean out so if you do have to close it and there’s any debris caught on it, you can get a snake in to get the debris cleared and the valve closed all the way. Do you already have an idea of what kind of valve you’ll use?” *****

House is 60 plus tears old, don’t think we even have a clean-out (never had any problems so I never had to find it) I do know I cannot get Insurance since it is all Cast Iron in a Salty environment (bought the place 20+ years ago with an AS IS clause for Roof, Electrical and Plumbing, they built them good back in the day, just now need a roof)
We have huge Oak trees front and back, don’t know which direction the Sewer lines go, the House was in place before the roads, old timers tell me they remember when the back yard was on the corner of two trails and the dirt road was about 20 ft closer to the house (when planting trees in the front I did dig through Tar Balls and Oyster Shell) It was probably on a Septic System at first then tied in later so the City probably has good drawings, just haven’t invested the time as of yet.
When I do go find it ... thinking I will put the valve closer to the House, then the Clean-out both set in Concrete and accessible day or night.

[TexasTransplant]

Saw a you tube vid showing how to take a 5 gal bucket one of those kiddy swim noodles and plastic bags and have a comfy portable place to go