Posted on 04/26/2012 10:36:42 AM PDT by Kartographer
As smart grid metering systems expand across the developed world, many are starting to ask whether the threats posed by the new devices, which officials promise will save energy and reduce end user utility costs, outweigh their benefits. In addition to documented health concerns resulting from radiation emissions and no cost savings being apparent, opponents of the technology argue that smart meters are violative of basic privacy rights and give the government yet another digital node of unfettered access to monitor and control personal electricity consumption.
Now, an alarming new documentary suggests that security problems with the inter-connected and seemingly convenient smart grid may be so serious that they could lead to a catastrophic failure of our nation’s entire power infrastructure.
In an interview for the upcoming documentary titled Take Back Your Power, Cyber defense expert David Chalk warns that our nation is in crisis. Not only are our smart power grids susceptible to hacking, but they may very well already be infected with Trojan viruses and back doors that will ultimately lead to disastrous consequences:
(Excerpt) Read more at nebraskaenergyobserver.wordpress.com ...
In 1982. In Siberia.
In other words, they brought down a system with ZERO security.
Our systems have sustained FULL-BORE attacks from Mexico and China. We have the logs; we know where the attacks came from.
A tree falling on a line in Ohio can bring the entire NE, but a hacker getting inside the control system has no chance?
It's worse than that ...
They designed the system from the get-go to destroy itself, then conned the Russkis into "stealing" it ...
Brilliant!
But not particularly relevant to discussion of attacking somebody else's operational system.
The fool that wrote this screed isn’t even aware that the fuse has been invented, and broadly deployed.
I’m just relating what customers are telling me, what exposure I’ve had to them.
>> “It’s OK; I’m here to lend some sanity.” <<
.
In your dreams perhaps.
Mostly pro-control drivel, but we’re used to it. What would we do without control freaks?
.
I have experienced power outages and will in the future due to hurricanes. I now have my own multiple, redundant, power sources and can do without electric companies forever and be reasonably comfortable. It just takes educating oneself as to how to do it. I beat the subject to death until I had a plan that would work for me covering everything I needed.
As a result, I don’t get upset when I hear, “It’s the end of the world as we know it!” I do wish others would prepare so they could feel calm, too.
Oh yeah? Well when my smart meter failed, it cost me a million dollars to fix it.
If they’re running vmWare they simply move whatever Unix app they have to another server while it’s running. The users never notice it.
I quit reading there.
Why are you you bring a smart ass?/
The upgrade process for such environments is not new. You simply run a parallel system with the new h/w and s/w, the new parallel system receiving all the data of the old, and outputting data separately for comparison, testing, analysis, etc. You can then move segments of the new system into live operation, once convinced the operation of the new system at least meets the standards of the old.
Eh, that wood be a hardwood failure! :-)
OK, for the sake of discussion- are these systems totally secure from inside sabotage? I know that there are critical nodes that can be attacked and damage the system just as bad as a computer malfunction. Is there an alternate power supply for the UNIX computers in case of a power outage to the main system?
So many questions.....;)
So, lemme guess: you owed them money, and the remote-disconnect smart meter allowed them to turn your power off.
I guess that many of us don't relish the idea of power being turned off without someone to shoot at.
Cheers-S
I can answer your questions without giving anything away of a proprietary nature. I probably don't know enough about the specifics of the back-end systems to give them away; my specialty is electronics, but senior people are required to know some about the whole end-to-end system.
Yes, a disgruntled employee could probably do damage. But isn't that true of anything? You have to trust somebody. Our server are located in a vault, behind a combination lock that very few people have the combo to.
Yes, they have a backup power supply. Dunno how long it will last; we had an ice storm a few years ago, and the power was off a few days or so. Didn't affect operations.
Not a "control freak". I'm an engineer. I don't control people; I prefer machines to people. But I do believe what my company does helps lower electricity (and nat gas) costs for everyone.
People don't pay for the metering infrastructure directly. So, they shouldn't have a say in how it's designed. As long as it's billing fairly, and the lights stay on, they have no legitimate bitch.
>> So are you saying there isn’t any way a hacker or hackers could take down a smart grid?
Dude, get real.
And understand that I’m *sympathetic* to your prepper mentality.
But hyperbole (a.k.a. “bullshit”) is not helpful to your cause.
As to your question: is there *any way* that hackers could quote unquote take down [all or part of] a smart grid? Sure. There exists the possibility.
But does a “smart grid” encompass all electrical distribution in the US? No. Not now, and not in three years.
Therefore, for that reason ALONE (and there are others), the ABSOLUTE NO-ROOM-FOR-EQUIVOCATING BREATHLESS STATEMENT that there is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAINTY of a TOTAL (not partial) CATASTROPHIC FAILURE of the ENTIRE (not part, but all) POWER INFRASTRUCTURE within a definite time period — THREE YEARS — is hyperbole. Which is what I said earlier.
AKA bullshit.
You do your cause NO GOOD when you peddle BULLSHIT (aka hyperbole) as 100% Certain fact.
Think about it.
FRegards
P.S. Will you be around in three years to apologize and walk this nonsense back if it DOESN’T come to pass? Just curious.
don’t
you
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