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Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated by Spies
Wall Street Journal ^ | April 8, 2009 | SIOBHAN GORMAN

Posted on 04/07/2009 7:38:04 PM PDT by Snoopers-868th

WASHINGTON -- Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.

The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government
KEYWORDS: actofwar; china; coldwar2; electricity; electricitygrid; electricitygrids; electricralgrid; energy; espionage; grid; grids; powergrid; powergrids; russia; sovietunion; spies; tm; war
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To: Momaw Nadon
How big a house and where is located?

Big difference in solar panel requirements in Phoenix versus Seattle.

How many days of rain are you willing to buy battery-back to run the house?

141 posted on 04/08/2009 9:05:03 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Snoopers-868th

I think we should change US hacking laws to allow Americans to apply the same techniques to anyone who so much as scans an American computer network.


142 posted on 04/08/2009 9:07:42 AM PDT by Glenn (Free Venezuela!)
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To: 1010RD

If Obami gets his white house control over the electric grid they will most likely will have the ability to shut it or parts of it down “for national security”. And if the software switches are installed in what is probably today’s more secure code then the foreign hackers will just use the new federal mandated patches as their gate to wreck havoc.


143 posted on 04/08/2009 9:15:13 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: thackney
How big a house and where is located?

Average size 1 family home in a northwestern state such as Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah.

How many days of rain are you willing to buy battery-back to run the house?

As many as it takes. I suppose wind power could be used to supplement the solar power.

144 posted on 04/08/2009 9:15:38 AM PDT by Momaw Nadon ("...with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.")
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To: Travis T. OJustice; thackney
$100,000-150,000: Cost of private solar and/or wind energy generation.



100% personal energy independence: PRICELESS!!!

145 posted on 04/08/2009 9:22:09 AM PDT by Momaw Nadon ("...with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.")
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To: papasmurf
This is how he’s gonna ram his “smart” grid down our throats.

They will use it as a reason to push smart grid.....

.....but in reality, it should be a reason NOT to do smart grid.

146 posted on 04/08/2009 9:23:19 AM PDT by SteamShovel (Global Warming, the New Patriotism)
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To: Momaw Nadon

It would be sweet to do, for sure.


147 posted on 04/08/2009 9:29:31 AM PDT by Travis T. OJustice (I can spell just fine, thanks, it's my typing that sucks.)
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To: Calpernia

“Several cities outside the U.S. have sustained attacks on utility systems and extortion demands.”

You could say that the greenies demands and the O administration moves as a different for of extortion. I removes $$$ from our wallets with no return value.


148 posted on 04/08/2009 9:29:43 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: George from New England

“Several cities outside the U.S. have sustained attacks on utility systems and extortion demands.”

You could say that the greenies demands and the O administration moves to solar and wind power as a different form of extortion. It removes $$$ from our wallets with no return value.

>> Sorry for the typos, Firefox auto spell checks but that’s no good without a proof read too.


149 posted on 04/08/2009 9:43:34 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: unkus

Just in case someone hasn’t answered you yet... Fear,Uncertainty, Doubt...

frequently used by Mac owners when reading various software sellers of anti-virus software claiming that something or other is going to infect Macs.

They hope to sell stuff to the gullible, when all these have to do is not download junk from the ‘net, and then type in their password to install the crap.

But, it looks like FUD is spreading to the general public, thanks to a growing lack of trust in the .gov and the mainstream media.


150 posted on 04/08/2009 10:14:49 AM PDT by jacquej
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To: teenyelliott
Last week, Senate Democrats introduced a proposal that would require all critical infrastructure companies to meet new cybersecurity standards and grant the president emergency powers over control of the grid systems and other infrastructure.

That reminds me....is the PATRIOT Act still on the books? I thought that was Exhibit A in the left's indictment against the previous "regime". If the Dem-controlled govt hasn't repealed it yet....why not?

151 posted on 04/08/2009 10:50:25 AM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative (Two blogs for the price of none!)
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To: Momaw Nadon

So are you ready to spend an extra $100,000 or so for this?


152 posted on 04/08/2009 10:57:50 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney
So are you ready to spend an extra $100,000 or so for this?

At this time I don't have the money. Wish me luck in my job search. :)

But if I did have the money to spend on this, then, yes, absolutely. It's definitely worth it.

When dependence on someone else or something else is decreased, freedom is increased.

I think that anybody with the means to live "off the grid" should do so.

153 posted on 04/08/2009 11:14:30 AM PDT by Momaw Nadon ("...with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.")
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To: Momaw Nadon
But if I did have the money to spend on this, then, yes, absolutely. It's definitely worth it.

Sorry, I wouldn't spend my money this way.

And I was out of power after Hurricane Ike for several days.

I do own a small gasoline powered generator. It didn't cost me $100,000.

154 posted on 04/08/2009 11:18:18 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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Ping fer later..


155 posted on 04/08/2009 11:19:20 AM PDT by Vigilantcitizen (Maybe we should elect illegals to congress to cut costs.)
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To: Momaw Nadon

For about $6k I bought a used diesel generator (24 kw) you could probably do smaller.

350 gallons was about $800 back in Nov and will still be good fuel 5 years from now.

Solar and wind is so fickle and costly I haven’t put even $1k into it. You gotta do the numbers.

Also know that your solar panels have to see the sun to generate electric and that also means they must be visible from anyone or anything overflying your land too. No way to hide solar.


156 posted on 04/08/2009 11:22:25 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: Momaw Nadon
Wish me luck in my job search. :)

Sorry, I forgot to include my best wishes on your search.

I was once out of work for 3 months. I know it can be rough. My family has made several sacrifices to avoid it since then; we know how rough it can be.

157 posted on 04/08/2009 11:22:43 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Momaw Nadon

GOOD LUCK, FRiend!


158 posted on 04/08/2009 11:24:22 AM PDT by Travis T. OJustice (I can spell just fine, thanks, it's my typing that sucks.)
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To: George from New England

If I was to build solar I’d do it this way:

10 panels (100 watts $400 ea) - $4k

Controller/charger about $3k

Batteries to allow minimal usage at night, 6 to 12 marine 12v at about $1k

Plenty of electrical/engineering ingenuity: priceless

So maybe $10,000

Good luck.


159 posted on 04/08/2009 11:26:36 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: George from New England

1,000 Watts peak capacity during the summer afternoon.

How much power is this system going tp produce on average?

Maybe 200 watts average? Less through the winter?


160 posted on 04/08/2009 11:29:30 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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