Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Cyber Probes to be Part of All Future Navy Mishap Investigations After USS John S. McCain Collision
USNI NEWS ^ | September 14, 2017 | By: Sam LaGrone

Posted on 09/14/2017 6:53:41 PM PDT by oxcart

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Probing potential cyber tampering and cyber intrusion will now be a standard part of U.S. Navy accident investigation following the Aug. 21 collision of guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) with a chemical tanker, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran told Congress last week.

As part of the investigation into McCain’s collision, a team from the Navy’s U.S. 10th Fleet cyber arm traveled to Singapore to see if a reported steering failure of the destroyer was a result of cyber tampering, USNI News reported last month.

Vice Adm. Jan Tighe elaborated on the effort during a U.S. Naval Institute and CSIS maritime security dialogue on Thursday.

“We will look for a couple of things. One, try to confirm cyber did not have anything to do with the collision and then how do we move forward in making sure these are a normal part of these investigations,” she said. “It is something that we think about a lot and we have to have both the authorities and the human capital ready to respond.”

(Excerpt) Read more at news.usni.org ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cyber; mccain; navy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last
To: tjd1454

Lookouts at night were reduced from 3 ( forward port,starboard) to one at the bridge to reduce manpower requirements. The Navy has a problem. You can get too lean.
Still the Captain is supposed to think. If you are in some of the busiest waters in the world, post an extra lookout or two. And maybe have your best OOD and Engineer on duty until you clear the waterway. Or better yet time your transit for daylight hours so you can see the moving islands.


21 posted on 09/14/2017 10:13:14 PM PDT by Waverunner (I'd like to welcome our new overlords, say hello to my little friend)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: blueplum
Tanker came blasting out of the harbor, crossing traffic lanes -- other ships dodging every which way... Dredge (in [W] shipping lane) comes almost to full stop, and tanker -- at speed -- rams starboard side, capsizing dredger. Tanker proceeds beyond to opposite (E) shipping lane, turns port 90 deg into shipping lane and takes off -- like a bat outta hades... Five dredger crewmen missing.

AIS plot video animation at https://youtu.be/XzMuY7Xj6SQ...

22 posted on 09/15/2017 2:04:56 AM PDT by TXnMA (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! REPEAT San Jacinto!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: oxcart

“Probing potential cyber tampering and cyber intrusion will now be a standard part of U.S. Navy accident investigation ...”

Assuming that there is time between social justice, alternate lifestyle, alternate sex, and sensitivity training, and assuming there is money remaining in the Navy budget to do actual military training ...


23 posted on 09/15/2017 3:19:25 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cva66snipe

Thanks, CVA66snipe, that was the kind of input I was hoping for...thanks for educating the rest of us on that. I knew that there were alternate mechanisms for steering (as in battle damage) that were played out in training scenarios, but had no idea how that was implemented in a modern Navy, that is, did they practice once a year, a month...a week...no idea of any kind on my part.

Well, I am harsh on the Navy. I am even harsher on the civilian control of the Navy, from which they take their marching orders.

I am sympathetic that they have been given less equipment and funding than needed to do the job, but I fault the Navy for not standing up to be counted, and just going ahead with cutting back on training, etc.

And no matter how I try to be sympathetic, I cannot find it in me to excuse what has to be sub-standard watch standing, and that does boil down to training.

What a mess.


24 posted on 09/15/2017 4:31:46 AM PDT by rlmorel (If all you have is a Hammer and Sickle, everything looks like a fascist. *HT to Freeper GCFADG!*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: oxcart

Look squirrel!


25 posted on 09/15/2017 4:33:03 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Not my circus. Not my monkeys.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
I think it is foolish.

I don't.

I think that the potential exists and they must investigate that aspect, and include it in all future investigations.

It doesn't mean that is what occurred in the McCain incident, but it means they know it IS possible.

26 posted on 09/15/2017 6:41:16 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: UCANSEE2
A lot of things are possible. Given the forensics that can be done with enough time and knowledge, that would be an act of war if discovered. And knowledgeable people can discover it. I fail to see how a potential belligerent would take that chance.

It is one thing to hack into computers, we do it, they do it.

To plant something in software to cause an accident (even if one thinks there can be monitoring and full knowledge of ship movements, etc to make the casualty occur in the correct proximity of another vessel and cause an accident) is a fantasy, especially in light of it causing actual fatalities.

And furthermore, to think a potential adversary would do this to actually cause an accident in a busy sea lane with the express purpose of causing an accident, rather than doing it on the open ocean just to see if it works (in order to avoid a full-blown investigation which would uncover a vulnerability, sure to happen in the event of fatalities) doesn't make sense in any way. If a muslim group did it, they would claim credit. If the Chinese, North Koreans, or Russians did it, why would they do it to cause a collision, create a full investigation and forensic evaluation of equipment and logs, and lose a potential vulnerability to exploit in the event of a real shooting war.

It doesn't add up.

In addition, look at the statement by the US Navy: "...“We will look for a couple of things. One, try to confirm cyber did not have anything to do with the collision and then how do we move forward in making sure these are a normal part of these investigations,” she said. “It is something that we think about a lot and we have to have both the authorities and the human capital ready to respond...”

That is total, complete, and absolute ass-covering to show the entire world watching, that they are investigating this fully, and will work this into their standard investigative processes going forward.

I do root cause analysis, and have to present to people on failures. And what they want to hear is: what happened, why did it happen in this case, and what is your process going to be for preventing this from happening in the future?

That's is all this is. But the conspiracy theorists out there are grabbing onto this tidbit of news as if it were a life preserver being thrown to a drowning person, which is what they are.

The US Navy didn't need to issue a public proclamation to ensure they included this in their future evaluations. This is just, as I said, kabuki theater.

27 posted on 09/15/2017 8:37:15 AM PDT by rlmorel (If all you have is a Hammer and Sickle, everything looks like a fascist. *HT to Freeper GCFADG!*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: UCANSEE2

And by the way, if my response seems intemperate, it is not directed at you. Ass covering for the sake of ass covering makes me angry, and reading this just smelled like that to me.

I despise and detest it.


28 posted on 09/15/2017 8:40:37 AM PDT by rlmorel (If all you have is a Hammer and Sickle, everything looks like a fascist. *HT to Freeper GCFADG!*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
That is total, complete, and absolute ass-covering to show the entire world watching, that they are investigating this fully, and will work this into their standard investigative processes going forward.

I believe that is EXACTLY what they MUST do.

29 posted on 09/15/2017 2:48:31 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

USS Rino


30 posted on 09/15/2017 3:39:11 PM PDT by JPJones (Who is FOR tariffs? George Washington, Ronald Reagan and Me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: cva66snipe

“Steering Gear Machinery Room Watch manned by a Machinist Mate”


What if the Machinist Mate is disgruntled? Can that person override the bridge? What if the Machinist Mate is checking the AIS of other ships on their smartphone and deliberately turns the destroyer into the path of the tanker?


31 posted on 09/15/2017 4:05:50 PM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: UCANSEE2

Well, you and I are certainly in complete agreement on that.


32 posted on 09/15/2017 5:11:41 PM PDT by rlmorel (If all you have is a Hammer and Sickle, everything looks like a fascist. *HT to Freeper GCFADG!*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Presbyterian Reporter
What if the Machinist Mate is disgruntled? Can that person override the bridge? What if the Machinist Mate is checking the AIS of other ships on their smartphone and deliberately turns the destroyer into the path of the tanker?

The Bridge would know immediately if headings were off and could order "All Stop" to the Engine Rooms.The Engineering Officer Of The Watch if there was suspected improper watch dispatch a senior NCO to check. Oh and many critical spaces now also have video cameras going. The Watch is Watched. As for the Smart Phone? The Steering Gear Rooms are below water line IIRC.

Ships can loose steering from such common issues as a generator tripping offline causing loss of power and the time it takes to get the emergency generator up and the electrical switchboards involved transferred.

33 posted on 09/15/2017 9:28:38 PM PDT by cva66snipe ((Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: cva66snipe

Thanks.


34 posted on 09/16/2017 6:37:54 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-34 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson