Geez! Who could have guessed this was possible? If its hooked to the “www”, it’s hackable. From power grids to voting machines to credit cards to bank accounts to medical records to military info to vacation plans. 😱😯😰💸
Power grids (that is, utility operational networks) are not normally connected to the internet. They are supposed to be isolated and accessed through various hands off methods. That is, if the IT organizations involved are doing their jobs properly and according to US security standards. There are several industry and Federal authorities that inspect and certify these things.
That said, there are ways to insert an exploit into such isolated networks. One was the famous Stuxnet attack that was introduced into the Iranian Uranium enrichment system, that subverted Siemens PLC’s (Programmable Logic Controllers). There are lots of PLC’s in utility systems.
There has been a lot of work put into preventing Stuxnet type attacks.
That said, these things are likely to be a one-shot, immediate effect weapons, as the lack of access to the isolated network makes the on-demand insertion of an attack trigger unlikely.
#10. Good points. Now you know why I have no links to anything financial on my computer eventhough my bank, mortgage company, etc. keep asking me to do that. Even refuse to do ZOOM for civic/religious organizations because in the DC area, many present and former law enforcement and intelligence people MIGHT have stupidly put their names on such contact lists. I assume, out of caution, that the Russians, Red Chinese, Iranians, No. Koreans and Cubans, would be hacking those lists for their own intelligence purposes.
Call me paranoid but with the number of scam artist calls I’ve gotten in the past 6 months (almost all logged in on a handwritten chart), I could start my own international “Scams R Us” company.
X-Files” “Trust No One”.
My saying: “A little paranoia goes a long way to keeping you sane and safe” as in know your surroundings, esp. in your neighborhood, banking areas, 7-11 stores and where bad crowds congregate. Keep you car doors locked when you drive. Got than in my Police Science courses.
The same in Nam (as a civilian journalist). You don’t wonder around strange areas by yourself.
Just thinking out loud but based on 50 years as a journalist, former undercover operative, and private-type investigator, I’ve learned a few tricks from the older guys, and when they speak, I listen.