FRONTLINE- CYBERWAR (POWER OUTAGES)

PBS - FRONTLINE ^ | APRIL 23, 2003 | PBS - FRONTLINE

[Terriergal]

How vulnerable is the United States to attack from cyberspace? How imminent is the threat? Many experts believe the clock is already ticking, and that America is already fighting a Cyberwar...

You can download and watch the whole show here.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cyberwar/

Just click on "Watch the full program" at the top left.

[Terriergal]

sounds like this power outage was foretold... yet why aren't we hearing more about this? Especially with regard to Microsoft's crappy security record. People should be in an uproar about that and leaving MS en masse... IMO.

My apologies if this was already posted. I did a search and didn't find it.

[John Jorsett]

I don't recall where I read it, but one article I saw said that there's only been one recorded incident in which a hacker did actual damage to the physical world, and that was the release of contaminated water from a sewage treatment plant into the local water system in Australia in 2001.

[Terriergal]

I find it terribly hard to believe that there's only ONE incident...ya know?

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Here is some additional info from Thursday.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/964366/posts




(Please ignore this link).
http://www.gabriellereillyweekly.com/full/statedepartment.html

[Gabrielle Reilly]

The Australian info link at post 4.

[Terriergal]

thanks for the link!

[gunnedah]

I am beginning to become more affraid of our congress than I am of the terrorist.

[Gabrielle Reilly]

http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,83841,00.html

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Terrorist's will use the Constitution and partisan politics in their war efforts.

[WestPacSailor]

The real threat from cyber attacks! Beware of the Penguins

[cake_crumb]

I'm still thinking the source of the recent blackout can be found much closer to home - both ohysically and virtually - than Asia.

The part about Microsoft really hit home with me, because I've been convinced for years that the government should NEVER use Windows server software. Microsofts smug assurance last April that they're aggressively plugging security holes rings kinda hollow after this latest worm, doesn't it?

As for Clark, cyber security of our infrastructure DOES fall inder the pervue of Homeland Security, and I seriously question his reasons for leaving. At least THIS administration REACTED to the warnings, unlike the last one. Unfortunately, if everyone's going to drag their bureaucratic emotional baggage along with them whenever an atrocity forces a total system reshuffle of the government in an attempt to redefine and strengthen our defensive systems - like Clark apparently did - the government is gonna have to continue to rely on volunteers and paid "consultants".

[jacquej]

Thanks for your link. I did some mousing around on the articles and found this, which I thought was very interesting... it is an interview with a "hacker" expert, written last April, and is chilling.

After reading it, I am convinced that we were under attack by terrorist hackers. Remember that worm hitting all the Microsoft puters just before the black-out?

Read this link, and think very carefully about the denials coming from "officials". I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume they are clueless.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cyberwar/interviews/hacker.html

[spald]

"...People should be in an uproar about that and leaving MS en masse..."

Bill Gates recently sold over a million shares of MS at approx 26/share.

[MacDorcha]

Tron?

[Terriergal]

They're not leaving fast enough, but it's a start...

[Terriergal]

heh heh!

[Poohbah]

The power outage was entirely predictable.

Demand has grown massively. Generating capacity has not kept up with the demand. Even a slight loss of capacity means a lot of folks will get blacked out.

Newsflash: If you run something flat-out long enough, you're going to break it.