Scary Stuff
- Federal investigators are looking into a report that hackers managed to remotely shut down a utility's water pump in central Illinois last week, in what could be the first known foreign cyber attack on a U.S. industrial system.
The November 8 incident was described in a one-page report from the Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, according to Joe Weiss, a prominent expert on protecting infrastructure from cyber attacks.
The attackers obtained access to the network of a water utility in a rural community west of the state capital Springfield with credentials stolen from a company that makes software used to control industrial systems, according to the account obtained by Weiss. It did not explain the motive of the attackers.
We're sure Chicago officials are rushing to ensure that the region's water facilities are safe, up-to-date and impregnable to attacks of this sort.
Labels: terrorism
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
37 Comments:
"We're sure Chicago officials are rushing to ensure that the region's water facilities are safe, up-to-date and impregnable to attacks of this sort."
Oh, no. They're already perfectly safe - unless there's some federal money to be had.
It was probably a test to set up the water shutdown for major cities. Make sure you have a surplus of bottled water folks, It's no joke.
It's nothing but FEAR MONGERING so they can put more regulations on the web and take more of our rights away. Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet? I mean - think about it. It makes no sense to me and is a bunch of bullshit.
Yeah, God forbid they have sufficient police resources. Tax the citizens even more instead. Then blame the first responders.
It's nothing but FEAR MONGERING so they can put more regulations on the web and take more of our rights away. Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet? I mean - think about it. It makes no sense to me and is a bunch of bullshit.
It's called remote monitoring.
It's nothing but FEAR MONGERING so they can put more regulations on the web and take more of our rights away. Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet? I mean - think about it. It makes no sense to me and is a bunch of bullshit.
11/19/2011 02:37:00 AM
Really??
Pretty much everything has been running on computers for decades now.
What, do you think some guy is out there turning the valves manually?
Sounds like a reason for the "little weasel" to raise the price of water because of all the (alleged) security implemented to stop this sort of thing.
I have an idea... send them all home and shut down the borders. We have double the oil in the Dakotas. Rumors of oil going as low as 16 dollars a barall. Job market is very good northwest.
2:37 is correct. False Flag attack to destroy more of our freedoms engineered by the Emanuel Mob.
Russians and Chinese could have tested to see if they could do it secretly without actually shutting the thing down.
Hackers also took over the plumbing in 011. Today I sat down to make a "dispersal" in 011 and all I got was a a few drips of water.
Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet? I mean -think about it. It makes no sense to me and is a bunch of bullshit.
What you must realize is that most of our essential systems-water, oil refineries, nuclear facilities, electrical grids, etc. are connected to the internet and run via software, which gives mult-functional capability.
What this post did not illumitnate was that the hackers were Russian. Why not, hmmmm.......
It's nothing but FEAR MONGERING so they can put more regulations on the web and take more of our rights away. Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet? I mean - think about it. It makes no sense to me and is a bunch of bullshit.
11/19/2011 02:37:00 AM
Take off the tin foil hat and pay attention to the news once in a while.
RE: "Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet?"
All utilities now use internet based monitoring utilities for a variety of reasons. Water companies, gas and oil pipelines, and other companies who transport liquids use the internet to monitor the pumping and transport of their product and make certain pumping pressures are correct, there is no sudden drop in pressure [very likely indicating a burst pipe], the utilities are functioning properly and, where required, chemical treatments are properly applied - IE: chlorine and fluoride, etc.
Whether we realize it or not, computers are everywhere, from the cars and trucks we drive [where they adjust the fuel mixture, monitor the engine sensors, provide us with turn-by-turn directions, and even adjust our radios, provide us with real-time traffic updates on our GPS systems, and control the temperature of the vehicle].
As this now inevitable penetration of computers takes place it important that the security be kept up to date. In the stations and squads, this means using your OWN password and ALWAYS logging off the device - even if you walk away for just a second.
Every thing you do is logged and, if you leave yourself logged into a computer, someone else can use your account and everything they do looks like you did it - whether they send an e-mail or access the other systems available - your login is responsible and those logs are PERMANENT. They cannot be modified and, in many court cases, even become evidence.
Your password should never contain anything which can be tracked back to you. I frequently find users who use birthdays, wedding anniversaries, kids names, pet names, etc. Passwords should never be DATES, NAMES, or a word found in the dictionary and should contain upper & lower case, numbers and special characters. They should be at least 8 characters long, 12 is better.
Because of computer control being everywhere, computer security is now a top priority and requires the help of everyone who uses a computer to enforce it.
Remember the example of the chain: The weakest link determines the overall strength of the chain.
Every normal citizen should have at least 10 gallons of drinking water and a good "brita" type unit. Also a plastic container of canned goods. Not for some long term conspiracy nut type theory but for a credible possible temporary shut down of something like the water system, or some other event that might cause a hiccup in the supply chain. Even just a several day shut down would cause chaos.
Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet?
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I'll tell you why.
In the 1980's, we started to become aware of freakish new technologies that were developing around us and how they could be used to manage our daily lives. Computing power, processing speed, the transfer and management of information...
During this time, there was an all-out rush to network everything. "Integrate, Automate, Optimize" was a common industrial and civic refrain from the this time. A job that once took 17 men to accomplish with a 60% efficiency rate could be reduced to one man at a computer terminal with 100% efficiency.
But, as it always goes, there was a price to pay that we didn't see coming. Kinda like when they sprayed the bugs with DDT and all the predatory birds started dying off because of an unanticipated contamination of the food cycle.
The price was that we created a pipeline that allowed the big, nasty world into our lives. The nasty hackers, shutting down water. The nasty government who can now surveil the citizens, en-masse, with as much ease as it takes to turn on a lamp.
As Eric Schmidt of Google once said, the internet is the first thing mankind has created that mankind doesn't fully understand. This is true. Every time you log on, you're becoming a part of something you don't understand.
It's nothing but FEAR MONGERING so they can put more regulations on the web and take more of our rights away. Why would a water pump utility be connected to the internet? I mean - think about it. It makes no sense to me and is a bunch of bullshit.
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No, It was Russians... Check the news, it was legit. I won't comment on the rest of your rant
Initial reports strongly suggest that the hacking originated in Russia. Apparently it was traced back there by Homeland Security agencies, which indicates the new "wars" will be fought in cyberspace. No information on how the United States will respond.
The Chicago filtration plant has political flunkies working the security. Wouldn't be hard to screw that place up.
Not the first time an attack on Chicago area water utilities was tried. Back when I was at Ft. Sheridan, a handful of teens were caught plotting an attack on our water treatment plant on base as well as Chicago's and were well along in prepping for spraying botulism on meat at supermarkets. This was in around 72. They came really close to doing it. They even got an official tour of the base treatment plant!
Hmmm? Wonder if the samething can be done to tra$$ic cameras?
Just wondering.
I'll just walk over to Lake Michigan, fill up my 5 gal buckets with water, take it home and boil it safe.
It was probably a 12yr old that didn't want to take a bath.
"We're sure Chicago officials are rushing to ensure that the region's water facilities are safe, up-to-date and impregnable to attacks of this sort."
As long as they stay under the speed limit.....those speed cams don't give breaks........
hahahahahahaha
The gov is trying to censor the web and put limits on what can be viewed and said on it......check out Google for info
Didn't one of the arrested occupied goofs give warning that the whole occupied thing is nothing, and wait and see as something bigger ton come. Wouldnt doubt if this is what is reference to.
FUNNY STUFF!
Wait until this dept. gets hacked!
As it is, we have a bunch of "C grade computer programmers" as it is because the good ones left for higher paying jobs!
Why work for Shitcago when you have to take furlough days, and pay cuts from this crappy city that screws over their employees! Which is the norm nowadays!
Cyber crimes is something that we will all have to face, now and in the future. The federal govt and it departmens and branches are the subject of hundreds of cyber attacks each week from around th world. For the person who thinks a cyber attack on any govt facility and especially our water supply is all bull shit, I suggest you read more. How long would your family last if the water supply was interrupted? Water supplies have been the target in the past.
I believe he also said the moon was made of cheese. Oh the horror!
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Didn't one of the arrested occupied goofs give warning that the whole occupied thing is nothing, and wait and see as something bigger ton come. Wouldnt doubt if this is what is reference to.
Keep some bottled water, canned food, warm clothes and a shortwave radio with lots of batteries. And a gun with lots of bullets.
That is my emergency kit.
I remember having to duck under our desks in the 1950s in grammar school. Just in case the Russians bombed us.
Chicago's water system is not connected to the internet.
"Hmmm? Wonder if the samething can be done to tra$$ic cameras?"
They ARE on-line and each has an ip address...anyone up for the challenge?
UPDATE: Here's a link to a pretty good update on the hacking of the Springfield area water plant - by a UK newspaper, The Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063444/Cyber-attack-US-water-supply-traced-Russia-FBI-Homeland-Security-launch-probe.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
The perpetrators hacked a security company's database to get access to the usernames and passwords used for all areas of the equipment at this facility.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have summarized that this was a phishing expedition to "see if it could be done," and are assessing the risks at other facilities throughout the US.
I remember having to duck under our desks in the 1950s in grammar school. Just in case the Russians bombed us.
11/19/2011 09:10:00 PM
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I used to get clucked at all the time, because I told the teacher a desk wouldn't save us from fallout if we were bombed. In third grade, I understood the concept, even though she apparently didn't.
I have a better idea for the traffic camera. A ski mask and a can of black spray paint. Case closed.
1985's "Invasion USA" from thre starring Chuck Norris doesn't seem so far fetched these days.
Most of these systems are, in fact, connected to the Internet (either by way of proxy or by "secure tunnels" to remote vendors). The reason is that the software upgrades and maintenance access by vendor staff needs to happen over those links, instead of paying for on-site personnel at $250/hour. SCADA systems have been under scrutiny for quite some time, and usually the security built around them is weak, if it exists at all.
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