Cyber Security EPISODE 02: Physical Harms Caused by Digital attacks.

Are the Electrical Power Grids Next ?

Today the realm of modern day leisure mostly rely on the hands of sophisticate yet vulnerable Industry Automation Controllers. They range from RTUs,PLD, PLC , Controllers , IO devices and so on . As for the sake of maintaince industry machinery goes online, the risk of possible hazard increased twofold.It is said any thing with a microchip can be a potential target. Let us see in the realm of known physical damages caused digital attacks;

Starting back from the start of 21st century , in April 2000;in Australia Queens Land, an insider struck . Former employee of water treatment firm by using stolen radio parts , issue the faulty commands to sewage equipment . This resulted in more than 200,000 gallons of raw sewage to spill into local parks and rivers.

Coming a little forward in 2003 January . The slammer worm penetrated through the multiple firewalls  to infect Ohio's Davis-Besse nuclear power plant operations center. The cause of spread of worm is from the contractor's computer into the business network. The worm then make its way through the computers controlling the plant operations . Well it had crashed multiple "safety systems" and the plant was off-line during that time. 

Now here goes the uncle sam , you know all evil they start to do at home and later "leak" to CNN. In 2007, march Government of United States of America , "all hale cant you see..." . Well they have simulated , what did i say , yes people "they Simulated" a cyber attack on electricity generation equipment at Idaho National Labs , on National labs, wow. A video of this "simulated cyber attack" called as "Aurora" is later "leaked" to CNN. Well you know they always got the tapes before it happens,like 9/11 , yes people because they go beyond borders. @#$$*
Cyberpower and National Security (National Defense University)

Any way our journey continues and here they Jumped in , MEN in BLACK. A senior CIA official "revealed" in January 2008, that hackershave "frequently" infiltrated electric utilities outside U.S and made extortion demands. And in one case the "hackers"  were able to shutoff the power supply to "several" cities. The cities names are not revealed.

Now its time for economy . The Wall street journal reported in 2009,April , cyber hackers from china and Russia and other countries have penetrated the U.S electrical power grid and left behind software that can be used to bring down the system.

Well in October 2010 security officals in Iran , Indonesia and else where reported that Stuxnet was found which is specifically disrupting Siemens PLC's.

Cyber Security EPISODE 01 : STUXNET, Are the Electrical Power Grids Next ?

The fear of Stuxnet has no doubt created an immediate urgency to look upon the cyber security measures adopted by the Government, Public and private sectors.  It is a very fact that every facet of the modern electrical grid is controlled by the computers. Our major physical infrastructure is interlinked with electronics to achieve automation. Stuxnet virus that was designed to target specifically Iran's nuclear program by its envies , showed that ho dangerous the game could get by the well crafted electronic virus. Power Grids shares many vulnerabilities that Stuxnet exposed.

 Symantac Stuxnet Chart

A sophisticated attacks could bring down a large chunk of US electrical grid. In these series of posts , the effects of  SCADA attacks and possible ramifications will be discussed so stay tune , click Follow Button on right  to read the coming episodes.