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U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

nytimes.com

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Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#91

Post by jessaustin »

PixyMisa wrote: post #83
Redoubts wrote: post #67

""" Two administration officials said they believed Mr. Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place “implants” — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid. Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might counte…

"We hid this from the president because we were afraid he might issue a perfectly legal and constitutional order to stop doing it." Yes, way to bury the lede.

That damn Constitution! It actually allows a president to stop us from going to war! We never knew, because no president in living memory has dared defy MIC...

(current office-holder is no exception)

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#92

Post by crdoconnor »

meritt wrote: post #76
true_tuna wrote: post #6

Holy crap. This is huge news. Isn’t a cyber attack on critical infrastructure kind of an act of war? I’m not sure how wise this course of action is.

Have you read about the 2016 United States election interference? [1] Or the Russian probing of the US power grid? [2] Russia has been attacking critical infrastructure in the US for years. This is at best an incredibly latent response from a government who in many cases welcomes these attacks. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_20... [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/27/us/politics/russi…

It's difficult to tell what's true and what is made up by the US military as a pretext to keep ratcheting tensions up (and justify their existence):

https://theintercept.com/2016/12/31/russia-hysteria-infects-...

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#93

Post by _8j50 »

pmoriarty wrote: post #8

"For the past year, energy companies in the United States and oil and gas operators across North America discovered their networks had been examined by the same Russian hackers who successfully dismantled the safety systems in 2017 at Petro Rabigh, a Saudi petrochemical plant and oil refinery." Why are these systems even connected to the internet? Decades ago, creating such connections might have been a forgivable ov…

They dont have to be connected to the internet directly, the attackers can move laterally across segmented network boundaries or deliver a USB or backdoored device implant for their initial access.

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#96

Post by vasco »

DevoidSimo wrote: post #49
pmoriarty wrote: post #8

"For the past year, energy companies in the United States and oil and gas operators across North America discovered their networks had been examined by the same Russian hackers who successfully dismantled the safety systems in 2017 at Petro Rabigh, a Saudi petrochemical plant and oil refinery." Why are these systems even connected to the internet? Decades ago, creating such connections might have been a forgivable ov…

I work in the industry. On the electrical distribution side, there are a few things which may need internet connectivity. Getting map tiles for displays; having an externally contracted call center integrate with the outage management; automatic vehicle location (painting crew vehicles on the displays). Adding to the last point, something that is coming to the industry is read only access to the system from a mobile…

I can download a cache of a map on my phone from Google maps but a powerplant needs a constant internet connection for them?

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#97

Post by ShorsHammer »

DevoidSimo wrote: post #49
pmoriarty wrote: post #8

"For the past year, energy companies in the United States and oil and gas operators across North America discovered their networks had been examined by the same Russian hackers who successfully dismantled the safety systems in 2017 at Petro Rabigh, a Saudi petrochemical plant and oil refinery." Why are these systems even connected to the internet? Decades ago, creating such connections might have been a forgivable ov…

I work in the industry. On the electrical distribution side, there are a few things which may need internet connectivity. Getting map tiles for displays; having an externally contracted call center integrate with the outage management; automatic vehicle location (painting crew vehicles on the displays). Adding to the last point, something that is coming to the industry is read only access to the system from a mobile…

Convenience over security is a choice not a necessity.

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#98

Post by ggg2 »

gbuk2013 wrote: post #28

Wonderful. What better way to drive home the message that the Russian government’s strategy of control over internet and Great Firewall makes total sense from the POV of national security.

wonder how much more sales the russian firewall will generate to cisco et al

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#99

Post by billfruit »

I think doing this type of work, causing possible disruption in another countries infrastructure during peace time is ethically problematic. Much more problematic that the ethically dubious things alleged on FB and Google. I hope there is some outcry against doing this type of work.

Re: U.S. Escalates Online Attacks on Russia’s Power Grid

#100

Post by devoply »

billfruit wrote: post #99

I think doing this type of work, causing possible disruption in another countries infrastructure during peace time is ethically problematic. Much more problematic that the ethically dubious things alleged on FB and Google. I hope there is some outcry against doing this type of work.

It's a tit-for-tat response... until some treaty is signed which forbids it and then there is follow through from Russia. US plays hard ball if the other side is not playing fairly. You can hardly blame them.
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