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Let's not go into a cyber panic
The video showing the exploding generator has been making the rounds. If you don't know the story, you can see it online.
Apparently this was an experiment done by people at Idaho National Labs strictly as an internal exercise and it was not intended for prime time. This was supposed to illustrate what a hacker can do by invading a particular type of control system through a vulnerability they discovered.
I'm not sure what to believe about the technical issues, because the AP story describes it as a turbine, but it looks a lot more to us like a Diesel generator. If you watch the long version of the video, (click here and scroll down to see the video box) the skid jumps a couple times and white smoke begins to pour out. We can't tell if the hacker did something to the engine or the generator. White smoke pours out of what looks like the crankshaft seal and black smoke out of the exhaust. A blown valve? We'll have to see if INL decides to explain more of the details.
The result of this could ultimately be good if it increases awareness of the need for cyber security. The result could also be bad if it prompts a knee-jerk reaction that causes lawmakers to do something stupid just to give the indication that they're doing something.
If you sit quietly, you can hear the sound of hands wringing. Let's hope we haven't given hackers who were getting bored trying to steal credit card numbers a new idea of something to strive for.
Let's not go into a cyber panic
September 28, 2007
The video showing the exploding generator has been making the rounds. If you don't know the story, you can see it online.Apparently this was an experiment done by people at Idaho National Labs strictly as an internal exercise and it was not intended for prime time. This was supposed to illustrate what a hacker can do by invading a particular type of control system through a vulnerability they discovered.
I'm not sure what to believe about the technical issues, because the AP story describes it as a turbine, but it looks a lot more to us like a Diesel generator. If you watch the long version of the video, (click here and scroll down to see the video box) the skid jumps a couple times and white smoke begins to pour out. We can't tell if the hacker did something to the engine or the generator. White smoke pours out of what looks like the crankshaft seal and black smoke out of the exhaust. A blown valve? We'll have to see if INL decides to explain more of the details.
The result of this could ultimately be good if it increases awareness of the need for cyber security. The result could also be bad if it prompts a knee-jerk reaction that causes lawmakers to do something stupid just to give the indication that they're doing something.
If you sit quietly, you can hear the sound of hands wringing. Let's hope we haven't given hackers who were getting bored trying to steal credit card numbers a new idea of something to strive for.
Posted by Peter Welander on September 28, 2007 | Comments (0)
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