Hackers Can Now Cause Blackouts On America's Electrical Grid, Report

(Zerohedge.com)-It was inevitable that someday, hackers would have the ability to exert control over the U.S. electrical grid. According to the computer security firm Symantec, someday is today.

Hacking attacks over the last several months that targeted U.S. energy companies have been able to gain "operational control" over systems, thus threatening blackouts across the U.S., says Symantec.

The hacker group known as DragonFly 2.0 was able to gain control in at least 20 places, according to the firm.

Symantec on Wednesday revealed a new campaign of attacks by a group it is calling Dragonfly 2.0, which it says targeted dozens of energy companies in the spring and summer of this year. In more than 20 cases, Symantec says the hackers successfully gained access to the target companies' networks. And at a handful of US power firms and at least one company in Turkey – none of which Symantec will name – their forensic analysis found that the hackers obtained what they call operational access: control of the interfaces power company engineers use to send actual commands to equipment like circuit breakers, giving them the ability to stop the flow of electricity into US homes and businesses.

www.zerohedge.com...

So much for the "smart meters" power companies laud as the best thing since sliced bread.
Then they outsource their IT work to India.
They brought it on themselves . What a box o' rocks...without the rocks.

The power grid wouldnt be online.

Even the old small business I worked for had its own intranet.

Any 'black outs' are home grown.
How nice of the media to provide a lovely little excuse for when it happens.

Hackers need electricity - it is their gold after all....

It's gonna suck if main anonymous members can't hack back.

I guess it's possible, but that just means that the ppl in charge of the system are either complicit or incompetent.

It's likely all bullsh#t scare tactics and yet another reason for the electric companies to raise their rates again - 'protection' against the hackers. Charging extra fees for some type of "gate-keeper" program.

I'm not saying it can't happen but they've known about the possibility of this for quite some time. At what point are these companies guilty of not mitigating the situation?

I was watching a movie the other night about a continental black-out. I turned it off because it became only about criminals trying to kill, rape, and steal from others.

In other words, it was too scary to watch. May it never happen.

originally posted by: Mach2
I guess it's possible, but that just means that the ppl in charge of the system are either complicit or incompetent.

Absolutely.

i would hope and love for this to happen, show people what the sky actually looks like. ideallic but what's without hope.

Doubtful, I expect like most of these claims they can get to some public facing part of the internet, but not all the way through to controlling the flow of power.

originally posted by: angeldoll
I was watching a movie the other night about a continental black-out. I turned it off because it became only about criminals trying to kill, rape, and steal from others.

In other words, it was too scary to watch. May it never happen.

Unfortunately yes...but a reality you may have to face. I'd get used to the idea. Not a matter of IF but WHEN.

a reply to: Gothmog

Good, maybe next they can hack into something more real and effective.