BE AFRAID! The terrorists are going after utilities next!

[Rider Haggard]

I heard it on CNN so it must be true.

Yes, a talking head just told me that the latest advances in utilities management (smart grid tech) will make us subject to terrorist attacks.

I guess I need to go buy the generator that I haven't bought due to the tornado zone I live in and get one to keep the terrorists away.

[monmouth]

1. It really is pathetic isn't it? I'm now checking the TV Guide to find a good

movie. Cannot listen to MSM any longer, ran out of aspirin..

[Rider Haggard]

3. Tell me about it.

I've got netflix online in the living room. And no keyboard. :)

I may do the same shortly.

[Parker CA]

2. Cheney must have leaked his plans to CNN when he was on. n/t.

[PuppyBismark]

4. This is not something to laugh about

Given American companies tendency to save money and go for low bidder, it is no wonder that they did a poor job of security. Someone with a technical background can easily imagine lots of mischief one could get into in the national electrical grid. We have been discussing all the problems with e-voting, well... think about the same sloppy system designs and you have the entire power grid at the mercy of hackers or really bad guys.



:nuke:

[Rider Haggard]

6. Or if, gof forbid, someone with a lot of cash started dicking around in Wall Street.

Just saying.

[angstlessk]

5. does that imply that that hand crank is the best way to go on the grid?

technical advances are doomed to terrorists so better go back to the horse and buggy?

[leftstreet]

7. Oh. Is Enron back in business? n/t

[Canuckistanian]

8. Ridiculous. A Smart Grid is SAFER from terrorism

From the Wiki:

Smart Grid Functions:

Resist attack

Smart grid technologies better identify and respond to man-made or natural disruptions. Real-time information enables grid operators to isolate affected areas and redirect power flows around damaged facilities.

Self-healing

Using real-time information from embedded sensors and automated controls to anticipate, detect, and respond to system problems, a smart grid can automatically avoid or mitigate power outages, power quality problems, and service disruptions.

Decentralization of power generation

Another element of fault tolerance of smart grids is decentralized power generation. Distributed generation allows individual consumers to generate power onsite, using whatever generation method they find appropriate. This allows individual loads to tailor their generation directly to their load, making them independent from grid power failures. Classic grids were designed for one-way flow of electricity, but if a local sub-network generates more power than it is consuming, the reverse flow can raise safety and reliability issues. A smart grid can manage these situations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid

[Rider Haggard]

9. But you and I don't understand that.

Therefore it must be evil. :)

[Odin2005]

10. Ooh, very interesting! Thanks for the link!

[IDemo]

11. It's not terrorists blowing up dams or substations they are talking about

Since the Smart Grid is IP (Internet Protocol) based, it may be susceptible to hacking. Utilities aren't
going to put new technology on the grid without first testing it extensively for such vulnerability, though.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/20/smartgrid.vulnerability/index.html

[Traveling_Home]

12. NEVER - But some wise ass 15 year old nerd will - BE AFRAID! nt

[sarcasmo]

13. Do we need to stock up on duck tape again?

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. And let me guess what their "solution" is

Privatizing all utilities, right?

[Kip Humphrey]

15. You mean with a Smart Grid we will need a terrorist attack to be subject to brownouts & blackouts?

Sounds like an improvement to me.

[MichaelHarris]

16. they've already got them

have you seem my electric bill!

[Hubert Flottz]

17. The aliens have landed on my plate...

They're on everybody's plate...

[L. Coyote]

18. This is your fault, you know.

You are to blame for watching CNN :rofl:

[Igel]

19. It's not a new idea.

Pakistan's frequently affected by power cuts. Just yesterday, I think it was, some pylons supporting a main power line were blown up. The result? A city with rolling blackouts until the line's back up and running. It happens fairly often there.

Then there's the lesson from Baghdad. They had more power generation capacity in Iraq in 2005 than Saddam had in early 2003, however the amount that could be delivered didn't get above Saddam's 2003 numbers (except briefly) until late 2007 or 2008. They kept blowing up the power lines, and once the lines were down scavengers would take the copper. These weren't things that could be "gotten around"--they were the lines leading to the substations, with all the other lines already at maximum carrying capacity, or they'd target the lines close to the power generating facilities.

It's also happened in the NE Caucasus a time or two, usually with bad effect until the long-distance power transmission lines are repaired.

If we do the "smart grid" thing and wind up shipping power from Colorado and West Texas to points east (or much farther west) we'll need transmission lines. It's unlikely that we'd have 200% of the capacity needed. There are currently a limited number of corridors "piping" power from, say, Buffalo NY to points east or from power generating facilities in N. Calif. or Nevada or Utah to the Golden State. Take out two of them serving a given area at once, it would be noticed.

[RandySF]

20. It's really not funny

In the Summer of 2003, a tree branch knocked power out to everyone from NYC to Detroit, Cleveland and Toledo. It demonstrated to everyone, including terrorist, how outdated and vulnerable our public utilities are.