http://www.physorg.com/news3086.html
ACORN is the software used to manage power allocation from power sources throughout the United States to cities, homes and other power plants. To my understanding it is very easy to hack and thus poses a real threat to civilian life. If a malicious programmer was able to cripple power supply in major areas of this country it could cause some serious damage. Any thoughts on this? Is it really so easy to tamper with this system?
*Ahem* Please omit that link. My mistake.
My own hope is that no nuclear plant is so stupidly managed as to permit any control system to be reached from the internet. That would prevent any online hacking, of course.
Internal hacking by trusted employees would be another matter, of course, but there are so many more severe concern than any hacking if such personnel are employed.
This conviction has convinced me of the complete fantasy of the current plot line in the TV show "24" where a stolen device has supposedly been used to remotely put six nuclear plants into the prompt critical melt-down condition.
If anyone knows enough about the nuclear industry to be otherwise informed, please inform me so I can go into the proper panic mode.
TIA.
Internal hacking by trusted employees would be another matter, of course, but there are so many more severe concern than any hacking if such personnel are employed.
This conviction has convinced me of the complete fantasy of the current plot line in the TV show "24" where a stolen device has supposedly been used to remotely put six nuclear plants into the prompt critical melt-down condition.
If anyone knows enough about the nuclear industry to be otherwise informed, please inform me so I can go into the proper panic mode.
TIA.
The software I'm referring to is used to control the voltages that are sent to other power plants that are within the United States. There are, of course, many fail safe systems in place especially in nuclear power plants that will prevent such a spike in voltages from inducing a catastrophic meltdown. However, there are plants that manage and redistribute power to cities that can be damaged by harmful voltages coming in through powerlines. This can cause a major disruption in civilian life and has the potential to damage the U.S.
"Nov. 9, 1965 at rush hour: Toronto and New York are plunged into darkness as a blackout strikes Ontario and the eastern United States. The result: traffic chaos, airport turmoil and tales of kindness and courtesy as 30 million people react to the largest power failure in history."
This was caused by harmful voltages running through power switch stations and ACORN can be used in a malicious manner to disable fail safe systems and send harmful voltages through the power grid.
The main problem I have with ACORN is that it appears to manage power in a whole by controlling both voltages sent and fail safe systems. This, of course, is very insecure.
"Nov. 9, 1965 at rush hour: Toronto and New York are plunged into darkness as a blackout strikes Ontario and the eastern United States. The result: traffic chaos, airport turmoil and tales of kindness and courtesy as 30 million people react to the largest power failure in history."
This was caused by harmful voltages running through power switch stations and ACORN can be used in a malicious manner to disable fail safe systems and send harmful voltages through the power grid.
The main problem I have with ACORN is that it appears to manage power in a whole by controlling both voltages sent and fail safe systems. This, of course, is very insecure.
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