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  • Power Grid

    Sitting here watching http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6568387.shtml with the wife. It seems as everything is attacking the grid. Weather, Terrorist, Criminals, Foreign Countries, The Sun, EMP Weapons.

    "Can you imagine your life without electric power?" Retired Admiral Mike McConnell asked correspondent Steve Kroft.

    Until February 2009, McConnell was the nation's top spy. As chief of national intelligence, he oversaw the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Few people know as much about cyber warfare, and our dependency on the power grid, and the computer networks that deliver our oil and gas, pump and purify our water, keep track of our money, and operate our transportation systems.

    "If I were an attacker and I wanted to do strategic damage to the United States, I would either take the cold of winter or the heat of summer, I probably would sack electric power on the U.S. East Cost, maybe the West Coast, and attempt to cause a cascading effect. All of those things are in the art of the possible from a sophisticated attacker," McConnell explained.

    "Do you believe our adversaries have the capability of bringing down a power grid?" Kroft asked.

    "I do," McConnell replied.

    Asked if the U.S. is prepared for such an attack, McConnell told Kroft, "No. The United States is not prepared for such an attack."

    "It is now clear this cyber threat is one [of] the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation," President Obama said during a speech.

    Four months after taking office, Obama made those concerns part of our national defense policy, declaring the country's digital infrastructure a strategic asset, and confirming that cyber warfare had moved beyond theory.

    "We know that cyber intruders have probed our electrical grid, and that in other countries cyber attacks have plunged entire cities into darkness," the president said.

    President Obama didn't say which country had been plunged into darkness, but a half a dozen sources in the military, intelligence, and private security communities have told us the president was referring to Brazil.

    Several prominent intelligence sources confirmed that there were a series of cyber attacks in Brazil: one north of Rio de Janeiro in January 2005 that affected three cities and tens of thousands of people, and another, much larger event beginning on Sept. 26, 2007.

    That one, in the state of Espirito Santo, affected more than three million people in dozens of cities over a two-day period, causing major disruptions. In Vitoria, the world's largest iron ore producer had seven plants knocked offline, costing the company $7 million. It is not clear who did it or what the motive was.

    But the people who do these sorts of things are no longer teenagers making mischief. They're now likely to be highly trained soldiers with the Chinese army or part of an organized crime group in Russia, Europe or the Americas.

    "They can disrupt critical infrastructure, wipe databases. We know they can rob banks. So, it's a much bigger and more serious threat," explained Jim Lewis, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

    Lewis led a group that prepared a major report on cyber security for President Obama.

    "What was it that made the government begin to take this seriously?" Kroft asked.

    "In 2007 we probably had our electronic Pearl Harbor. It was an espionage Pearl Harbor," Lewis said. "Some unknown foreign power, and honestly, we don't know who it is, broke into the Department of Defense, to the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, probably the Department of Energy, probably NASA. They broke into all of the high tech agencies, all of the military agencies, and downloaded terabytes of information."

    How much is a terabyte?

    "The Library of Congress, which has millions of volumes, is about 12 terabytes. So, we probably lost the equivalent of a Library of Congress worth of government information in 2007," Lewis explained.

    "All stolen by foreign countries?" Kroft asked.

    "Yeah. This was a serious attack. And that's really what made people wake up and say, 'Hey, we've got to get a grip on this,'" Lewis said.



    Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...#ixzz1PxmimjaJ


    Then they show the takeover of a powerplant test where it caused the generator to destroy itself.

    It was 103+ here last week. There would be a huge life loss of the sick, elderly and ones who work to hard and heat stroke out if this was to happen. Dunno it just made me think even more.
    Knowledge is Power, Practiced Knowledge is Strength, Tested Knowledge is Confidence

  • #2
    Just reading the text makes me uncomfortable.

    Sheeple just don't understand what it would be like if the power went out for a while...like 4-10 years! I was speaking with a young lady the other day about an EMP and she thought it would only disrupt her life for a day or two "until the government got all the switches back on". I then told her it could be years before the system could be back up and running completely. I then asked her how she would get gas, flush the toilet and get water (had to explain that one as she didn't see the water company needs electricity to run the pumps), pay for groceries oh wait, the grocery store will be closed due to no electricity to run the lights, oh heck it will be empty as the looters will have made it in as the security system will not be working...let's just say it opened her eyes a little bit. I'm not sure how far it opened the eyes though, but we will see. Lets hope Adm McConnell is wrong (doubt that though).

    Thanks for the post
    Protecting the sheep from the wolves that want them, their family, their money and full control of our Country!

    Guns and gear are cool, but bandages stop the bleeding!

    ATTENTION: No trees or animals were harmed in any way in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were really ticked off!

    NO 10-289!

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    • #3
      Just think about the cascade effect that happened in the north east a few years back. it doesn't take much, and i still haven't heard the real reason that happened.

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      • #4
        Wow, just watched the video. Probably should not have done that before bed, LOL.

        Thanks for the post Matt
        Protecting the sheep from the wolves that want them, their family, their money and full control of our Country!

        Guns and gear are cool, but bandages stop the bleeding!

        ATTENTION: No trees or animals were harmed in any way in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were really ticked off!

        NO 10-289!

        Comment


        • #5
          Yikes. Time to think long and hard about getting solar panels on my roof. Too bad it's only sunny half the year here in Michigan.
          In God we trust, everyone else bring data.

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          • #6
            What is really the issue is that our government has known about the dangers for years, long before this CBS piece was made. Yet, nothing has really been done. Just last week foreign powers hacked into Lockheed Martin Aerospace. My husband retired from Lockheed and I know that there are areas called black holes, where nothing goes in and nothing goes out. They have very very high level security, yet they were hacked. That's scary.

            People need to be very concerned about this. In fact is, Lockheed and other companies like it, have developed all our missile and defense technology. i.e. the enemy may have the secret of what makes out defenses work.

            http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/22/ob...rity-proposal/

            Just this morning the above article was written about the problem. Guess what - NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

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            • #7
              My mind goes to my grandma's house. No ice machine, no AC, they had 1 osilating(sp) metal fan from the 50's for their main room. Grandma sewed on a pedal singer machine till my uncles bought her one from Sears in the 60's that she used till she died. I'd give anything for that belt driven machine. They had an out house even after they got indoor plumbing in the 70's- I remember having to cross the back yard at night and being terrified. Now, the summer's have gotten hotter, it's nothing to be in the 90's by 1:oo pm, people are conditioned to have ice in everything they drink. The winters here in the SE haved changed too. One year it snows and lays for 3 days and cuts down on the bug population for the next summer. One year we're lucky if it hits a hard freeze that lasts 24 hrs. No electricity = mass death, and how are our communities going to handle the bodies? I'm sorry to be so long winded, I have too much time to think about things most people refuse to consider, I am alone too much so I plan, try to imagine worst case senarios and plan ways to deal with them.
              Last edited by madamkitty33; 06-23-2011, 12:48 PM. Reason: spelling

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              • #8
                In the past we had to worry about a foriegn army invading our shores. Now the country can be brought to it's knees by a computer.
                "There is nothing so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." Winston Churchill
                Member: Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion, AMVETS, Society of the Fifth Infantry Division

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                • #9
                  I went without power in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, SC. The night before it hit we left and went to Charlotte to stay with my wife's mother. The storm also knocked out the power in Charlotte. I spent about a week in Charlotte before power was restored and I could buy gas to get back to Charleston., filling up everytime I passed a gas station. We were without power in Charleston for about two weeks.
                  The most desired product was ice. People would stand in long lines for hours waiting for ice.
                  No electricity means no lights, no TV, no refrigerator, no stove. no heat, no air conditioner. Whatever source of light I had, don't recall now, was not bright enough to read by.
                  It was educational, but not fun.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by buttebob View Post
                    I went without power in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, SC. The night before it hit we left and went to Charlotte to stay with my wife's mother. The storm also knocked out the power in Charlotte. I spent about a week in Charlotte before power was restored and I could buy gas to get back to Charleston., filling up everytime I passed a gas station. We were without power in Charleston for about two weeks.
                    The most desired product was ice. People would stand in long lines for hours waiting for ice.
                    No electricity means no lights, no TV, no refrigerator, no stove. no heat, no air conditioner. Whatever source of light I had, don't recall now, was not bright enough to read by.
                    It was educational, but not fun.
                    I'm gonna guess your in much better shape now huh? Now think of what that same place would be like if it wasnt gonna come back on. Worries me
                    Knowledge is Power, Practiced Knowledge is Strength, Tested Knowledge is Confidence

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                    • #11
                      You can always flee a localized event. It's an EMP type event that worries me. I saw some where the other day that North Korea was testing an EMP type nuclear weapon. Whatever that type is. Iran is trying to develope a nuclear weapon, and has successfully launched a mid-range missile from a ship.
                      It's a scary world out there.

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                      • #12
                        The differance between America and a third world county is our power grid. Without power we are basiclly living in the 1800's. When it comes to preperations the major consideration is how do I conduct life without power, running water, stores with merchandice and transportation. If you have a plan in place to conquor all of these considerations then you have risen above 99% of the rest of America. The reallity of the situation is without power, running water, food, and transportation society will crumble and then it will fall and we will live in the PAW.
                        When an emergency is upon you the time for preparation has past.

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                        • #13
                          Roobin Holmes is a Zombie Spammer
                          "It's a trap!!!!" -- Admiral Ackbar

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