Russians Hacking Utilities are Not Alone

I saw a story today that a new version of an old problem.  Countries are putting software in US utility grids that, when triggered, will damage or shut down portions of the grid.  This latest report from Homeland Security cites the Russians in "hundreds of instances" getting into control rooms and having potential control of networks.  In the past, the Chinese, Russians, Iranians and some homeless people in the middle of Eastern Europe have been accused of the same thing.  This does not say much about the control systems for these utilities.

Homeland Security is describing these events as if they are new, which they aren't.  There are several countries doing the same thing in the name of "battlefield preparation" so we have every reason to look for this kind of penetration.  But, utilities are privately funded and independent.  They don't have to have the NSA-quality security that we would expect from a secret organization.

This is not new, since we addressed it over and over in the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee during the Clinton Administration.  Railroads, Banking, Emergency Services, Electrical grids, National Networks etc all have the same vulnerabilities and people trying to lay the groundwork for a war that might come.  We just have to decide if we want to pay for the improvements that are needed.  So far, nobody has.

The simple thing is, the Internet is not a safe transmission system for these kinds of systems.  Even the large networks of Defense have had problems maintaining a level of security to keep the Russians and Chinese out.  These are Defense networks run by people who understand the need for security and try.  What has to be done is to build secure transmission capability for the national infrastructure, cutting out the Internet.  The Internet is the vehicle being used to get into our national assets and we have done almost nothing to negate that part of our threat.  Years ago, we tried to get the Defense Department off the Internet in times of emergency.  It was not done in spite of very high interest in doing something about the Internet's lack of security.  Time to renew that effort and get some security across our national networks.  When war comes, it will be too late to discuss it.