Sleep Tight
December 19th, 2008 - 8:52 am
Charlie Martin: Preventing a digital 9/11.
It does seem like al Qaeda’s most likely avenue for their next big attack, and I doubt our infrastructure is ready for it.
Charlie Martin: Preventing a digital 9/11.
It does seem like al Qaeda’s most likely avenue for their next big attack, and I doubt our infrastructure is ready for it.
Mr. Martin has been watching a little too much Die Hard. While many of the utility and infrastructure systems we know and love are, indeed, computer controlled, it’s a bit more difficult to bring down entire systems than some Jihadi brat writing a worm.
Virtually all of said systems work in a host-controller environment, meaning the windows boxes “running” things are little more than GUI platforms used to run custom software that then talk to the boxes controlling the hardware. If one, or even a whole lot of said controller PC’s go tits up, it’s just a matter of unplugging them and swapping them out with a backup, clean machine and going along one’s merry way.
Then there’s the slight issue of said workstations not being connected to Mr. Internet.
The notion that teams of super-hackers are able to bring down the power company from the comfort of their basements is, fortunately, Hollywood nonsense.
Mr Lion, I hope you’re right.
But I’m sure you’re not. I’ve been doing computer security for almost 30 years. Follow the link back to the USPCD.
Oh, and thanks for the link, Steve!