General Discussion

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)

26. There are lots of networks

Sat Dec 31, 2016, 09:24 AM

Dec 2016

There is the actual electrical grid, which imports/produces electrical power and distributes it to customers. They are pretty small, with 16,000 residential customers and more than 3600 commercial customers.

There is the grid command and control system used to manage the electrical grid, and ideally its network is air-gapped from any other, or it is connected via a severely restrictive firewall.

Then there are the administrative systems for accounting, billing, customer records, etc. Again, these should be on their own networks, with multiple security zones separated by firewalls.

Lastly are the internet connected systems, such as the public web server, which should be on their own networks with firewalls to the internet. There may also be VPN systems to allow off-site workers to access the administrative systems.

What they are saying is that the laptop wasn't on the grid command and control system network.

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There was no Vermont electrical grid hack [View all] oberliner Dec 2016 OP

The laptop is "in our system ( ie on our network) " - thats how they scanned for the malware pkdu Dec 2016 #1

I think the title of the OP is misleading..."There was no hack....oh wait...there was but it's NBD" LaydeeBug Dec 2016 #4

Nothing happened to the electrical grid oberliner Dec 2016 #5

see post #2 though. LaydeeBug Dec 2016 #6

Understood oberliner Dec 2016 #7

just because the grid wasn't brought down sarah FAILIN Dec 2016 #10

The headline is not true oberliner Dec 2016 #18

That laptop belonged to the utility sarah FAILIN Dec 2016 #24

But the WaPo headline said that the hackers had "penetrated the US electricity grid" oberliner Dec 2016 #29

I'm not mincing words. sarah FAILIN Dec 2016 #34

That depends if the utility EVER allowed various laptops to be connected to the system that ran the karynnj Dec 2016 #50

You don't know any of this. sarah FAILIN Dec 2016 #57

Nor do you know anything to the contrary karynnj Dec 2016 #60

No I am not but sarah FAILIN Jan 2017 #92

Actually, the headline did not say that. lapucelle Dec 2016 #40

Yes, it did oberliner Dec 2016 #73

It was not connected because they disconnected it from the system. pnwmom Dec 2016 #12

It WAS connected to the grid. They took it offline after they discovered the malware. n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #14

+1 JustAnotherGen Dec 2016 #15

Where did it say this? HoneyBadger Dec 2016 #16

Different article. n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #20

No, it wasn't oberliner Dec 2016 #17

They said they isolated it AFTER it was discovered. pnwmom Dec 2016 #21

The laptop was not connected to the grid oberliner Dec 2016 #22

The two sentences must be read together. pnwmom Dec 2016 #23

It's pretty simple to understand n/t JustAnotherGen Dec 2016 #27

The laptop was not connected to the grid oberliner Dec 2016 #31

Says it's not connected when they found it. Splitting hairs? Why? bettyellen Dec 2016 #53

A poster below said they would defer to the Washington Post oberliner Dec 2016 #71

Since we all know a breech was attempted and failed how important is this small bettyellen Dec 2016 #77

I am not saying this is equivalent to anything oberliner Dec 2016 #79

Their official statement leaves out the word "was." pnwmom Dec 2016 #72

A simpler, more realistic situation is that the utility has TWO completely independent systems karynnj Dec 2016 #55

That was my first reading canetoad Dec 2016 #63

If it was always separate, why did they need to isolate it? n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #74

Because it was connected to a network oberliner Dec 2016 #76

They would want to isolate any malware from everything else on the system that it is on karynnj Dec 2016 #80

source please? That is not what either the state official or the Burlington Electric official said. karynnj Dec 2016 #51

There are lots of networks FarCenter Dec 2016 #26

Thanks - very well said! karynnj Dec 2016 #56

So a malware code planted by Russian operatives was found on a computer in use at a public utility, lapucelle Dec 2016 #2

+1 C Moon Dec 2016 #13

No reason to feel reassured oberliner Dec 2016 #19

Here's a link to the E-Replica hard copy of the Post. lapucelle Dec 2016 #37

The online article changed significantly oberliner Dec 2016 #75

That doesn't surprise me. lapucelle Dec 2016 #81

my laptop scans for malware every day HoneyBadger Dec 2016 #82

Agreed oberliner Dec 2016 #84

How do you know it was 'planted' by anyone? B2G Dec 2016 #35

Malware is always planted, and the utility owned the laptop. lapucelle Dec 2016 #39

The sales of gas powered home generators will climb this weekend. lpbk2713 Dec 2016 #3

Stuff like this makes it more real to Trumpiacs radical noodle Dec 2016 #8

Saw that Daily Caller message to their faithful-- Hortensis Dec 2016 #32

Yes, this is an unforced error on the part of Washington Post oberliner Dec 2016 #86

Ummm, they always say WaPo is lying, tho, so no harm, Hortensis Dec 2016 #87

I expect people to start claiming the Russians are messing with "precious bodily fluids" DemocraticWing Dec 2016 #9

Oh MY GOD! elmac Dec 2016 #11

I believe the fact that Putin controls Trump is reason enough to be worried leftofcool Dec 2016 #30

You have to be kidding? The utility was hacked, Hortensis Dec 2016 #33

You are determined to believe that which you want to believe. stevenleser Dec 2016 #62

I don't know why so many people on this thread are taking this so lightly. Vinca Dec 2016 #25

+1 and makes me question JustAnotherGen Dec 2016 #28

Everyone is assuming the malware was "planted" B2G Dec 2016 #36

According to state officials, the utility owns the laptop. lapucelle Dec 2016 #42

Which means nothing if B2G Dec 2016 #43

I'm sure it was all just a crazy coincidence, and there's nothing to be alarmed about. lapucelle Dec 2016 #44

As they should be, but B2G Dec 2016 #45

The utility released a public statement, Vermont public radio reported on it, lapucelle Dec 2016 #46

From your link: B2G Dec 2016 #47

An administrative computer at a public utility contained malware lapucelle Dec 2016 #48

I would be most interested to learn B2G Dec 2016 #49

I'm sure that Trump will be looking for those very answers in about 20 days. lapucelle Dec 2016 #54

You do that. nt B2G Dec 2016 #59

So you agree with what the republicans are saying? Kingofalldems Dec 2016 #64

What are they saying? nt B2G Dec 2016 #65

You are telling me you don't know what the repubs are saying? Kingofalldems Dec 2016 #66

I know what they're saying about the email hacks. B2G Dec 2016 #68

Basically the Russians lobbed a bomb through the window Takket Dec 2016 #38

I think I will defer to the Washington Post and not some small hometown newspaper on this one./nt DemocratSinceBirth Dec 2016 #41

I will consider the statement from Mike Kanerick of Burlington Electric, that seems very karynnj Dec 2016 #52

LOL! Not like there'd be any ass covering going on. KittyWampus Dec 2016 #58

Actually, it looks like the utility did exactly the right thing - checked out its computers, and karynnj Dec 2016 #61

Really? You're going with that? Screw up and report it. Everything's just fine. KittyWampus Dec 2016 #67

Yes, unless you know more than is in the statements that is exactly what I think karynnj Dec 2016 #69

The Washington Post changed its headline and article content oberliner Dec 2016 #70

Hillary hacked it with the DNC and used a poor strategy the process... tenderfoot Dec 2016 #78

Thank you for objective critical information. As you note WaPo has changed their story due to this think Dec 2016 #83

You're welcome oberliner Dec 2016 #85

Thanks for the facts. We need to quit over reacting to every story until it is proven. USALiberal Dec 2016 #88

Whole story basically turns out to be BS from top to bottom oberliner Jan 2017 #93

Here is WAPost statement....... USALiberal Dec 2016 #89

Thanks for adding that oberliner Dec 2016 #90

Thanks for posting the truth!! USALiberal Dec 2016 #91