Civil War Wednesday?

[aspen]

Very good question seeing that the power grids are not one giant thing but individual power companies and many locally owned. Not to mention solar power many places that are not connected to any grid

well, it is either Obama or Hillary

 

[April_Rose]

Very good question seeing that the power grids are not one giant thing but individual power companies and many locally owned. Not to mention solar power many places that are not connected to any grid

Are you being literal or sarcastic because honestly I can't really tell and if it's sarcastic, does it have to do with rioters coming in and storming the place?

 

[historyb]

literal. We are not a nation with a giant power grid where electricity is connected, the electric companies around the country are individual ones. I am not taking about any storming I am saying that the electric going down every where at once in a pipe dream at best a vivacious rumor at worst.

I believe that many are believing rumors right now and we want to grasp onto them.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Well, I am definitely provoked now, so if you guys aren't banned for a month for your posts, my point is proven, right Iforrest? Oh, and I forgive you for banning me again - I know, you have to support your base

What on earth? Aspen, I have no grievances with you whatsoever. I'm not bothered by your posts, and even in your worst moments I've considered you rather pleasant.

What's with all this vitriol about banning these and banning those? And accusing an Admin? Somewhere along the line you got too swept up in all this stuff, and it seems to have consumed your posts. Relax. You are going to have your wish, yes? Trump lost. What's with all the obsession over this issue? You used to be much different.

God bless,
- H

 

[UnrulyBeauty]

Not sure at all since the USA has only three main power grids in the first place, not millions. If you need more there is plenty, just ask

The U.S. power grid has been supplying countless people with power since its initial installation in the 20th century. The three main interconnections, or grids, that make up the entire power grid for the Lower 48 states of the U.S. are:

• The Eastern Grid: Covers the area from the east coast to just east of the Rocky Mountains. Parts of northern Texas are also covered by this grid.
• The Western Grid: This grid covers the area starting with the Rocky Mountains and continuing outwards to the west coast.
• The ERCOT Grid: The ERCOT, or Electric Reliability Council of Texas, grid covers almost the entire state of Texas.

With issues like outdated, failing infrastructure and hackers with the potential to cause outages, the U.S. power grid is becoming more prone to issues and outages across the country. Extreme weather and superstorms regularly cause outages that can be costly both to repair and for facilities that rely on power for mission-critical functions. The vulnerability of the U.S. power grid is a major reason why many business and home owners choose to install backup generators to keep essential functions running even when the power grid malfunctions. Many communities are also opting to install microgrids for an alternate power source. Microgrids can generate power via renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, making them a more environmentally friendly and responsible option as well as good protection against power failure from the country’s major power grid.

How Power Grid Hacks Work, and When You Should Panic | WIRED

IN 2017, IT can sometimes seem like power grids are practically crawling with digital intruders. Over just the past four months, news has emerged that Russian hackers penetrated a nuclear power plant, that the same group may have had hands-on access to an American energy utility's control systems, that another group of Kremlin hackers used a new form of automated malware to induce a power outage in Ukraine—and now, this week, that North Korean hackers breached an American energy utility. Reading those headlines, you'd be forgiven for thinking that hacker-induced blackouts were a near-weekly occurrence, not a twice-ever-in-history event.

But as real as the threat of power-utility hacking may be, not every grid penetration calls for Defcon 1. Responding to them all with an equal sense of alarm is like conflating a street mugging with an intercontinental ballistic missile attack. What's publicly referred to as a "breach" of an energy utility could range from something barely more sophisticated than a typical malware infection to a nation-state-funded moonshot months or years in the making. Those incidents could also have vastly different consequences, from mere data theft to a potentially catastrophic infrastructure failure.

It's true that the last several years have seen a "stark spike" in hacking attempts on industrial control systems like power utilities, water, and manufacturing, says Rob Lee, a former NSA analyst who now runs the critical-infrastructure-focused security firm Dragos, Inc. But Lee says it's crucial to keep a sense of proportion: Of the hundreds of well-funded hacker groups that Dragos tracks globally, Lee says that roughly 50 have targeted companies with industrial control systems. Of those, Dragos has found only six or seven groups that have reached into companies' so-called "operations" network—the actual controls of physical infrastructure. And even among those cases, Lee says, only two such groups have been known to actually trigger real physical disruption: The Equation Group, believed to be the NSA team that used the Stuxnet malware to destroy Iranian nuclear enrichment centrifuges, and the Sandworm team behind the blackouts in Ukraine.

So when news arises that hackers have merely "penetrated" an energy utility—as North Korean hackers recently did—receive it with those numbers in mind, and not with the assumption that the next Stuxnet or Sandworm has dropped. "This is a world where people can die," Lee says. "If we come out and say it’s a big deal, it should be a big deal."



To that end, here's WIRED's guide to the different gradations of grid hacking, to help you dial in your panic to the appropriate level for the power-grid penetrations to come. And there will be more.

Step One: Network Breach
When government agencies or the press warn that hackers have compromised a power utility, in the vast majority of cases those intruders haven't penetrated the systems that control the flow of actual power, like circuit breakers, generators, and transformers. They're instead hacking into far more prosaic targets: corporate email accounts, browsers, and web servers.


Those penetrations, which typically start with spearphishing emails, or "watering hole" attacks that infect target users by hijacking a website they commonly visit, don't necessarily differ from traditional criminal or espionage-focused hacking. Most importantly, they don't generate the means of causing any physical damage or disruption. In some cases, the hackers may be performing reconnaissance for future attacks, but nonetheless don't get anywhere near the actual control systems that can tamper with electricity generation or transmission.

raised alarms when it revealed that North Korean hackers had targeted US energy facilities. A followup report from security news site Cyberscoop asserted that at least one of those attempts successfully penetrated a US utility. But a subsequent FireEye blog post indicated that its analysts had only found evidence that the hackers had sent a series of spearphishing emails to its intended victims—a fairly routine hacking operation that doesn't appear to have come close to any sensitive control systems

Step Two: Operational Access
Hackers poking around an energy firm's IT system should cause some concern. Hackers poking at operational technology systems, or what some security experts call OT, is a far more serious situation. When hackers penetrate OT, or gain so-called operational access, they've moved from the computer systems that exist in practically every modern corporation to the far more specialized and customized control systems for power equipment, a major step towards manipulating physical infrastructure.

In one recent hacking campaign, for instance, Symantec revealed that a group of hackers it named DragonFly 2.0—possibly the same Russian group reported earlier in the summer to have broken into a US nuclear facility—had gained operational access to a "handful" of US energy firms. The intruders had gone so far as to screenshot the so-called human-machine interfaces for power systems, likely so that they could study them, and prepare to start flipping actual switches to launch a full-on grid attack.

Step Three: Coordinated Attack
Even when intruders have "hands-on-the-switches" access to grid control systems, Lee says, using that access effectively is far harder than it might seem. In fact, he argues that all actions ahead of flipping that switch are just a preparatory stage that represents only about 20 percent of the hackers' work.

Thank you for the informative article. Though, by its own description, the likelihood of anyone actually bringing down a major chunk of the country is highly unlikely.

It also seems like a rather pointless effort. What would it accomplish, throwing a bunch of people and businesses into the dark for a few hours or days? What is the end goal? To create a giant inconvenience? I would think, if the goal is to communicate some sort of social or political message, you'd want people to have access to things that allow them to connect with the outside; TV, computer, etc. Shutting off the power temporarily just seems like it would piss everyone off. But maybe that's just the way I think.

 

[UnrulyBeauty]

Yes, like on January 6th when one could almost hear crickets for all the empty space due to folks going to work that day rather than protesting at the Capitol.

You don't think anyone learned a lesson on Jan 6th? You don't think people are going to be more likely to avoid the area? You don't think the space will be more highly guarded? We already know that's not the case, and that law enforcement has been surveilling the area constantly. So, as I said, do I think some people will head to the D.C. and try to act stupid? Absolutely. Do I think we'll see another crowd of 300,000+? Nope.

 

[UnrulyBeauty]

Think of how dependent we are on electricity. People driving the Leaf will be terrified.

I don't think you were trying to be humorous with this comment, but I laughed. Sorry! Just picturing all the "fossil fuel is evil" folks sitting in their tiny electric cars, shrieking hysterically.

No prescription access because your information is stored on computer. No money, ATM's don't work. No gas, pumps don't work.
Living in the dark, save for candles, battery powered lamps, lamp oil fueled lights.

It's not difficult to prepare for a week ahead of time. Withdraw some cash. Put gas in your car (unless it's a Leaf LOL). Make sure your medications are sufficient. Check the batteries for your flashlight. Buy a nice stash of canned and boxed food and bottled water.

Only The Steal impacted everyone. Democrats and Republicans, because our free constitutional right to choose those empowered to lead our country and act on our behalf in the Legislature was corrupted.
Anyone that thinks that's perfectly OK, or worse, the fable there is no evidence supporting this, are definitely on the wrong side of history.
Treason and Sedition are felonies that threaten the future of every freedom loving American.

Agreed.

 

[April_Rose]

What on earth? Aspen, I have no grievances with you whatsoever. I'm not bothered by your posts, and even in your worst moments I've considered you rather pleasant.

What's with all this vitriol about banning these and banning those? And accusing an Admin? Somewhere along the line you got too swept up in all this stuff, and it seems to have consumed your posts. Relax. You are going to have your wish, yes? Trump lost. What's with all the obsession over this issue? You used to be much different.

God bless,
- H

Trump only lost his court cases, not the election itself.

 

[Yan]

Why you guys in america always compete for pride and put a risk of many civilian lives only for 5 years throne, no matter if trump or biden win you should not worry about that, didn't you ?
If trump was supported by almost majority "Christian", why did they don't respect the bible itself ?
God name in their mouth, but their heart is for the worldly desire.

1 Corinthians 6:4-8 (BBE)
4. If then there are questions to be judged in connection with the things of this life, why do you put them in the hands of those who have no position in the church?
5. I say this to put you to shame. Is there not among you one wise man who may be able to give a decision between his brothers?
6. But a brother who has a cause at law against another takes it before Gentile judges.
7. More than this, it is not to your credit to have causes at law with one another at all. Why not put up with wrong? why not undergo loss?
8. So far from doing this, you yourselves do wrong and take your brothers' property.

Luke 12:13-21

 

[Enoch111]

Trump lost.

There's a huge difference between "lost" and "won but was fraudulently deprived of his victory". Which means that a crime was committed. A major crime was committed. And had the Supreme Court had the honesty, the integrity, and the love for justice and for the country that it is supposed to have, Trump would have already been declared the winner hands down. And Biden would still be sitting in his basement.

As one commentator has said: "It is beyond me how it could be said that there is no evidence of voter fraud when we see with our own eyes a video of Democratic poll workers removing pallets of votes hidden under a curtain-covered table and beginning to count them after they had cleared the room by announcing the polling place was shutting down." And this was only the tip of the iceberg.

We need to choose our words carefully. Now I gave this example on another thread and it is worth repeating. If Black Muslim Muhammad Ali -- the famous boxing champion -- had clearly won a victory in the ring, and corrupt judges had fraudulently handed that victory to a white boxer, there would have been such a hue and cry as had never been heard before.

Therefore the MASSIVE ELECTION FRAUD which was perpetrated recently should have had the entire country up in arms about the injustice and the crime committed against (1) the law-abiding citizens and voters of America, (2) the republic, (3) the Constitution, and (4) Donald Trump. This was not merely about Trump. This was about the survival of the USA as a democratic republic with guaranteed free and fair elections. So it was not Trump who lost. It was America that lost. If Biden is made POTUS, there will never again be any trustworthy elections in the US again.

There is a good chance that the Georgia elections from January 5 were also rigged. Crooked Stacy Abrams claimed that she had 1.2 MILLION absentee ballots in hand. And her crooked sister (who is a judge) ruled that about 4,000 ineligible voters should be included (but later reversed her unlawful decision since it became public knowledge). So there were shenanigans in Georgia which no one will hear about, because the presidential election fraud was far greater.

 

[Rita]

What on earth? Aspen, I have no grievances with you whatsoever. I'm not bothered by your posts, and even in your worst moments I've considered you rather pleasant.

What's with all this vitriol about banning these and banning those? And accusing an Admin? Somewhere along the line you got too swept up in all this stuff, and it seems to have consumed your posts. Relax. You are going to have your wish, yes? Trump lost. What's with all the obsession over this issue? You used to be much different.

God bless,
- H

Reading between the lines I would suspect that aspen has been banned for what he has said on certain subjects, while others have been allowed to continue because they support a certain view. So,it’s not so much what you have said more perhaps that he sees hypocrisy existing. Rita

 

[JohnDB]

I still have yet to understand what exactly would make the power go out.

Don't sorry... neither does the author of the article.
They don't even have the zones correct. But I guess that's actually a good thing.

Most power is done manually with switches. Not internet powered interconnected systems. It's not difficult...but it does take several days to schedule and work on live power lines. They can't turn off a power generation plant by internet hacking.

Your house's meter is another story. They can and will turn it on or off remotely if you don't pay your bill. Commercial, industrial buildings they can't. But it is still a completely, physically separate system from the internet. (Don't want live distribution power getting into the telecommunications grid)

In Texas and in the TVA network of power companies there are several interconnected power generation plants that are nothing more than backup power. Again all very low tech. It wouldn't take even half a day to fire them up.
The fight over where to put some poles so that transmission power could get to a local switchyard took longer than putting it in.

 

[Brakelite]

When the power goes out all over the contiguous United States all hell will break loose.
Think of how dependent we are on electricity. People driving the Leaf will be terrified.
No prescription access because your information is stored on computer. No money, ATM's don't work. No gas, pumps don't work.
Living in the dark, save for candles, battery powered lamps, lamp oil fueled lights.

There was a movie many years ago that featured that very thing. Power grid for a huge area of a state was down. The people didn't now this wasn't world wide or national. After just a couple of days the violence started.

Your great grandparents manage to survive without any of those "conveniences", I'm sure you can. The trouble is that we've become to dependant on them. Be a good idea if we all went through that experience in order to learn to cope. The time is coming when every earthly support will be removed from underneath those that determine to believe the Bible and retain hope of the second coming. Maybe we need to get used to it.

 

[JohnDB]

Your great grandparents manage to survive without any of those "conveniences", I'm sure you can. The trouble is that we've become to dependant on them. Be a good idea if we all went through that experience in order to learn to cope. The time is coming when every earthly support will be removed from underneath those that determine to believe the Bible and retain hope of the second coming. Maybe we need to get used to it.

Electricity is a double edged sword...

On one side it gives us longer lifespans...on the other we don't live as long once we go without it.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Trump only lost his court cases, not the election itself.

There's a huge difference between "lost" and "won but was fraudulently deprived of his victory".

While Trump likely won the vote count (we will never know what the real count was), he did not win the election. These are two different things.

Reading between the lines I would suspect that aspen has been banned for what he has said on certain subjects, while others have been allowed to continue because they support a certain view. So,it’s not so much what you have said more perhaps that he sees hypocrisy existing. Rita

Hi Rita.

I honestly don't now what Aspen's situation is. As for the site, I'm guessing there may be something of a slant, yes. But his post elsewhere that CB has become a "far right conspiracy site" that the FBI is now watching (or whatever his wording was) suggests he's going a tad too far these days. Whether bans or the election, I think he's just gotten too consumed.

But I do understand a little better if that's the reason, so thanks.

God bless,
- H

 

[Bobby Jo]

Trumpy has been somewhat quiet. Although he made a move today (releasing a bunch of classified info) I can't help but think he has something else up his sleeve. Maybe it's martial law maybe it is something else.

I'd propose that Trump & Pence ain't go'in nowhere. I expect that they will use the EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM to declare a NATIONAL EMERGENCY, and to announce that they have authorized the Military and/or U.S. Marshals to arrest individuals which have conspired to Fraudulently Alter the results of the November Election. And the National Guard deployments which were intended to "suppress" the non-violent Conservatives will be used to deter the violent liberal mobs.

But of course this will only be a stop-gap because satan's minions will have FAILED ONCE AGAIN, so satan will have to PERSONALLY come up from his pit to deal with (murder) Trump & Pence (Rev. 11). And once satan has unabated control of world governments, they will give their allegiance to the U.N. which will effect the Mark of the Beast and the electronic currency.


So it's really not needing an immediate 2-week supply in your pantry; but rather a 6-month supply of Food, Fuel, and Necessities for when you can't buy or sell. And as a word to the wise: -- #1 get out of the cities; #2 pre-pay your utility bills so that they might not shut off your power; $3 don't forget your sword, and remember that 2 is 1, and 1 is none, because swords often malfunction.


... and good luck!
Bobby Jo

 

[JohnDB]

This doesn't mean that the Liberals won't use an armed insurrection on Wednesday to invoke martial law and make Christianity illegal. They already have silenced them. Not much but a step away.

 

[April_Rose]

Electricity is a double edged sword...

On one side it gives us longer lifespans...on the other we don't live as long once we go without it.

Isn't what you're saying pretty much redundant though?

 

[JohnDB]

Isn't what you're saying pretty much redundant though?

No...

Because we have been made soft by having it while lengthening our lifespans at the same time.

 

[April_Rose]

No...

Because we have been made soft by having it while lengthening our lifespans at the same time.

I can only assume you're talking about electricity lengthening our lifespans because of heat right?