Full Disclosure mailing list archives
Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?]
From: "Bernie, CTA" <cta () hcsin net>
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 16:45:53 -0400
The theory that the Blackout event started by power generation loss (downed transmission lines) at a Cleveland plant is a little better then the lightning bolt Canada theory, but still inconsistent with the technical aspects of the Grids automated fault protection and power load balancing systems. Unless, of course, several other Power Plants and Sub Stations automated fault protection and power load balancing systems were taken offline, or their power cords cut. 1. If the components of the protection system were taken offline at near the same time, was it in response to the threat of the MSBlaster or RPC vulnerability in the OS that runs these components? If not, then why did these systems fail to operate? Was it human interdiction or error? On the other hand, was it a statistically improvable event where these systems all failed simultaneously? What were the system security and protection engineering team doing since 9/11? 2. If their cords were cut at the same time, would it then be logical to consider the Blackout was a terrorist related planned incident? If so, where was the system security and protection engineering team since 9/11? 3. Or, this entire Blackout was do to coincidental and simultaneous stresses in the Grids' infrastructure, and completely unexpected as the transmission lines and protection systems were to old to properly respond. That notion would be oxymoronic, lame, and not acceptable especially considering the sophistication of these facilities and the recent upgrades made to accommodate power line hosted Internet / communications. As for the time span 14:06 - 15:21, well that just supports the theory that the safeguards did not properly function, option 1, or 2. If the time period was say a few seconds then maybe we can put some weight into the old and over-stressed technology theory. On 16 Aug 2003 at 12:08, Geoff Shively wrote:
NERC (nerc.com) North American Electric Reliability Council has a hidden report that states at "14:06 Chamberlain - Harding 345 Kv line tripped -- cause not reported". This was the first sign of failure. NE US and Canada did not report significant outages prior to 15:11. Another point to look at is at "15:17 - 15:21 Numerous lines in Michigan tripped" Cheers, Geoff Shively, CHO PivX Solutions, LLC http://www.pivx.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com> To: <full-disclosure () lists netsys com> Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 11:25 AM Subject: RE: [Full-disclosure] east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?]Ground zero for the blackout seems to be Parma, OH according to local papers and ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030816_755.html http://junior.apk.net/~jnoga/F16CAUSE.html http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030816/ NEWS08/10 8160106 Richard -----Original Message----- From: full-disclosure-admin () lists netsys com [mailto:full-disclosure-admin () lists netsys com] On Behalf Of Bernie, CTA Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 1:25 PM To: full-disclosure () lists netsys com Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] I still feel that there was human intervention to disrupt or otherwise circumvent the automatic safeguards, in response to an anomaly (i.e. MSBlaster). .... _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html_______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
- **************************************************** Bernie Chief Technology Architect Chief Security Officer cta () hcsin net Euclidean Systems, Inc. ******************************************************* // "There is no expedient to which a man will not go // to avoid the pure labor of honest thinking." // Honest thought, the real business capital. // Observe> Think> Plan> Think> Do> Think> ******************************************************* _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- Official Microsoft RPC DCOM scanning tool, (continued)
- Official Microsoft RPC DCOM scanning tool Joey (Aug 15)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Geoff Shively (Aug 15)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Stephen Clowater (Aug 15)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Geoff Shively (Aug 15)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Stephen Clowater (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Geoff Shively (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Stephen Clowater (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Bernie, CTA (Aug 16)
- RE: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Richard M. Smith (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Geoff Shively (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Bernie, CTA (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Geoincidents (Aug 16)
- Message not available
- RE: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Bernie, CTA (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Stephen Clowater (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Bernie, CTA (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Stephen Clowater (Aug 16)
- Re: east coast powergrid / SCADA [OT?] Valdis . Kletnieks (Aug 15)