US Needs To Create Non-Computer Back-Ups for Utilities

[protectionist]

We just had 2 serious ransomware attacks in America. First the Colonial pipeline, with a multimillion $$ ransom paid to the cyber attackers. Then came an attack on JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company. All JBS-fed beef plants and regional beef plants were shut down.

It is bad enough that international cyber criminals are staging these attacks, and causing havoc among private companies, but what about terrorists ? These could be individuals, terrorist organizations, or even unfriendly countries. And what if the targets they hit are essential utilities like the electrical grid, dams, water treatment and sewage plants, traffic lights, telephone and other communications systems ?

Should we be living with question marks pertaining to things we fundamentally need, to function as a society ? The reason why we are in this mess, which is getting worse as time goes by, is that in recent years we have connected all these essential utilities to computer systems, and made them be reliant that way.

What the US needs to do is have non-computer systems operational, like those that existed for decades before computers even existed. I hope this doesn't come as a shock to anyone, but all our essential utilities functioned nationwide, completely without the help of a single computer. Two world wars were fought without any computers in use.

In the wake of the Colonial Pipeline attack, Biden issued an executive order calling for an upgrade to the federal government’s way of handling cybersecurity. He also created a new Cybersecurity Safety Review Board, led by a private-sector representative and the Department of Homeland Security, that would produce reports on cyberattacks, after the fact.

While these moves are helpful, they only address security from a computer controlled context, which if nothing is done apart from that, won't the whole country still be in serious danger of major shutdowns of just about everything ? Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are well old enough to remember the days before computers, when everything worked, and nobody had any worries about ransomware attacks.
It is time for these old systems to re-emerge, and provide back-ups to our current systems.

White House: Ransomware attack on major meat processing company 'likely' from Russia

The Biden administration is “assessing” any potential impacts on supply, the White House said on Tuesday.

www.politico.com

 

[Indeependent]

We just had 2 serious ransomware attacks in America. First the Colonial pipeline, with a multimillion $$ ransom paid to the cyber attackers. Then came an attack on JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company. All JBS-fed beef plants and regional beef plants were shut down.

It is bad enough that international cyber criminals are staging these attacks, and causing havoc among private companies, but what about terrorists ? These could be individuals, terrorist organizations, or even unfriendly countries. And what if the targets they hit are essential utilities like the electrical grid, dams, water treatment and sewage plants, telephone and other communications systems.

Should we be living with question marks pertaining to things we fundamentally need, to function as a society ? The reason why we are in this mess which is getting worse as time goes by, is that in recent years we have connected all these essential utilities to computer systems, and made them be reliant that way.

What the US needs to do is have non-computer systems operational, like those that existed for decades before computers even existed. I hope this doesn't come as a shock to anyone, but all our essential utilities functioned nationwide, completely without the help of a single computer. Two world wars were fought without any computers in use.

In the wake of the Colonial Pipeline attack, Biden issued an executive order calling for an upgrade to the federal government’s way of handling cybersecurity. He also created a new Cybersecurity Safety Review Board, led by a private-sector representative and the Department of Homeland Security, that would produce reports on cyberattacks after the fact.

While these moves are helpful, they only address security from a computer controlled context, which if nothing is done apart from that, won't the whole country will still be in serious danger of major shutdowns of just about everything ? Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are well old enough to remember the days before computers, when everything worked, and nobody had any worries about ransomware attacks.
It is time for these old systems to re-emerge, and provide back-ups to our current systems.

White House: Ransomware attack on major meat processing company 'likely' from Russia

The Biden administration is “assessing” any potential impacts on supply, the White House said on Tuesday.

www.politico.com

You're expecting secure data when we use India and China for backup?

 

[pknopp]

This has been a known issue for years. People seem to no longer understand how to go out into the field and manually turn a valve.

Even a back up computer system would work. People act like the world is spinning out of control when the solutions here really aren't that complicated.

 

[protectionist]

You're expecting secure data when we use India and China for backup?

No.

 

[NightFox]

IMHO In most cases It would be cheaper (and quicker) just to take the necessary steps to secure and provide redundancy for the computer controlled systems that are already in place.

I suspect that for many private companies, adding manual backup systems to all vulnerable infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive to build and maintain and would end posing an unfavorable risk-reward proposition.

 

[protectionist]

This has been a known issue for years. People seem to no longer understand how to go out into the field and manually turn a valve.

Even a back up computer system would work. People act like the world is spinning out of control when the solutions here really aren't that complicated.

Sure. Simply bring back the way we used to do things, and let that sit side by side with the modern computerized version. If/whenever the times come that we need it, it will be there, and catastrophes can be avoided - IF step are taken to put them there.

 

[protectionist]

IMHO In most cases It would be cheaper (and quicker) just to take the necessary steps to secure and provide redundancy for the computer controlled systems that are already in place.

I suspect that for many private companies, adding manual backup systems to all vulnerable infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive to build and maintain and would end posing to secure and

Biden's plans already include steps to secure computer controlled systems already in place. As for your suspicion of an unfavorable risk-reward proposition, regarding non-computer systems, this is based on what ?

And how would anything need to be built ? I'll admit that I'm guessing, but it would seem like all that needs to be is already built, it is just a question of doing it connected to computerized control, or manual, without that control.

 

[NightFox]

IMHO In most cases It would be cheaper (and quicker) just to take the necessary steps to secure and provide redundancy for the computer controlled systems that are already in place.

I suspect that for many private companies, adding manual backup systems to all vulnerable infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive to build and maintain and would end posing to secure and

Biden's plans already include steps to secure computer controlled systems already in place. As for your suspicion of an unfavorable risk-reward proposition, regarding non-computer systems, this is based on what ?

It’s based on the fact that companies DON’T DO IT, if it was a FAVORABLE risk-reward proposition they’d already be doing it, given that’s the basis for business decisions.

Unless of course you believe that businesses haven’t already looked at the particulars of adding manual back up systems, which seems a pretty far fetched theory given that I’m in the business of building computer based systems and that particular question is one that is always looked at whenever it’s a possibility.

 

[Damaged Eagle]

Let's do it with the elections and other voting issues first

*****SMILE*****

 

[Osiris-ODS]

Dream on. People are so enamored and addicted to each advancement in the digital world that just proposing the idea of implementing an analog solution is enough to get your head bitten off.

 

[protectionist]

It’s based on the fact that companies DON’T DO IT, if it was a FAVORABLE risk-reward proposition they’d already be doing it, given that’s the basis for business decisions.

Unless of course you believe that businesses haven’t already looked at the particulars of adding manual back up systems, which seems a pretty far fetched theory given that I’m in the business of building computer based systems and that particular question is one that is always looked at whenever it’s a possibility.

There is no such thing as "they’d already be doing it".. I was a business owner for many years, was in contact with other business owners constantly, as well as investors, and If I had a dollar for every thing that somebody ought to have done, but didn't, I'd buy a mansion with that money.

I'd say having manual back-up systems is about the LEAST far-fetched notion anyone could think of, and I'm talking about primarily public entities, not businesses.

 

[protectionist]

Dream on. People are so enamored and addicted to each advancement in the digital world that just proposing the idea of implementing an analog solution is enough to get your head bitten off.

Well they better watch out, because I've got sharp teeth too. I take no back seat to youngsters under 50, who haven't lived without computers, and I have no intention of letting anybody endanger my life and well-being, whoever they may be.

 

[bodecea]

We just had 2 serious ransomware attacks in America. First the Colonial pipeline, with a multimillion $$ ransom paid to the cyber attackers. Then came an attack on JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company. All JBS-fed beef plants and regional beef plants were shut down.

It is bad enough that international cyber criminals are staging these attacks, and causing havoc among private companies, but what about terrorists ? These could be individuals, terrorist organizations, or even unfriendly countries. And what if the targets they hit are essential utilities like the electrical grid, dams, water treatment and sewage plants, traffic lights, telephone and other communications systems ?

Should we be living with question marks pertaining to things we fundamentally need, to function as a society ? The reason why we are in this mess, which is getting worse as time goes by, is that in recent years we have connected all these essential utilities to computer systems, and made them be reliant that way.

What the US needs to do is have non-computer systems operational, like those that existed for decades before computers even existed. I hope this doesn't come as a shock to anyone, but all our essential utilities functioned nationwide, completely without the help of a single computer. Two world wars were fought without any computers in use.

In the wake of the Colonial Pipeline attack, Biden issued an executive order calling for an upgrade to the federal government’s way of handling cybersecurity. He also created a new Cybersecurity Safety Review Board, led by a private-sector representative and the Department of Homeland Security, that would produce reports on cyberattacks, after the fact.

While these moves are helpful, they only address security from a computer controlled context, which if nothing is done apart from that, won't the whole country still be in serious danger of major shutdowns of just about everything ? Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are well old enough to remember the days before computers, when everything worked, and nobody had any worries about ransomware attacks.
It is time for these old systems to re-emerge, and provide back-ups to our current systems.

White House: Ransomware attack on major meat processing company 'likely' from Russia

The Biden administration is “assessing” any potential impacts on supply, the White House said on Tuesday.

www.politico.com

The Colonial pipeline attack wasn't on the pipeline....it was on Colonial's ability to keep track of who to charge how much.

 

[percysunshine]

 

[protectionist]

View attachment 501445

Let's do it with the elections and other voting issues first

*****SMILE*****

We may not have time for that. Iran is WEEKS away from developing a nuclear bomb. And our nuclear bombs/warheads ? Are they on computer control, susceptible/vulnerable to cyber shut down ?

 

[protectionist]

The Colonial pipeline attack wasn't on the pipeline....it was on Colonial's ability to keep track of who to charge how much.

Whatever it was on, it shut down some gas stations, and who knows on what the next attack(s) might be ?

 

[NightFox]

It’s based on the fact that companies DON’T DO IT, if it was a FAVORABLE risk-reward proposition they’d already be doing it, given that’s the basis for business decisions.

Unless of course you believe that businesses haven’t already looked at the particulars of adding manual back up systems, which seems a pretty far fetched theory given that I’m in the business of building computer based systems and that particular question is one that is always looked at whenever it’s a possibility.

There is no such thing as "they’d already be doing it".. I was a business owner for many years, was in contact with other business owners constantly, as well as investors, and If I had a dollar for every thing that somebody ought to have done, but didn't, I'd buy a mansion with that money.

So you didn't conduct risk-reward analysis on all your investment decisions before you made them? Interesting, probably explains the "I was a business owner" part.

I'd say having manual back-up systems is about the LEAST far-fetched notion anyone could think of, and I'm talking about primarily public entities, not businesses.

The far fetched notion was the belief that businesses don't already look at manual backups as a potential during the systems design process, it's far fetched because in my own experience a Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis is an essential component of the systems design process and it's one that routinely includes manual backup systems as a potential failure mode mitigation strategy.

 

[protectionist]

So you didn't conduct risk-reward analysis on all your investment decisions before you made them? Interesting, probably explains the "I was a business owner" part.
The far fetched notion was the belief that businesses don't already look at manual backups as a potential during the systems design process, it's far fetched because in my own experience a Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis is an essential component of the systems design process and it's one that routinely includes manual backup systems as a potential failure mode mitigation strategy.

1. Go away. You're not adding anything here. And again, we're discussing Government, not business. Some people have to be told twice.

2. Guessing something you know nothing about, and then calling it "Interesting" allows a 10 year old to see you're not posting quality here. No, what you dream up is not the slightest bit "interesting"

3. And your silly assumption (based on nothing) about why I was a business owner, displays your capacity for blabbering jibberish. "Probably" is a risky word. You're not showing the best of judgement here. You would not have been one of my branch managers. And your "own experience" doesn't appear to be too wide.

Strike 1................Strike 2............Strike 3.

 

[NightFox]

So you didn't conduct risk-reward analysis on all your investment decisions before you made them? Interesting, probably explains the "I was a business owner" part.
The far fetched notion was the belief that businesses don't already look at manual backups as a potential during the systems design process, it's far fetched because in my own experience a Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis is an essential component of the systems design process and it's one that routinely includes manual backup systems as a potential failure mode mitigation strategy.

1. Go away. You're not adding anything here. And again, we're discussing Government, not business. Some people have to be told twice.

ROFLMAO! Okay, your surrender is accepted, hopefully you’ll be able to continue your “the ignorant leading the clueless” chit-chat without somebody that ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT interrupting you again.

Have fun wallowing in your own ignorance!

 

[protectionist]

ROFLMAO! Okay, your surrender is accepted, hopefully you’ll be able to continue your “the ignorant leading the clueless” chit-chat without somebody that ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT interrupting you again.

Have fun wallowing in your own ignorance!

More making things up, to feed your ego. At this point, I'm imagining you to be about 12 years old (my apologies to the 12 year olds of the world)

And you are the LEAST "know what you're talking about" poster I have communicated with, in my 7+ years in this forum.