Could Hackers Disrupt Our Power Grid?

[rtalman]

The CIA says they can.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jSw3W7MyNAF7rq8RTxcvoz76WIiwD8U8GUP02

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers literally turned out the lights in multiple cities after breaking into electrical utilities and demanding extortion payments before disrupting the power, a senior CIA analyst told utility engineers at a trade conference.
All the break-ins occurred outside the United States, said senior CIA analyst Tom Donahue.

Wasn't this the plot to "Live Free or Die Hard"?

 

[geni]

It depends on exactly how stand alone the power utility company systems really are.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

It depends on exactly how stand alone the power utility company systems really are.

From the article:

. . . all involved intrusions through the Internet

As someone in the IT bibness, I always tell clients not to use the freeking Internet if you really want a secure network. A VPN might improve things.